Valheim Admin Commands
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Being admin on a Valheim server is simpler than in most games: three text files and a handful of commands in the in-game console. It is also more limited than many guides suggest — admin rights let you kick, ban and save, but they do not turn on cheats on a dedicated server.
This guide covers making yourself admin, the commands that work, the ban and permitted lists, and what devcommands really does, checked against Valheim 1.0.
How to make yourself admin
Admins are listed in adminlist.txt, in the server's save folder — the same folder that holds worlds_local, not inside it. The server creates the file on its first start.
- Find your ID. In the game, press F2: the panel shows your platform ID. It is also in the server log when you join. For Steam players this is your SteamID64, a 17-digit number starting with
7656119. - Add it to adminlist.txt, one ID per line.
- Restart the server.
// List admin players ID ONE per line 76561198012345678
For Steam players either form works: the bare SteamID64 or Steam_76561198012345678. Players on other platforms — Xbox, PlayStation, Switch 2 — need the full ID with its platform prefix, exactly as F2 or the log shows it; the ID is case-sensitive, so copy it rather than typing it.
No server yet? A HytHost Valheim server with the admin files ready in the file manager starts at €4.36/mo.
See Valheim plansOpening the console
Admin commands are typed in the game's own console. On Steam it is hidden until you enable it: right-click Valheim > Properties > General > Launch options, add -console, and start the game. Press F5 to open the console while connected.
The console is per player: the commands run on the server only for players in adminlist.txt. Everyone else gets "You are not admin".
The admin and server commands
| Command | What it does | Who can use it |
|---|---|---|
kick <name/ip/userID> | Disconnects a player | Admins |
ban <name/ip/userID> | Bans a player and adds them to bannedlist.txt | Admins |
unban <ip/userID> | Lifts a ban | Admins |
banned | Lists banned players | Admins |
save | Saves the world now; works at most once a minute | Admins |
players | Lists connected players | Admins |
sleep / skiptime | Skips the night, or skips time forward | Admins |
listkeys, setkey, removekey | Shows or changes world keys | Admins |
setworldpreset, setworldmodifier | Changes the world's difficulty preset or a modifier | Admins |
ping | Shows your latency to the server | Everyone |
info | Shows system and server information | Everyone |
lodbias <value> | Changes your own view distance for objects | Everyone |
help | Lists the commands and their syntax | Everyone |
Use help for the exact arguments of the world commands. What the presets, modifiers and keys change is explained in Valheim world modifiers and server settings.
devcommands, and why it does not work on a dedicated server
devcommands (once called imacheater) unlocks Valheim's cheat console: commands such as god, fly, spawn and exploremap. Two things matter:
- It does not give cheats on a dedicated server. The cheat commands work in single player and in worlds hosted from the game. Being in
adminlist.txton a dedicated server gives you the admin commands above, not god mode or flight. This is why so many players find that "devcommands does not work" on their server. - It marks the game as cheated. Since 1.0, using dev commands flags the character and the world and blocks achievements, and spawned items are marked as cheated.
If your group wants a creative or relaxed world, use the difficulty presets and world keys instead — for example no build cost — which work on a dedicated server for everyone.
The ban list and the permitted list (whitelist)
Next to adminlist.txt are two more files with the same format, one ID per line:
- bannedlist.txt — players who cannot join. The
bancommand writes to it; you can also edit it by hand. - permittedlist.txt — the whitelist. As soon as it contains anyone, everyone else is refused, and the server checks it every few seconds, kicking anyone who is not on it. Add yourself first.
Admin files on a HytHost server
On a HytHost server the three files are in the saves folder of the file manager, next to worlds_local. Edit adminlist.txt there, then restart from the panel.
The panel's Console tab shows the server log — which is also where player IDs appear when people join — but the Valheim server does not accept admin commands typed there, so they are run from the in-game F5 console. The panel's Stop button saves the world before the server stops.
Setting up a server first? See how to host a Valheim dedicated server, or go straight to Valheim hosting.
Admin files in the file manager, crossplay with one switch, automatic backups — Valheim hosting from €4.36/mo.
See Valheim plansFrequently asked questions
Add your ID to adminlist.txt in the server's save folder, one ID per line, and restart the server. For Steam players that is the 17-digit SteamID64; players on other platforms use the full ID with its platform prefix, as shown in the F2 panel.
Press F2 in the game to see your ID, or look in the server log after you join. It is a 17-digit number that starts with 7656119. Your Steam account details page shows the same number.
Add their IDs to permittedlist.txt in the server's save folder, one per line, and add your own first. As soon as the file contains anyone, every player who is not on it is refused.
Because the cheat commands only work in single player and in worlds hosted from the game. On a dedicated server, admins get commands such as kick, ban and save, but not god mode, flight or spawning. Since 1.0, dev commands also mark the game as cheated.
As an admin, open the console with F5 and type save. It works at most once a minute. The server also saves on its own every 30 minutes by default, and when it is stopped properly.
Run your Valheim world your way
HytHost Valheim hosting gives you the admin files in the file manager, Vanilla or BepInEx, crossplay and automatic backups — from €4.36/mo.
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