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How to Become Admin on a Garry’s Mod Server

Become admin on Garry’s Mod by identifying your server type first: listen-server hosts are already administrators, while dedicated servers use users.txt or ULX with ULib.
Length9 min Posted Quest giverVGSources Team
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The correct method depends on the server you run. On a listen server started from the Garry’s Mod client, the host is already the administrator. On a dedicated server, either add your Steam ID (or a friend’s) to garrysmod/settings/users.txt, or install ULX together with its required ULib dependency and promote the connected player from the server console.

Use the smallest permission group that accomplishes the job. superadmin is ULX’s highest group and can run every command, override other users’ immunity, and change access rules; ordinary building, moderation, or teleport tasks rarely require that level.

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Identify your server type first

Your route is determined by where the server process runs and what control you have over it. A listen server is launched from the game client and is hosted by the player who created the session. A dedicated server runs separately, usually on a rented machine, a home server, or a game-server control panel.

Server situation What you need Administration method Where permission persists Typical scope
Listen server hosted from your Garry’s Mod client Be the player hosting the session No file edit or addon is required; the host is automatically administrator The current hosted session Host-level control available to the session owner
Dedicated server with no administration addon Filesystem access and the player’s Steam ID Edit garrysmod/settings/users.txt while the server is stopped The users.txt configuration Vanilla admin or superadmin
Dedicated server using ULX Permission to install addons and access the server, web, or authenticated remote console Install ULX and ULib, fully restart, then run ulx adduser ULX’s saved user/group data ULX groups, including custom groups, admin, and superadmin

A command that works in one row may fail in another. In particular, an ordinary client console does not have the authority of the server console, and a map change does not load a newly installed administration addon as reliably as a complete restart.

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Listen server: the host is already admin

If you choose Start New Game and host directly from the Garry’s Mod client, you do not need to edit users.txt to make yourself administrator. The player running that listen server is recognized as its host.

What to do

  1. Start the game mode and map from the Garry’s Mod client.
  2. Remain in the session as the host account.
  3. Use the administration controls supplied by the game mode or any admin addon you have installed.

Friends who join are not automatically administrators. Giving another player elevated permissions on a listen server requires whatever administration system that particular game mode or addon supports. If you need persistent groups, named commands, immunity settings, or separate moderator roles, a dedicated server with ULX is usually the clearer arrangement.

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Dedicated server without an addon: use users.txt

The vanilla route is appropriate when you want a small, file-based setup and do not need ULX’s command groups. The relevant file is garrysmod/settings/users.txt inside the server’s Garry’s Mod installation.

1. Stop the server and make a backup

Stop the dedicated server completely before editing the file. Save a copy of the current users.txt so you can restore it if a syntax error or mistaken identifier prevents the server from reading the file. Editing while the process is running can be overwritten when the server shuts down.

2. Find the player’s Steam ID

Join the server with the account that should receive access, open the server console, and run:

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Read the Steam ID shown for the connected player. Copy it exactly, including its prefix and digits. Do not substitute a display name, a friend-code-style identifier, or a shortened value. If you are granting access to a friend, have that friend connect first so you can identify the correct row in the status output.

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3. Open the correct group in users.txt

Open garrysmod/settings/users.txt in a plain-text editor. The file contains group blocks for users such as admin and superadmin. Follow the syntax already present in your copy: place the exact Steam ID inside the group block that matches the permission level you intend to grant. Do not delete unrelated entries or change the braces and quotation marks used by the existing file.

Choose admin for the narrower built-in role when that is sufficient. Choose superadmin only when the player must have the highest vanilla access. The group name controls the scope; putting an ID in the wrong block can produce either too little access or more authority than intended.

4. Save, start, and test

  1. Save the file without changing its text format or adding rich-text formatting.
  2. Start the dedicated server again.
  3. Reconnect the account whose ID you added.
  4. Test one permission that should be available to the selected group.

If the player is still treated as a normal user, stop and recheck the Steam ID, the group block, and the file path. A successful edit affects the dedicated server that reads that file; it does not grant rights on a different server instance or on a listen server hosted elsewhere.

Dedicated server with ULX: the practical route for groups and commands

ULX is a Garry’s Mod administration addon. It requires ULib on the server. ULX supports multiple user groups and can be managed through server-console or chat commands after installation. Its project documentation describes superadmins as the highest usergroup; they have access to all commands, can override other users’ immunity, and can manage command access with userallow and userdeny.

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1. Install both dependencies

Install ULX and the required ULib dependency in the dedicated server’s garrysmod/addons directory, or use a supported Workshop installation route provided by your server setup. Installing ULX without ULib leaves the dependency incomplete and can prevent the admin system from loading correctly.

2. Perform a full restart

Restart the dedicated server completely after both addons are installed. Do not rely on changing the map as a substitute for this first restart. The installation guide updated 10 June 2026 specifically calls for a restart before bootstrapping the first account.

3. Connect the account you will promote

Join the running server with your own account, or ask the friend who should receive access to connect. Bootstrapping is easiest while the target player is online because ULX can resolve the connected player’s current name or supported identifier.

4. Run the promotion from an authoritative console

Use the dedicated server console or the hosting panel’s web console. If your provider exposes an authenticated remote console, that is also appropriate when it sends commands to the server process. Do not enter the command in an ordinary client console that lacks server authority.

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ulx adduser YourName superadmin

Replace YourName with the exact in-game name, or use the identifier syntax supported by the ULX version installed on your server. Keep the player connected while you run the command so ULX can resolve the account reliably.

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5. Prefer a narrower group when possible

Replace superadmin with admin when the player only needs normal administration. You can also assign a custom lower-privilege group if your ULX configuration defines one. ULX’s group model is intended for differentiated access, so builders, moderators, and trusted operators do not all need the same command set.

6. Verify the result

Have the promoted player reconnect if the server or addon indicates that a new session is required, then test a command appropriate to the group. Check the player’s name and group from ULX’s available user or group commands rather than assuming that a command accepted by the console granted the intended role.

How to give a friend admin without giving away the server

For a one-time moderation task, a full superadmin grant is usually excessive. Decide what the friend actually needs before choosing the group.

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  • Temporary or limited moderation: use an existing lower-privilege ULX group or a custom group with only the required commands.
  • Routine administration: use admin if its commands and immunity behavior match your server’s policy.
  • Full control: use superadmin only for a person who should be able to run every command, override immunity, and alter access rules.

Tell the friend which identity you granted. If you use a name-based ULX command, a later name change can make troubleshooting harder; use the identifier form supported by your installed ULX version when you need a stable account reference.

Choosing between users.txt and ULX

Question users.txt ULX plus ULib
Do you need an addon? No; it is the vanilla configuration route. Yes; install both ULX and ULib.
What access is required? Filesystem access to the server and permission to stop it for editing. Addon installation access plus server, web-console, or supported authenticated remote-console access.
How is a player identified? Copy the exact Steam ID from status. Use the exact connected name or identifier syntax supported by your ULX version.
How are permissions organized? Built-in admin and superadmin file groups. Multiple ULX groups, including custom groups and command-level allow/deny controls.
When is it a good fit? A small server that needs a simple, static list of trusted IDs. A server with several staff roles, command delegation, immunity rules, or ongoing user management.
What is the main operational risk? A malformed edit or incorrect Steam ID can leave the intended player without access. Missing ULib, an incomplete restart, an incorrect name, or overly broad superadmin access can make the setup appear broken or unsafe.
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Troubleshooting permission problems

The command says the player was not found

Confirm that the player is currently connected and that the name matches exactly, including spaces and capitalization as displayed by the server. If your installed ULX version supports an identifier form, use that instead of guessing at a name. Run the command from the server or web console, not from a normal client console.

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ULX commands are unknown

Check that both ULX and ULib are present in the server’s addon installation and that the server completed the full restart required after installation. A map change alone is not a substitute for loading newly installed addons.

The player still has no permissions after a successful command

  • Verify that you promoted the intended account, not another player with a similar name.
  • Check the group spelling, including the difference between admin and superadmin.
  • Reconnect the player if the addon or server session has not refreshed the account.
  • Look for another gamemode or administration addon that is overriding group behavior.
  • If you used the vanilla route, recheck the Steam ID, the group block, and the exact garrysmod/settings/users.txt path.

The server will not start after editing users.txt

Stop attempting additional edits and restore the backup you made before changing the file. Compare the edited block with the original brace, quotation-mark, and indentation pattern, then reapply only the intended Steam ID. A plain-text editor is safer than software that silently converts the file’s formatting.

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A friend has more power than intended

Remove the account from the higher group and assign the narrower group that matches the job. With ULX, review command access and immunity settings rather than assuming every administrator needs superadmin privileges. Keep a record of who has the highest group so you can revoke access quickly when staff roles change.

Safe administration checklist

  • Identify whether the server is listen or dedicated before changing anything.
  • For a dedicated vanilla server, stop the process and back up garrysmod/settings/users.txt.
  • Obtain the Steam ID with status while the correct account is connected.
  • For ULX, install ULib as well as ULX.
  • Complete a full restart after addon installation.
  • Run ulx adduser from the server or web console, or from supported authenticated remote-console access.
  • Use admin or a custom restricted group unless full superadmin authority is genuinely required.
  • Test the permission with the target account and check for conflicts from another gamemode or admin addon.
  • Keep backups and remove access when a friend or staff member no longer needs it.

Bottom line

For a listen server, hosting the game already makes you the administrator. For a dedicated server without addons, add the exact Steam ID to the appropriate admin or superadmin block in garrysmod/settings/users.txt. For a dedicated server with ULX, install both ULX and ULib, fully restart, connect the target player, and run ulx adduser YourName superadmin from the server or web console. Choose a narrower group whenever full superadmin control is unnecessary.

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