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Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →To add an administrator, stop your Core Keeper server, edit its Admins.json file, add the player to the adminList array with a valid SteamID64 and privilege level, save the file, and restart the server. A full administrator uses "privileges": 2; a limited administrator uses "privileges": 1 in the documented configuration.
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If an administrator already exists, that person can promote another connected player from the in-game pause menu. The first administrator still has to be created by editing Admins.json.
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What you need before changing permissions
Have file-manager, SFTP, or control-panel access to the server’s files, and know the exact character name and SteamID64 of the player you are adding. You also need permission to stop and start the server. Editing while the process is running risks having the server overwrite your changes when it shuts down.
- A stopped server: use the host’s Stop or Shut Down control and wait until the process is fully offline.
- The correct data directory: locate the
DedicatedServerfolder used by your installation rather than assuming every host uses the same path. - A verified SteamID64: this is the player’s numeric Steam identifier, not their display name or a shortened account name.
- A backup: download or copy the current
Admins.jsonbefore editing it. - A JSON-aware editor: syntax highlighting or a formatter makes missing commas and brackets easier to catch.
Do not make a player an administrator solely by matching a name. Names can be changed or duplicated in ways that make a numeric identity safer for permission checks. Confirm the SteamID64 with the intended player before saving.
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Where Admins.json is located
One documented Linux-style hosted path is:
/.config/unity3d/Pugstorm/CoreKeeper/DedicatedServer/Admins.jsonThis is an example, not a universal absolute path. Windows servers, Docker containers, managed control panels, and installations using a custom data path can place the file elsewhere. In those cases, open the host’s file browser or inspect the configured Core Keeper DedicatedServer data directory.
If you cannot see the file
First confirm that the server has been started at least once and that you are viewing the data directory used by the running instance. A newly created installation may not contain every data file immediately. Dedicated-server world data can also appear only after the first save following a player’s connection, so start the server, let it initialize, connect once, allow a save, then stop it and check the directory again.
Control panels sometimes hide dot-directories such as .config. Enable hidden-file display if your panel has that option. With Docker, check the mounted persistent volume rather than the container layer; editing a non-persistent copy will be lost when the container is recreated.
How to add the first administrator in Admins.json
Use this file-based method when no administrator can currently open the in-game menu, or whenever you need to bootstrap a new server.
- Stop the server completely. Use the hosting panel’s stop command and wait for its status to show that the process has exited.
- Back up the existing file. Download
Admins.jsonor make a copy such asAdmins.json.backup. Keep the untouched copy until the new permission has been tested. - Open the file in a plain-text or JSON editor. Do not use a word processor that adds formatting or typographic quotation marks.
- Find the
adminListarray. Existing administrator records belong between its square brackets. If the array is empty, it should look like"adminList": []before you add the first record. - Add a record with all four required fields. Use a sequential
index, the desiredprivilegesvalue, the player’s in-gamename, and their numericsteamId. - Save valid JSON. Check commas, quotation marks, braces, brackets, and numeric formatting before closing the editor.
- Restart the server. Reconnect with the named character and test the permission.
Working example
This is the documented shape for a full administrator:
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{
"adminList": [
{
"index": 1,
"privileges": 2,
"name": "YourCharacterName",
"steamId": 76561198012345678
}
]
}Replace the example name and SteamID64 with the intended player’s values. Keep steamId as a number, without quotation marks, and keep name as a quoted string. The example’s index is 1; when other records already exist, continue the file’s sequential numbering rather than reusing an existing index.
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Separate records with a comma, but do not put a trailing comma after the final record. For example:
{
"adminList": [
{
"index": 1,
"privileges": 2,
"name": "FirstAdmin",
"steamId": 76561198012345678
},
{
"index": 2,
"privileges": 1,
"name": "BuildModerator",
"steamId": 76561198087654321
}
]
}Here the first player has full privileges and the second has the limited level documented by EmeraldHost. The names and IDs are examples; use the exact values for your players. Preserve every existing record unless you intentionally mean to remove that person’s access.
What each Admins.json field does
| Field | Required value | How to use it |
|---|---|---|
index |
Sequential number | Identify the record in order. Continue the sequence used by the existing list. |
privileges |
2 for full admin; 1 for limited admin |
Choose the level appropriate to the player’s responsibilities. The documented values come from EmeraldHost’s Core Keeper example. |
name |
Player’s in-game character name | Enter the character name used when connecting to the server, including capitalization and spaces. |
steamId |
Numeric SteamID64/Steam64ID | Enter the complete numeric identifier as a JSON number, not a display name and not a quoted text value. |
The server treats administrators as a list of identities with attached privilege levels. A valid-looking name with the wrong SteamID64 can grant access to the wrong account, while a correct ID paired with a misspelled character name may fail to match as expected. Verify both values before restarting.
Choosing full versus limited administration
Full admin: privileges 2
Use 2 when the player should have the complete administrator role available to the server. This is the value shown for full admin in the documented configuration.
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Limited admin: privileges 1
Use 1 when you want the documented limited administrator level instead of the full role. The exact actions exposed by each level are determined by Core Keeper’s server implementation; do not assume a limited administrator can perform every action available to a full administrator.
If you are unsure which level is appropriate, begin with limited access for routine moderation or building help and elevate only when the player needs broader control. You can change the number later by stopping the server, editing the record, and restarting it.
Promoting a player from inside the game
Core Keeper also supports an in-game promotion flow, but the person performing it must already be an administrator. This makes the menu a delegation shortcut, not a replacement for the initial file edit.
- Use
Admins.jsonto create at least one working administrator. - Start the server and connect with that administrator’s character.
- Open the pause menu.
- Locate the player you want to promote and select the star icon beside that player’s name.
- Confirm the promotion when prompted.
- Have the promoted player reconnect or test the newly available controls.
Shockbyte documents this star-button workflow and notes that the acting player must first be made an administrator through the file-based method. It avoids manual JSON editing for later promotions, so it is useful when you are already online and need to delegate quickly.
When the menu method is the better choice
- Use it for routine delegation: an existing admin can promote a connected player without opening SFTP or a panel file browser.
- Use the file method for bootstrap: it is the only documented route in this guide when nobody has admin rights yet.
- Use the file method for recovery: if an admin is offline, locked out, or the menu fails, stop the server and correct the data directly.
File edit versus in-game promotion
| Consideration | Admins.json edit | In-game star menu |
|---|---|---|
| Access required | File-manager, SFTP, or control-panel access and the ability to stop the server | An existing administrator account and a connected target player |
| Best use | Creating the first admin, restoring access, or making precise record changes | Quickly delegating to another player during a session |
| Main failure risk | Invalid JSON, wrong SteamID64, wrong path, or a running server overwriting edits | The acting player is not an admin, the target is not connected, or the menu action is not confirmed |
| Deployment differences | File location varies with operating system, container, panel, and custom data path | Menu steps are performed after joining the running server |
Validation checklist before restarting
A single syntax error can cause the server to ignore the list. EmeraldHost specifically warns that a missing or extra comma can prevent the file from being applied. Check the following in order:
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- The outer object begins with
{and ends with}. - The property is spelled exactly
adminList. - The list is enclosed in square brackets.
- Each record is enclosed in braces.
- Every property name and character name uses straight double quotation marks.
- Each property has a colon separating its name and value.
- Records are separated by commas, with no comma after the final record.
index,privileges, andsteamIdare numbers, not quoted strings.- The SteamID64 is complete and belongs to the intended player.
- No comments, trailing notes, or extra text appear outside the JSON object.
Run the file through a JSON formatter or parser if your editor provides one. Formatting does not prove that the identity is correct, but it catches structural errors before the server starts.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Restarting and confirming the permission
- Save the file in the same directory and with the exact filename
Admins.json. Avoid accidentally creatingAdmins.json.txt. - Close the editor and verify that the backup remains separate from the edited file.
- Start the server from the same panel, service, or container that normally launches it.
- Wait until startup completes, then connect with the character whose name and SteamID64 were entered.
- Check for the expected administrator controls, or have an existing admin use the star menu to verify that the account is recognized.
- If the permission is missing, stop the server before making another edit and work through the troubleshooting branches below.
Do not leave a malformed file in place while repeatedly restarting. Each failed start can make it harder to tell whether the problem is syntax, path selection, identity matching, or a stale running process.
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The file is not present
Confirm the server has initialized and saved at least once, then check the configured DedicatedServer directory rather than a similarly named local folder. On hosts that hide dot-directories, enable hidden files. In a container, inspect the persistent mounted data volume.
The server starts but no one receives admin rights
Stop the server and inspect the file for JSON errors, especially commas and closing brackets. Confirm that the service restarted from the same data path you edited. Then verify the character name and SteamID64 against the intended account. A syntactically valid file can still fail if it contains the wrong identity.
The wrong player received access
Stop the server immediately, back up the current file, and remove or correct the record with the incorrect SteamID64. Use the complete numeric SteamID64 rather than relying on a display name. Restart only after the corrected identity has been checked.
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Your changes disappear after a restart
Make sure the server was stopped before editing and that you edited the live instance’s data directory. A control panel may manage a different installation than the folder you opened, and a container may discard changes made outside its persistent volume.
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The in-game star is missing or does nothing
Confirm that the acting player is already an administrator created through Admins.json, that the target player is connected, and that the correct player row is selected. If the menu still fails, return to the file-based method while the server is stopped.
You are locked out of every admin account
Use the backup or edit Admins.json directly while the server is offline. Add a verified administrator record, validate the JSON, restart, and test that account before delegating further access in-game.
Operational safety and maintenance
- Keep dated backups: retain the last known-good file before each permission change so you can restore access without rebuilding the list.
- Grant the smallest useful role: use the limited value for players who do not need full control, and reserve full administration for trusted operators.
- Review the list periodically: remove former staff and correct old character names or IDs when accounts change.
- Protect the file: do not post
Admins.jsonpublicly; it contains the identities trusted by your server. - Document who changed it: record the date, player, privilege value, and reason in your private server notes, not inside the JSON file.
The launch-argument documentation reviewed for Core Keeper does not expose a documented admin flag or command syntax. For that reason, treat direct JSON editing and the documented in-game star menu as the supported procedures here rather than relying on unverified console commands.
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