Dota 2 Generator: The Autoexec.cfg Generator Tool for Dota 2

The Autoexec.cfg Generator Tool builds your Dota 2 autoexec.cfg: FPS boost, low end PC, clean HUD. Download it with the right name and see exactly which folder it goes in.

Autoexec.cfg Generator

FPS limitfps_max 144Your monitor’s refresh rate or a bit above. The game saves it too.
FPS limit in menusfps_max_ui 60Lower FPS in the menus: less heat and noise. 0 = no limit.
FPS countercl_showfps 1FPS at the top of the screen. The game does not save this one, so it belongs here.
Low latency moder_low_latency 1NVIDIA Low Latency / AMD Anti-Lag 2. Boost only works on NVIDIA.
Render qualitymat_viewportscale 0.8Renders the 3D view smaller, the UI stays sharp. The biggest FPS lever for weak graphics cards.
Grassr_grass_quality 0Grass quality. Off costs nothing.
No ambient occlusionr_ssao 0Turns off ambient occlusion (soft shadows in corners).
Medium shadowscl_globallight_shadow_mode 1The shadow setting Valve’s own performance test uses.
Cheap waterdota_cheap_water 1Low-quality water, like turning off High Quality Water.
Texture filteringr_texturefilteringquality 0Bilinear is the cheapest, 16x the sharpest.
No crittersdota_ambient_creatures 0No little animals walking around the map.
No cloth physicsdota_ambient_cloth 0No cloth simulation on hero models.
No tree windr_dota_allow_wind_on_trees 0Trees stop swaying in the wind.
Static portraitdota_portrait_animate 0The hero portrait in the HUD stops moving.
autoexec.cfg0 lines
    Save it inC:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\dota 2 beta\game\dota\cfg\✓Runs by itself at every start. Check: open the console and look for “autoexec.cfg loaded”.

    How to install your autoexec.cfg

    1. Download the file from the tool
    2. Steam: right-click Dota 2 → Manage → Browse local files
    3. Open game → dota → cfg and drop the file there
    4. Start Dota, open the console: autoexec.cfg loaded

    This tool is created with love for Dota 2 and for helping you to play better every day and rank up! Have Fun and Enjoy!

    Axe holding up a glowing autoexec.cfg scroll, title image of the Autoexec.cfg Generator Tool for Dota 2

    The Autoexec.cfg Generator Tool

    The Autoexec.cfg Generator Tool writes your Dota 2 autoexec.cfg for you. Flip switches, watch the file build up line by line, download it with the right name. Every command in it still exists in the game and none needs cheats. Axe once wrote his autoexec by hand. The file was called autoexec.cfg.txt. Nothing happened for three years.

    1. Pick a preset (Starter, FPS boost, Low end PC, Clean screen) or switch settings on one by one. Numbers and choices change right in the row.
    2. Watch the file on the right. Every line gets a comment, so future you knows what past you did.
    3. Download it and drop it into the folder shown under the tool. Already have an autoexec? Paste it under Check yours: good lines get imported, cheat-only and dead ones get thrown out.

    Axe explains

    Autoexec in 10 seconds

    1. 1file: autoexec.cfg, not .txt.
    2. cfgfolder: game \ dota \ cfg.
    3. 0launch options needed. It runs by itself.
    4. 0cheat commands that work in it.

    Wrong name = Dota ignores it. Axe knows.

    Dota 2 autoexec.cfg location

    The file lives in the cfg folder of your Dota 2 installation. The folder is already there, the file is not: you create it.

    WindowsC:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\dota 2 beta\game\dota\cfg\
    Linux~/.local/share/Steam/steamapps/common/dota 2 beta/game/dota/cfg/
    macOS~/Library/Application Support/Steam/steamapps/common/dota 2 beta/game/dota/cfg/

    Is Dota on another drive or in another Steam library? Then the start of the path changes, the end stays the same: …\dota 2 beta\game\dota\cfg\. The quick way on every system: Steam → right-click Dota 2 → Manage → Browse local files, then open game, dota, cfg.

    Old guides say dota 2 beta\dota\cfg. That folder is from 2015. Axe put his file there. Dota never found it. Axe blamed the creeps.

    How to create an autoexec.cfg for Dota 2

    The easy way is the download button in the tool: the file comes with the right name. By hand it works like this:

    1. Open Notepad and write one command per line, like cl_showfps 1.
    2. Lines that start with // are notes. The game skips them.
    3. Save as: pick “All files” as the file type and name it autoexec.cfg.
    4. Check the name in Explorer with File name extensions turned on. If it says autoexec.cfg.txt, rename it.

    Windows hides known file extensions by default. That is why so many autoexec files are secretly text files that Dota never reads.

    Do you need +exec autoexec in the launch options?

    No. Dota 2 runs autoexec.cfg by itself at every start. The game engine has the command built in, and it has worked like that for years. The launch option +exec autoexec is only a fallback if your file really does not load. Before you add it, check the name and the folder.

    Launch options and autoexec do different jobs: launch options are read before the game starts (like -novid or -vulkan), the autoexec runs console commands once the game is up.

    For the launch options part, the Launch Options Generator builds the whole line and checks your old one.

    Dota 2 autoexec for FPS boost and low end PCs

    Honest Axe talk: an autoexec does not double your FPS. The FPS lines are the console versions of normal video settings. The video menu is the first place to change them. The autoexec forces them at every start, which helps when an update resets your settings.

    This is the Low end PC preset from the tool, line by line:

    fps_max 60Your monitor’s refresh rate or a bit above. The game saves it too.
    fps_max_ui 60Lower FPS in the menus: less heat and noise. 0 = no limit.
    cl_showfps 1FPS at the top of the screen. The game does not save this one, so it belongs here.
    dota_hud_netgraph 1FPS, ping, packet loss and kbps on your HUD. The old net_graph does not exist anymore.
    con_enable 1Same as “Enable console” in the settings. Open it with \.
    r_grass_quality 0Grass quality. Off costs nothing.
    r_ssao 0Turns off ambient occlusion (soft shadows in corners).
    dota_ambient_creatures 0No little animals walking around the map.
    dota_ambient_cloth 0No cloth simulation on hero models.
    r_dota_allow_wind_on_trees 0Trees stop swaying in the wind.
    dota_portrait_animate 0The hero portrait in the HUD stops moving.
    mat_viewportscale 0.75Renders the 3D view smaller, the UI stays sharp. The biggest FPS lever for weak graphics cards.
    cl_globallight_shadow_mode 1The shadow setting Valve’s own performance test uses.
    dota_cheap_water 1Low-quality water, like turning off High Quality Water.
    r_texturefilteringquality 0Bilinear is the cheapest, 16x the sharpest.

    The biggest lever is mat_viewportscale: it renders the 3D world smaller while the HUD stays sharp. Try 0.8 first. Below 0.7 the game gets blurry. Axe likes blurry. Axe also squints a lot.

    Best Dota 2 autoexec commands

    Not everything needs an autoexec: the game saves most settings by itself. These are the lines worth having:

    • cl_showfps 1 FPS counter. The game forgets it after every restart, so this one really belongs in the autoexec.
    • dota_hud_netgraph 1 FPS, ping and packet loss on your HUD. The old net_graph is gone.
    • fps_max 144 Your FPS limit. Set it to your monitor’s refresh rate or a bit above.
    • dota_minimap_hero_size 800 Bigger hero icons on the minimap. Default is 600.
    • dota_range_display 1200 A ring around your hero. 1200 is Blink Dagger range.
    • bind "F7" "toggle cl_showfps" One key turns the FPS counter on and off.

    Want more? The Console Commands Lookup lists every command that still works, and its “Put in autoexec” button sends your picks straight into this tool.

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    Dota 2 autoexec not working? Check these

    • The name. It must be autoexec.cfg. Not autoexec.cfg.txt, not autoexec (1).cfg from a second download.
    • The folder. …\dota 2 beta\game\dota\cfg\. The old …\dota 2 beta\dota\cfg\ from pre-2015 guides does nothing.
    • Safe mode. -safe_mode in your launch options ignores your .cfg settings. Remove it once the game runs fine.
    • Cheat commands. dota_camera_distance and friends only work in lobbies with sv_cheats 1. In an autoexec they do nothing.
    • Dead commands. Lines from old guides like net_graph or mat_vsync no longer exist. Paste your file into Check yours and the tool finds them.
    • Did it load? The tool adds echo "autoexec.cfg loaded" as the last line. Open the console after the start: if the text is there, the file ran.

    Autoexec myths from old guides

    net_graph 1Does not exist in Dota 2 anymore. Use dota_hud_netgraph 1.
    mat_vsync 0Does not exist. VSync is in the video settings.
    cl_cmdrate 128, rate 786432cl_cmdrate does not exist, and no source shows that higher rates lower your ping.
    cl_interp 0.01cl_interp is read-only now. It only prints the value.
    mat_queue_mode 2, mat_picmip, r_rootlodOld Source 1 commands. The current game does not know them.
    dota_embers 0Gone. For menu FPS use fps_max_ui.
    r_drawparticles 0Exists, but it is a cheat command. No effect in normal games.
    dota_camera_distance 1500Cheat command. Everybody has the same camera distance in normal games.
    host_writeconfig as last lineNot needed. The game saves its settings by itself.

    Can an autoexec get you banned? No. It is a normal game feature and only runs commands the game already has. Axe checked. Axe checks everything twice, because Axe forgets the first time.

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    Next step for your setup: plan your keys with the Hotkey Layout Builder.

    FAQ: Axe answers questions

    Where is the Dota 2 autoexec.cfg?

    In your Dota 2 folder under game\dota\cfg. With the default Steam folder that is C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\dota 2 beta\game\dota\cfg\autoexec.cfg. Quick way: Steam, right-click Dota 2, Manage, Browse local files, then open game, dota, cfg. The game does not ship the file, you create it.

    Does Dota 2 run autoexec.cfg automatically?

    Yes. Dota 2 runs autoexec.cfg by itself at every start. You do not need a launch option. +exec autoexec in the launch options is only a fallback if your file really does not load.

    Why is my autoexec not working?

    Usually the name or the folder is wrong: it must be autoexec.cfg (not autoexec.cfg.txt) in game\dota\cfg, not in the old dota\cfg folder from 2015 guides. Also remove -safe_mode from your launch options, it ignores your .cfg settings. And cheat commands like dota_camera_distance never work in normal games, autoexec or not.

    What should I put in my Dota 2 autoexec?

    Things the game does not keep by itself, like cl_showfps 1 for an FPS counter, plus anything you want forced at every start: FPS limit, network info (dota_hud_netgraph 1), minimap and camera settings. Cheat commands and old Source 1 commands are useless.

    Can an autoexec give me more FPS?

    It can turn off cheap effects like grass, ambient occlusion, critters and cloth physics, and render the 3D view smaller. Those are the same switches as in the video settings, just forced at every start. It will not double your FPS.

    Can an autoexec.cfg get me banned?

    No. autoexec.cfg is a normal game feature. It only runs console commands the game already has.

    Data: Valve's official Dota 2 datafeed · updated