Search "gmod loading screen template" and you'll dig up a decade of GitHub repos, forum threads and PHP scripts. Some still work. A lot of them quietly don't, and you won't find out until a player joins and stares at a white page. This guide covers what a template actually has to handle in 2026, how to check one before you build your server's first impression on it, and the ready-made route if you'd rather skip the whole thing.
The checklist: what a template must get right
- Runs in GMod's old Chromium — the in-game browser (CEF) lags years behind desktop Chrome. A template built with recent CSS like container queries or nesting can render fine in your browser and show up as a broken white page in-game.
- Zero required interaction — the player can't click during loading. Any template with tabs, carousels driven by buttons, or "click to start music" is broken by design.
- Real progress via engine callbacks — good templates implement
GameDetails,SetFilesTotal,SetFilesNeededandDownloadingFile(explained here). A fake looping bar tells players nothing. - Readable from a couch — players watch loading screens from across the room, half paying attention. Rules and server info need to be big. Dense small text just gets ignored.
- A safe zone bottom-right — GMod draws its native download box (~300×40 px) in the bottom-right corner, over your page. Templates that put important content there get it covered.
- Works at any resolution — from 1366×768 laptops to ultrawide monitors. Fixed-pixel layouts crop or letterbox badly.
GitHub templates: free, but you own the maintenance
The classic open-source templates (CodeBrauer's loading screen, MetroLoad, GoulpLoader and the rest) set the pattern years ago: a PHP page, Steam avatar pulled through the API, a music folder, a slideshow. They're free and you can hack them however you like. The cost shows up later. You need a web server with HTTPS, a Steam API key you keep secret, PHP you patch yourself, and an afternoon here and there to fix whatever breaks when GMod pushes an update. If that sounds like a fun weekend, go for it. The sv_loadingurl complete guide covers the server side.
15 ready-made themes, hosted for you
Lumescreen keeps the template idea and takes the server admin work off your plate. Pick one of 15 themes, set your colors, music, rules, staff list and background in a dashboard, and copy the hosted URL into sv_loadingurl. Every theme already clears the checklist above. It's tested in CEF, wired to the engine callbacks, and it keeps the native download box zone clear at any resolution.
- Free themes (5) — Minimal Dark, Community Showcase, Stream HUD, Drop Card and Blueprint. Genuinely free: no watermark, no time limit, one loading screen per account.
- Premium themes (10) — cinematic and gamemode-flavored designs like Cinematic Empire, Jedi vs Sith, Tactical Ops, Containment (horror) or Royal Charter (fantasy), for servers that want a stronger identity than the defaults give.
Which style fits which server? We wrote a dedicated breakdown for DarkRP, Sandbox and MilitaryRP servers.
Template vs hosted theme: the honest comparison
- Choose a GitHub template if you already run a web server, enjoy HTML/CSS, and want pixel-level control with zero recurring cost.
- Choose a hosted theme if you'd rather spend the evening on your gamemode than on nginx. Setup is a 2-minute sv_loadingurl change, and reliability, analytics and updates are somebody else's job.
Either way, test in the actual game before launch day. What desktop Chrome renders and what GMod renders are not the same thing. If it's broken in-game, the troubleshooting guide covers the usual suspects.