How to Ban Players on a Squad Server: Commands, Permanent Bans, and Unbans

Join the server with an admin account that has the ban permission, press the tilde key (~) to open the in-game console, and run AdminBan <NameOrSteamId> <BanLength> <BanReason>. Use AdminBanById <PlayerId> <BanLength> <BanReason> when the server player ID is less ambiguous. A length of 0 is permanent; 1d is one day and 1M is one month. Manual bans persist in SquadGame/ServerConfig/Bans.cfg.

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Use the in-game console for an immediate ban

The fastest way to remove a player and apply a ban during a live match is the administrative console. The command is available only to an administrator with the ban access level.

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1. Join the correct Squad server using an account that has administrative access.
2. Confirm that your account has the ban permission. Having another administrative role does not by itself establish that you can run ban commands.
3. Press the tilde key (~) to open the in-game console.
4. Enter AdminBan <NameOrSteamId> <BanLength> <BanReason>, replacing each bracketed value.
5. Submit the command and check that the player is removed or that the server reports the ban action.

For example, a permanent ban using a Steam ID could be entered as AdminBan <SteamID64> 0 Repeated teamkilling after warnings. The angle-bracket text is a value to replace, not text to type literally. Recording the reason in the command gives other staff a clear moderation trail.

Choose the command that matches the identifier you have

Names can be hard to target when several players use similar names, change display names, or include unusual characters. Use a Steam ID or the server’s numeric player ID whenever possible.

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If two players have similar names, do not guess. A mistaken ban is harder to justify and may require a manual file edit to reverse. Verify the identifier before submitting the command, and use the Steam ID form when a player name is not unique.

Set the ban length correctly

The second argument controls how long the ban lasts. A value of 0 means permanent. The documented timed examples are 1d for one day and 1M for one month; the capital M is significant in that example.

Use the duration notation supported by your server’s current administration reference. Do not treat a temporary ban as permanent merely because the player is absent for a long time; a timed entry should have an identifiable expiration.

Write a useful reason

The final argument is the reason. Make it specific enough that another administrator can understand what happened without relying on memory. A concise reason can include the rule, the observed behavior, and whether a warning was given, such as Intentional teamkilling after warning or Exploit use confirmed by admin review.

• Describe the conduct, not the player’s character or motive.
• Include a warning or evidence reference when that fact affected the decision.
• Use consistent wording across staff so similar incidents receive similar treatment.
• Avoid claims you cannot substantiate; the server’s policy requires a valid reason and evidence is recommended for mass bans.

If your console or administrative interface treats spaces specially, keep the reason in the form accepted by your current server build. The command syntax places the reason last, so the complete trailing text should describe the incident rather than being omitted.

What to do when a name is ambiguous

Prefer the Steam ID

A Steam ID identifies the account rather than its current display name. Copy it from the information available to your administrators and place it in the NameOrSteamId position. This is the safer option when multiple players have similar names or when a name contains characters that are difficult to enter.

Use the server player ID when available

AdminBanById is designed for the server’s player ID. This ID is useful when the roster or administration tool distinguishes players more clearly than their names. Because player IDs are server-session identifiers, verify that the number still corresponds to the intended player before executing the command.

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Make a ban persistent in Bans.cfg

Squad stores manual bans in SquadGame/ServerConfig/Bans.cfg. This file is the persistent list used for bans that must survive a server restart.

Each entry contains the banned player’s Steam ID, a colon, and a Unix expiration timestamp. An expiration value of 0 denotes a permanent ban. Entries may also contain the issuing administrator and a comment. Put one ban on each line and finish the file with a newline.

<SteamID>:<UnixExpirationTimestamp>

The code line is a format illustration: replace the values with the actual Steam ID and expiration required by your case. For a permanent entry, the expiration field is 0. For a temporary entry, use a valid Unix timestamp representing the intended expiry rather than a duration such as 1d; the file stores an absolute expiration value.

Safe procedure for editing the file

1. Stop the Squad server completely before opening the configuration file. Editing while the process is running risks a competing write or a change being overwritten.
2. Create a backup copy of SquadGame/ServerConfig/Bans.cfg so you can restore the previous list if a formatting mistake occurs.
3. Open the file with a plain-text editor and locate the line containing the target Steam ID.
4. Add or modify only the intended line. Preserve the colon separator, any documented optional fields, and one-entry-per-line layout.
5. Ensure the final line ends with a newline, then save the file as plain text.
6. Start the server and test with the affected account only after checking the saved file.

Use the console command for routine live moderation and reserve direct file edits for persistent-list maintenance, bulk review, or cases where the server is already stopped. File editing has more operational risk because a malformed line can prevent the intended entry from being read.

How to unban a player

The documented control-panel workflow is a file removal followed by a restart; it is not a live-console operation in the procedure described here.

1. Stop the server.
2. Open SquadGame/ServerConfig/Bans.cfg.
3. Find the line matching the player’s Steam ID.
4. Delete that complete line, including any associated expiration, administrator, and comment fields.
5. Save the file as plain text with the remaining entries each on their own line and a terminating newline.
6. Start the server again.

Remove only the matching entry. If the player appears on more than one line, review each matching entry before restarting; deleting an unrelated line can lift a different player’s ban. If the player remains blocked after the restart, stop the server again and verify that the correct configuration directory and file were edited.

Troubleshoot a ban that did not work

The console rejects the command or does nothing

• Check that the account has the ban access level. The immune access level protects an administrator from being kicked or banned; it does not grant ordinary staff the ability to ban others.
• Confirm that you opened the server console with ~, not a chat box or another game overlay.
• Recheck the command spelling and argument order: target, duration, then reason.
• Replace an ambiguous display name with the Steam ID or use AdminBanById with the verified server player ID.

The wrong person was targeted

Stop issuing further commands and document the mistake. If the ban was written to the persistent list, remove the exact erroneous line using the stopped-server unban procedure. Then apply the intended action only after verifying the correct identifier.

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A file edit does not persist

• Make sure the server process was stopped before editing.
• Check that the path is exactly SquadGame/ServerConfig/Bans.cfg for the instance you restarted.
• Confirm that the file is plain text and that every entry remains on its own line.
• Check the colon separator and expiration value, including the special permanent value 0.
• Verify that the last line ends with a newline and restart after saving.

An unbanned player is still refused

Review the file after stopping the server and search for every line containing that Steam ID. A duplicate entry, an edit to a different server instance, or a restart of the wrong instance can leave the ban active. Correct the file, save it, and start the same instance again.

Apply bans under a clear server policy

Offworld Industries states that licensed servers may set their own disciplinary standards when those standards align with the Squad Code of Conduct. Its policy says that servers may ban players to protect the integrity of their server. That discretion is paired with procedural expectations: bans require a valid reason or evidence, accessible in-game rules, and a way for players to appeal.

Publish the rules where players can reach them during play, explain which behavior can lead to a temporary or permanent ban, and give staff a consistent escalation path. Keep enough evidence to explain a decision if it is challenged. Evidence is especially recommended for mass bans, where a single mistaken identification can affect many accounts.

A practical moderation record

• Player Steam ID and, where useful, the session player ID.
• Date and approximate match or round.
• Rule violated and the observed behavior.
• Warning or prior incidents that affected the sanction.
• Administrator who issued the action.
• Ban duration and the date a temporary ban expires.
• Appeal contact and the final decision on any appeal.

This record complements the reason entered with AdminBan and helps different administrators enforce the same rules rather than making decisions from memory.

Choose console action or file maintenance

Server-owner capacity figures are not ban requirements

Offworld Industries’ licensed-server guidance gives owners broader operating figures: 8 GB of RAM minimum per server, 4 GB of additional RAM per game instance, a limit of 10 administrators per Squad server, and seven days to address reported violations. These numbers describe server operation and governance, not the hardware or staffing needed to issue one ban. A working ban still depends on the correct permission, identifier, command syntax, and policy process.

Final pre-ban and post-ban checklist

Before you submit the command

• Are you on the intended server and logged in with the correct administrator account?
• Does that account have ban access?
• Have you verified the Steam ID or server player ID rather than guessing from a similar name?
• Does the duration match the published rule: permanent 0 or an appropriate timed value?
• Can you state the conduct and evidence in a concise reason?

After the action

• Confirm the player was removed or the server acknowledged the command.
• Record the identifier, reason, duration, administrator, and evidence.
• Tell the player how to appeal, consistent with your published rules.
• If the action must persist, verify the corresponding entry in Bans.cfg after a controlled restart.

The Bottom Line

For a live incident, use AdminBan or AdminBanById with a verified identifier, an explicit duration, and a factual reason. For persistent maintenance or an unban, stop the server and edit the matching line in SquadGame/ServerConfig/Bans.cfg, preserving its syntax and restarting afterward. Apply either method consistently with published rules, evidence, and an appeal process.

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