The reason people think Rust forgets their settings
Rust does not forget your binds. You did not save them.
Binds live in memory until you run one command:
writecfgThat writes them to keys.cfg in Steam\steamapps\common\Rust\cfg, and they survive restarts and wipes from then on.
Skip it and every bind you set disappears on the next launch — which is exactly why people believe Rust keeps resetting on them.
Two more habits worth having:
- Back up
keys.cfg. Drop it into the cfg folder on a new PC and all your binds come back. - Some convars reset anyway.
gc.bufferandclient.headlerpgo back to default every restart regardless, so they belong in your launch options (+gc.buffer 2048,+client.headlerp 10), not just typed into the console.
The six binds that matter
Type each into the F1 console, then run writecfg at the end.
1. Auto-run
bind q "forward;sprint"Press Q to auto-run; press W to cancel. Rust is a game of very long walks, and this is the difference between holding W across a map and pressing a key once.
2. Instant combat log
bind o "consoletoggle;combatlog"One tap of O and you know whether he died. Did you hit him? Did someone hit you? Half a second instead of fumbling through menus.
3. FOV zoom toggle
bind mouse3 "+graphics.fov 70"Hold middle mouse to drop FOV 90 → 70, release to go back.
70 is the floor of Rust’s FOV range — lower numbers will not zoom further. Hold it while aiming down sights and you get the double zoom that PvP players use for cross-map fights.
4. Fast alt-look snap
client.headlerp 10
client.headlerp_inertia falseAlt-look behind you, let go, and your view snaps forward with no drift. This one resets each session, so add +client.headlerp 10 to your launch options too.
5. Hover loot on a mouse button
bind mouse4 +hoverlootHover loot sits on H by default. Moving it to a side mouse button means you can vacuum boxes while keeping full WASD movement.
Tiny change, large difference mid-raid.
6. Safe kill bind
bind k killInstant respawn reset. Pick a key you will not hit by accident.
The rebinds the community actually agrees on
| Action | Default | Recommended | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crouch | Ctrl | C | Ctrl is awkward to hold while strafing. C is one-hand accessible |
| Jump | Space | Space + Mouse4 | Mouse4 jump enables jump-shooting tactics |
| Voice chat | V | T or Mouse5 | Frees V, and is harder to misclick mid-fight |
| Auto-run | Z | Q, or disabled | Z is too easy to hit by mistake in a fight |
| Hover loot | H | Mouse4 | Keeps your movement hand free |
There is no toggle-crouch switch in the options menu. Binding duck to your own key is the only way to get one — and since the default Ctrl stays a hold, you end up with both, which is usually what you want.
Two setup notes
Set FOV before you tune sensitivity. FOV goes to a maximum of 90, and there is no reason to sit below that outdoors. It also changes how far your aim has to travel for the same on-screen distance, so it has to come first.
Rebind the console before you need it. F1 is the one Rust binding a 60% keyboard does not have. Do it before a raid, not during one.
The viewmodel tweaks
These change how your gun looks on screen, not how it shoots.
| Command | Effect |
|---|---|
graphics.vm_fov_scale | Moves the viewmodel closer or further. Setting it false makes gun sights smaller |
graphics.vm_horizontal_flip | Flips which side your weapon sits on |
~graphics.vm_fov_scale 0; graphics.vm_fov_scale 1 | A toggle between the two on one key |
The streamer whose gun looks small and distant is running these.
Crafting binds
The formula is bind [key] craft.add [item ID] [quantity]. One bandage looks like:
bind v craft.add -2072273936 1Get the ID wrong and the command silently does nothing, and you still need the resources in your inventory.
The line you must not cross
Console binds are a first-party feature and are allowed. Remapping a key to do one thing is exactly what the system is for.
Third-party scripts that automate input are not. Auto-clickers, recoil scripts and rapid-fire macros are bannable, and Facepunch’s anti-cheat does ban for them.
The six binds above are the whole competitive setup. You do not need anything else.
Console Edition
None of this works on console. Rust Console Edition has no F1 console, so every bind and command on this page is PC-only. Console players get the in-game settings menu and nothing more.
Related guides
- Rust Console Commands — the full command list
- Rust Best Settings — the graphics side
- Rust Best FPS Settings — the launch options and convars
- How to Loot Fast in Rust — what the hover-loot bind is for
- How to See at Night in Rust — the settings that do not help
- Rust Best PvP Settings — the competitive setup
- Xbox and PS5 in Rust — what console players lose