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How to Find a Player ID on a Valheim Server (Online and Offline Methods)

Use Valheim’s F2 player panel to copy a connected player’s complete, case-sensitive Platform User ID. For offline players, find the local Platform ID in the dedicated-server log and place it one per line in the correct access file.
Length8 min Posted Quest giverVGSources Team
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The fastest way to find a Valheim player ID is to have the player join your dedicated server, press F2, and copy the complete Platform User ID shown beside the character’s name. Include the platform prefix, underscore, and original capitalization. If the player is offline, search the dedicated-server log for the character name and read the local Platform ID in the nearby connection entry.

Valheim uses this identifier in adminlist.txt, bannedlist.txt, and permittedlist.txt. It is not the same thing as a character name, and Iron Gate specifies that the value is case sensitive.

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What a Valheim player ID is

Valheim’s dedicated server identifies users with a Platform User ID. Iron Gate Studio describes its format as [Platform]_[User ID], and the complete value is case sensitive. The platform prefix is part of the ID, not a label that should be removed.

For example, an ID displayed in the F2 panel must be copied as one uninterrupted value, including its prefix and underscore. Changing uppercase letters, deleting the prefix, or copying only the numeric-looking portion can prevent the server from matching the account.

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The ID is used in text files that control access and moderation:

  • adminlist.txt contains users who should have administrator privileges.
  • bannedlist.txt contains users who should be blocked.
  • permittedlist.txt is an allowlist. Iron Gate warns that enabling it bans everyone else from the server, so it should be used deliberately.

A character name is still useful for locating a person in the interface or log, but it is not a substitute for the Platform User ID in these files.

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Choose the lookup method

Method Use it when What you need Limitation
F2 player panel The target player is currently connected An in-game connection and access to the player panel You cannot use it for an offline player
Dedicated-server log The player is offline, or you have server-console or file access Access to the server’s log and the player’s character name You must identify the correct connection entry

Use the F2 method whenever possible because the value is shown directly next to the connected player. Use the log when the person has already left or cannot join.

Find an online player ID with the F2 panel

  1. Have the target player join the Valheim server. They must be connected while you perform the lookup.
  2. Open the player panel. While you are in the game, press F2. This opens the panel that lists the players currently present.
  3. Open the Players section. Locate the target by the character name shown in the list. If several players use similar names, confirm the identity before copying anything.
  4. Read the Platform User ID beside the name. Copy the entire value, including the platform prefix, underscore, and every character after it.
  5. Preserve the exact spelling. Iron Gate’s format is [Platform]_[User ID] and is case sensitive. Do not change capitalization, insert spaces, remove punctuation, or trim off the prefix.
  6. Paste the ID into the appropriate file. Put one ID on each line of adminlist.txt, bannedlist.txt, or permittedlist.txt, depending on the action you need to take.

Copying without introducing errors

Use a plain-text editor when moving the value from the game panel to a server file. Avoid retyping it: a single wrong character produces a different identifier. Keep the line otherwise clean, with no quotation marks or explanatory text. If the file already contains other entries, add the new value on its own line.

Before saving, compare the pasted line with the value still visible in the F2 panel. Check the prefix first, then the underscore, then capitalization and the remaining characters. This check is especially important when IDs contain a mixture of uppercase and lowercase letters.

Find an offline player ID in the dedicated-server log

Iron Gate states that the Platform User ID can also be obtained from the server log. This is the fallback when the player is no longer connected and therefore cannot appear in the F2 list.

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  1. Obtain the server log. Use the console or file-management access provided by your dedicated-server setup.
  2. Search for the player’s character name. Use the exact in-game name if possible. Names with unusual capitalization or spaces are easier to find when copied exactly.
  3. Locate the connection entry. A player’s name may occur in more than one line. Find the entry associated with that player joining or connecting rather than an unrelated message.
  4. Read the nearby local Platform ID. Current hosting documentation describes the practical process as finding the connection entry and reading the local Platform ID shown near it.
  5. Copy the complete value. Retain the platform prefix and original capitalization. Treat the log value exactly as you would the ID shown in the F2 panel.
  6. Validate the match. If the name appears in several connections, use the most relevant connection entry and, where available, confirm the timing against when the player joined.
  7. Add it to the required file. Enter one complete ID per line in the moderation or access file you intend to use.

When a name search returns several results

Log files can contain repeated joins, disconnects, or messages referring to the same character. Do not assume the first match is the right one. Read the surrounding lines to identify the connection event and the local Platform ID associated with it. If two entries show the same character name but different IDs, treat that as a signal to verify the player’s identity before changing an access file.

Where Valheim keeps the server files

Iron Gate’s documented default save locations differ by operating system:

Operating system Default Valheim save location
Windows %USERPROFILE%/AppData/LocalLow/IronGate/Valheim/
Linux ~/.config/unity3d/IronGate/Valheim/

The dedicated server’s -savedir [PATH] option can override the default location. If the files are not present in the standard directory, check the launch configuration for -savedir and inspect the path supplied there.

Windows path checks

On Windows, enter %USERPROFILE%/AppData/LocalLow/IronGate/Valheim/ in File Explorer’s address bar. The %USERPROFILE% portion resolves to the account running the server. If the server runs under a different Windows account or service account, its files may be under that account’s profile instead.

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Linux path checks

On Linux, the tilde in ~/.config/unity3d/IronGate/Valheim/ refers to the home directory of the account running the server. Check that account rather than assuming the files are under your personal login. A custom -savedir path takes precedence over this default.

Put the ID in the correct access file

After you have verified the value, choose the file that matches your goal. Each entry should occupy its own line.

Goal File Entry format
Grant administrator access adminlist.txt Platform_UserID on one line
Block a player through the file bannedlist.txt Platform_UserID on one line
Allow only listed users permittedlist.txt Platform_UserID on one line

The table uses Platform_UserID as a shape example only. Replace it with the exact value copied from the F2 panel or log, including the real platform prefix and capitalization.

Formatting checklist

  • Use the full Platform User ID.
  • Keep the prefix and underscore.
  • Match every uppercase and lowercase letter.
  • Place one ID on each line.
  • Do not add a character name, comments, quotation marks, or extra spaces to the line.
  • Save the file in the active Valheim save directory, including any location selected with -savedir.

Using the admin console for immediate moderation

Finding an ID is useful for persistent file-based access, but Iron Gate also documents dedicated-server moderation commands that use a player name. Open the in-game admin console with F5, then use the command appropriate to the action:

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  • Forge your Viking Legend: choose your class and take the battle into the wilds as you seek resources to craft epic armor and mighty weaponry. Then, unleash powerful abilities and prepare clever village defenses to give your enemies some nasty surprises.
  • Rally the tribe: when the giants arrive, it takes a village to bring them down! Adventure through midgard solo, or form a tribe of up to 10 players in online pve co-op.
  • Keep up the fight: throughout the year, limited time seasonal events bring bigger challenges and even mightier treasures to the endgame of midgard, including new ways to progress and unlockable rewards for use across every game.
Command Purpose
Kick PLAYERNAME Remove a player from the server
Ban PLAYERNAME Ban a player
Unban PLAYERNAME Remove a ban
Banned Display the banned players list

These commands are a separate path from copying a Platform User ID into a text file. Use the player’s actual character name where PLAYERNAME appears. For a persistent allowlist, administrator list, or file-based ban, use the exact Platform User ID instead.

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Why the server does not recognize an ID

The platform prefix was removed

The prefix is part of the identifier. Re-copy the complete value from the F2 panel or log and replace the shortened entry.

Capitalization changed

Platform User IDs are case sensitive. Compare the file character by character with the source value. A text editor’s automatic capitalization or manual retyping can introduce a mismatch.

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The wrong player with a similar name was selected

Use the F2 Players list while the person is connected, or correlate the character name and connection event in the log. Do not rely on a display name alone when several players have similar names.

The file is in the wrong directory

Check both the operating-system default path and the server launch arguments. A -savedir value overrides the defaults, so editing a file in the standard directory will not affect a server configured to save elsewhere.

The ID was entered on a shared line

Separate entries with line breaks. Keep each complete ID on its own line and remove surrounding explanatory text.

The wrong file was edited

Confirm whether you need administrator access, a ban, or an allowlist. An ID in adminlist.txt does not serve the same purpose as one in bannedlist.txt or permittedlist.txt.

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An allowlist was enabled unintentionally

permittedlist.txt is not merely an extra list of preferred players. Iron Gate says it restricts access to listed users and bans everyone else from the server. Verify that every intended user is listed before relying on it.

Recommended workflow for server administrators

  1. Decide whether the player is online. If yes, use F2; if no, use the server log.
  2. Identify the character carefully, especially when names are similar.
  3. Copy the entire Platform User ID exactly as displayed or logged.
  4. Check the prefix, underscore, capitalization, and line formatting.
  5. Confirm the active save directory, including any -savedir override.
  6. Select only the file that matches the intended permission or moderation change.
  7. For an allowlist, review the complete list because unlisted users will be blocked.
  8. Keep the original copied value available until you have verified that the server recognizes the change.

Common questions about Valheim player IDs

Is a Valheim player ID the same as a SteamID?

Valheim’s server documentation calls the value a Platform User ID. It is displayed in the game’s F2 player panel and follows the platform-prefixed format [Platform]_[User ID]. Use that complete value in the Valheim files rather than substituting a separately formatted account number.

Can I find an ID from the server console alone?

You can retrieve it from the server log when you have console or file access. Search for the character name, locate the relevant connection entry, and read the nearby local Platform ID. The F2 panel remains the direct in-game method for a connected player.

Do I need the player to stay online?

No. The player must be online for the F2 lookup, but the server log method works after the player has disconnected, provided the connection entry remains available in the log.

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How should multiple IDs be entered?

Use one complete Platform User ID per line in the selected file. Keep each value exactly as copied, including its prefix and capitalization.

Which method should I use if I can access both?

Use F2 for a currently connected player because the ID appears beside the character name. Use the log when the player is offline or when server-side file access is more convenient.

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