How to setup GatherManager for Rust

Adjust GatherManager rates for pickups, resource dispensers, and quarries, and configure custom per-item overrides that feel fair.

Updated August 07, 2026

Rust

GatherManager — often written Gather Manager — is the plugin behind every "2x" and "5x" Rust server. It multiplies the resources players get from nodes, trees, and corpses, from ground pickups, from Mining Quarries, and from Survey Charges, all configured live from the console.

This guide assumes Oxide is installed. If not, start with How to Install Oxide.

Running Carbon instead?

Carbon ships a built-in gather module, so you do not need this plugin. See How to Install Carbon.

Step 1: Install the GatherManager Plugin

Download GatherManager.cs from umod.org/plugins/gather-manager.
In the File Manager on your Rust game server, upload it to oxide/plugins/.
Watch the Console for the loaded confirmation.

Step 2: Understand the Four Gather Types

GatherManager splits gathering into four types, each rated independently:

Type	Covers
`dispenser`	Active gathering: hitting trees, mining nodes, harvesting corpses
`pickup`	The small collectible rocks, wood piles, and hemp on the ground
`quarry`	Mining Quarry output
`survey`	Survey Charge yields

There is also dispenser.scale, which is different from the dispenser rate: it scales the total resources contained in each tree, node, or corpse rather than the per-hit yield. Most "true 2x" servers set both.

Step 3: Set Your Rust Gather Rates (2x, 5x and Custom)

Run these from the panel's Console. The * wildcard applies the multiplier to every resource of that type. For a standard 2x server:

> gather.rate dispenser * 2
> gather.rate pickup * 2
> gather.rate quarry * 2
> gather.rate survey * 2
> dispenser.scale tree 2
> dispenser.scale ore 2
> dispenser.scale corpse 2

For a 5x server, replace every 2 with 5. Rates apply instantly, no restart needed, and persist: each command writes its value into oxide/config/GatherManager.json.

Step 4: Per-Resource Rates

You can rate a single resource instead of the wildcard, which is how servers do things like extra-scarce sulfur or boosted cloth. Quote names that contain spaces:

> gather.rate dispenser Wood 5
> gather.rate dispenser "Sulfur Ore" 2
> gather.rate pickup Stones 10

Helpful lookups:

gather.resources lists the valid resource names
gather.dispensers lists the valid dispenser types
/gather in chat shows players the server's current rates

Step 5: Quarry Speed

Beyond output multipliers, you can make quarries tick faster:

> quarry.tickrate 3

That makes the quarry produce every 3 seconds instead of the default. It cannot go below 1 second.

Editing the Gather Manager Config Directly

Every command writes to oxide/config/GatherManager.json under blocks like GatherResourceModifiers and QuarryResourceModifiers. For bulk changes, edit the file in the File Manager and reload:

> oxide.reload GatherManager

A resource you have never rated simply will not appear in the file yet, which is normal.

Common Issues

Problem	Fix
"is not a valid resource"	The resource name is wrong. Run `gather.resources` and copy the exact name, with quotes if it has spaces
Rates ignored on part of the map	Check you set all four types. Players notice fast if pickups are still 1x on a "2x" server
Nodes break too fast at high rates	Raise `dispenser.scale` along with the dispenser rate so nodes contain more total resources
Rates reset after wipe	Map wipes do not touch the config. If rates reset, the config file was deleted or the plugin re-generated it after an error

A Note on Server Tags

Players churn instantly from a "2x" server that is secretly 1.5x

If you advertise modified rates, keep your server description honest and tag the server as modded. Players churn instantly from a "2x" server that is secretly 1.5x. See Getting started with your Rust server for tags and description.