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How to Ban Players on a DayZ Server (UID, BattlEye RCon, and Unbans)

A practical DayZ server-admin guide to UID bans, BattlEye RCon commands, timed and permanent bans, unbanning, RCon configuration, and global-ban limits.
Length10 min Posted Quest giverVGSources Team
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Use the right identifier for the right ban system: DayZ’s local ban.txt uses a player UID, while BattlEye uses a GUID in bans.txt or through RCon. For an online player, connect to BattlEye RCon, run players, and issue ban <player #> [time in minutes] [reason]. A missing duration or 0 creates a permanent BattlEye ban. Offline bans use addBan, and existing BattlEye entries are reviewed with bans and reversed with removeBan.

Choose the ban system before you act

DayZ has two separate local access-control mechanisms. A DayZ server-local ban is based on the player’s DayZ UID and is stored in the server-root file ban.txt. BattlEye bans are based on a BattlEye GUID and are managed through BattlEye’s working directory, normally the BattlEye/bans.txt file, or through BattlEye RCon.

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These identifiers are not interchangeable. A SteamID64 is not automatically a DayZ UID or a BattlEye GUID, so pasting one into the wrong command or file will not produce the ban you intend. Decide whether you need a persistent local restriction, a live administrative action, a timed punishment, or an offline ban before choosing a method.

Mechanism Identifier Location or command Best use
DayZ local ban 44-character player UID Server-root ban.txt, one UID per line Persistent ban on your individual server
BattlEye ban BattlEye GUID; addBan also accepts a supported IP address BattlEye/bans.txt or BattlEye RCon Timed bans, live administration, and GUID enforcement
RCon live action Connected player number, resolved with players ban <player #> [time in minutes] [reason] Immediate action against someone currently connected

The key distinction is scope: both local methods affect your server, not every DayZ server. A BattlEye global ban is a separate matter controlled by BattlEye.

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Apply a fair moderation decision first

Do not treat a ban command as a substitute for a moderation process. Bohemia Interactive’s public-hive hosting rules list “Kick/Ban players without just cause” as prohibited conduct. Before acting, identify the server-rule violation and preserve enough evidence to explain the decision later.

Record the incident

  • Write down the player name and the identifier you are using.
  • Save the relevant server or administrator log entry, chat record, or other evidence.
  • Note the time, the rule allegedly broken, and whether the action is temporary or permanent.
  • Use a reason in the BattlEye command when one is available; concise text such as “team killing” or “repeated exploit use” is more useful than an unexplained ban.

A documented reason also helps another administrator distinguish a deliberate moderation action from a mistaken identifier or an automated BattlEye decision.

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Ban a connected player with BattlEye RCon

RCon is the fastest route when the player is online. You need access to an RCon client or administration panel and the RCon password configured for the server.

  1. Connect to the server’s BattlEye RCon service. Authenticate with the RCon password configured for that server. If authentication fails, stop and correct the configuration before attempting commands.
  2. List connected players. Run players. BattlEye returns a player list with a player number. Use that number, not the player’s displayed name, in the ban command.
  3. Confirm the target. Match the player number to the name and incident you recorded. If the list has changed, run players again immediately before issuing the ban.
  4. Issue the ban. Run ban <player #> [time in minutes] [reason]. Replace <player #> with the number shown by players. Supply a duration in minutes for a temporary ban, followed by a short reason.
  5. Make it permanent when justified. Omit the time or set it to 0. BattlEye documents both an omitted duration and 0 as permanent.
  6. Check the result. Use bans to list the BattlEye ban entries and verify that the new entry has the expected identifier, duration, and reason.

Examples of the command shape are:

  • ban 12 60 repeated team killing — bans player number 12 for 60 minutes with a reason.
  • ban 12 0 exploit use — creates a permanent ban for player number 12.
  • ban 12 exploit use — also creates a permanent ban because the duration is omitted.

The examples show syntax only. Use the player number and facts from your own players output; never copy a number from an earlier list.

Ban someone who is offline with addBan

If the person has already disconnected, you cannot use a current player number. BattlEye provides addBan [GUID or IP address] [time in minutes] [reason] for an offline player or a known identifier.

  1. Confirm that the value you have is a BattlEye GUID or a supported IP address. A DayZ UID belongs in the DayZ local-ban workflow instead.
  2. Connect to BattlEye RCon with the configured password.
  3. Run addBan <GUID or IP address> [time in minutes] [reason].
  4. Use a duration in minutes for a temporary action, or omit the duration or enter 0 for a permanent BattlEye ban.
  5. Run bans and verify the resulting entry.

Because an IP address can be shared, reassigned, or used by more than one person, treat an IP-based action as a deliberate choice. A GUID is the more direct BattlEye identifier when it is available and correctly matched to the incident.

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Use ban.txt for a DayZ server-local UID ban

DayZ’s server-files documentation describes a root-level ban.txt containing one player UID per line. This is the appropriate mechanism when you have the player’s 44-character DayZ UID and want a persistent restriction on that particular server.

  1. Obtain and verify the UID. Make sure the value is the DayZ player UID, not a SteamID64 and not a BattlEye GUID. Check the character count and compare it with the evidence you recorded.
  2. Open the server root. Use the file manager or shell provided by your server host to locate the directory containing the DayZ server files.
  3. Open ban.txt. If the file already contains other entries, preserve them. Do not place multiple identifiers on one line.
  4. Add the UID on its own line. Keep the file as a plain list with one 44-character UID per line. Avoid adding a name, punctuation, reason, or explanatory text to that line.
  5. Save and verify. Reopen the file and check that the new line was saved exactly as intended. Keep a change record outside the file so the list itself remains machine-readable.

This method is local to the server whose ban.txt you edited. It does not create a BattlEye ban and does not affect the player’s access to unrelated servers.

Understand BattlEye’s bans.txt

BattlEye maintains its own ban list in the BattlEye working directory, commonly shown as BattlEye/bans.txt. That file stores BattlEye ban entries, which are distinct from the DayZ UID lines in the server-root ban.txt.

For routine administration, prefer the documented RCon commands over hand-editing a live list. RCon records the command, duration, and reason in the administration workflow and gives you a direct way to inspect or remove an entry. If you do edit a file through a control panel, confirm that you are in the BattlEye directory and not the DayZ server root; confusing the two files is a common reason an apparently correct ban has no effect.

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Check, expire, or reverse a BattlEye ban

List current entries

Run bans through BattlEye RCon. The output gives each entry a ban number. Use the number from the current output rather than relying on a name or an old administrative note.

Remove one entry

Run removeBan <ban #> for the relevant entry. This is the documented RCon unban workflow for a BattlEye ban. Confirm that you selected the intended ban number before submitting the command, especially when several entries belong to similar names or identifiers.

Rewrite the list and clear expired entries

Run writeBans when you want BattlEye to rewrite the ban list. BattlEye documents that this can remove expired bans. Use it after reviewing the list so that an expired temporary entry is not mistaken for an active permanent one.

Removing a BattlEye entry does not remove a separate UID line from DayZ’s ban.txt. If the player remains blocked after removeBan, inspect the local UID list and determine which mechanism is still enforcing the restriction.

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Configure RCon correctly

RCon commands work only when the server’s BattlEye administration configuration is enabled and reachable. BattlEye’s configuration requires an RCon password. The DayZ server-configuration reference identifies BEServer_x64.cfg as the relevant configuration file and documents RestrictRCon, which controls whether RCon kick, ban, and connection restrictions are enabled.

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Configuration checklist

  • Locate the BattlEye configuration file used by the running server, including BEServer_x64.cfg where applicable.
  • Set an RCon password using the exact configuration syntax required by your BattlEye build or host panel.
  • Check the RestrictRCon setting if RCon commands connect successfully but kick, ban, or connection restrictions do not take effect.
  • Restart or reload the server using your host’s documented process after configuration changes, then reconnect and test with a harmless command such as players.
  • Keep the password private. Anyone who can authenticate to RCon may be able to administer connected players.

The final configuration is version- and host-dependent, so do not paste a setting from an unrelated server into your file without checking the syntax accepted by the installation you run.

Local ban versus BattlEye ban: which should you choose?

Question Use DayZ ban.txt Use BattlEye RCon or bans.txt
What identifier do you have? A 44-character DayZ player UID A BattlEye GUID, or a supported IP for addBan
Is the player connected? Not required RCon ban needs a current player number; addBan handles offline identifiers
Do you need a timed ban? The documented local-file description does not specify a duration field Yes; specify minutes, or use omitted time/0 for permanent
How do you reverse it? Remove the UID line from the local list Run bans, identify the entry, then use removeBan
What is the scope? Your DayZ server only Your BattlEye enforcement on that server; a global BattlEye decision is separate
What is easiest to audit? A carefully maintained UID list and change log RCon reason text, command history, ban listing, and server logs

Choose the mechanism that matches the identifier and the outcome. Do not add a GUID to ban.txt or a DayZ UID to addBan and expect the systems to translate it.

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Why a ban may appear not to work

The wrong identifier was used

The most frequent mistake is confusing a DayZ UID, BattlEye GUID, and SteamID64. Recheck which system you are using and obtain the identifier that system documents. A correctly formatted value can still be the wrong kind of value.

The wrong file was edited

DayZ’s local list is the root ban.txt. BattlEye’s list is in its working directory as bans.txt. Confirm the complete path before changing anything, particularly on a host that exposes several similarly named directories.

The RCon player number changed

Player numbers come from the current players output. If someone disconnects or another player joins, run players again and verify the number before issuing ban.

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RCon connects but restrictions do not execute

Check the RCon password and the active BEServer_x64.cfg, then review RestrictRCon. A command typed into a panel that is connected to a different server instance will also produce misleading results, so confirm the server identity shown by the administration interface.

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The player is still blocked after an unban

Run bans to confirm the BattlEye entry was removed, then inspect the DayZ UID list for a separate local ban. Also distinguish a local restriction from a BattlEye global ban; a local administrator cannot remove the latter.

What a DayZ administrator can and cannot do about a global BattlEye ban

Bohemia Interactive states that “The banning system is administrated by Battleye, we have absolutely no involvement in the process of detecting cheats/hacks nor administrating any bans etc.” A server owner therefore cannot reverse a BattlEye global ban by deleting a line from local ban.txt, changing BattlEye/bans.txt, or running removeBan for a local entry.

If a player says they received a global BattlEye ban, direct them to BattlEye for the relevant appeal or support route. Your RCon tools can manage bans issued by your server, not BattlEye’s global enforcement. Bohemia Interactive also notes that players can filter for servers where BattlEye is not required, which is a separate server-selection choice rather than an unban performed by your administration team.

A repeatable moderation workflow

  1. Identify the rule and preserve evidence. Do this before disconnecting the player whenever practical.
  2. Classify the identifier. Decide whether you have a DayZ UID, BattlEye GUID, supported IP address, or only a name that still needs verification.
  3. Choose scope and duration. Select a local UID ban, a BattlEye timed ban, a permanent local action, or an offline BattlEye entry based on the incident.
  4. Execute the documented command or file change. For a connected BattlEye player, use players immediately before ban. For an offline identifier, use addBan. For a DayZ UID, maintain one value per line in the root ban.txt.
  5. Verify enforcement. Use bans for BattlEye and recheck the local file for a DayZ ban. Record the result and the exact reason.
  6. Review temporary actions. When a BattlEye ban expires, use writeBans to rewrite the list and remove expired entries. For an appeal or correction, use the current ban number with removeBan and remove any separate local UID entry if one exists.

This process keeps the identifier, file, scope, duration, and evidence aligned. It also gives another administrator enough information to undo a mistaken local action without touching unrelated bans.

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