Set a Custom Loading Message on Rust

A custom loading message, the text players see while they connect, comes from a plugin. The one on uMod is Loading Messages, which shows your own lines on the loading screen. Checked against Loading Messages 1.1.3 on uMod, October 2026; it compiled and loaded on a test Rust server.

What it can show

The plugin sends the player a line of text and an icon name while they load. It can:

• cycle through a list of messages, either in order or at random
• put the player's name into a message with {PLAYERNAME}
• colour a line with a <color=#rrggbb> tag
• show separate messages to players waiting in the connection queue
• finish on a last message when they enter the game

Out of the box it comes with two messages, "welcome to our server!" addressed to the player by name and "Enjoy your stay.", and a final "Entering game..." line.

Install it

You need Oxide or Carbon on the server. How to install Oxide/uMod plugins on your Rust server covers that.

1. Open the Plugins tab and switch to the Store.
2. Search for Loading Messages and press Install.
3. Load it. On Oxide, a plugin installed while the server is running stays unloaded until the server restarts or you type oxide.load LoadingMessages in the Console tab. On Carbon it loads by itself, and c.load LoadingMessages or c.reload LoadingMessages do it by hand.
4. Check the Console tab for the plugin loading.

The plugin has no permissions and no commands, so there is nothing to grant. It works for every player who connects.

Edit your messages

1. Switch the Plugins tab to Installed.
2. Find Loading Messages and press Config. The settings open as JSON. The file only exists once the plugin has loaded for the first time, so load it first if Config has nothing to show.
3. Change the entries. These are the settings, with the plugin's own defaults:

Each entry in a message list has an Icon name and a Message. The defaults use the icon Bolt with a light blue <color=#add8e6> tag, which is a good model to copy. A message like this keeps the same shape:

{
  "Icon name": "Bolt",
  "Message": "<color=#add8e6>Welcome to the server, {PLAYERNAME}!"
}

4. Press Save, then Reload plugin so the server reads the file.

The editor checks that the text is valid JSON before it saves, and tells you if it isn't.

If nothing changes

• The message looks unchanged. Reload the plugin after saving, and have the test player disconnect and reconnect, since the line is sent as they connect.
• The console shows "No loading messages defined". The plugin prints that warning when the Messages list is empty, and then stops sending messages. Put at least one entry back and reload the plugin.
• A warning about cyclicity. With cycling on and only one message, the plugin warns you and switches cycling off itself. Add a second line if you want it to rotate.
• The plugin stopped loading after a Rust update. Oxide needs a matching build, as the install guide above explains.