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To whitelist a player, open the Factorio in-game console or dedicated-server console and run /whitelist add PLAYERNAME, replacing PLAYERNAME with the player’s Factorio account name. Check the result with /whitelist get. On a headless dedicated server, start Factorio with --use-server-whitelist; use --server-whitelist PATH when you need to choose the whitelist file location.
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What a Factorio whitelist does
A whitelist is an allow-list for multiplayer access. When whitelist enforcement is active, only the account names in the list can join the game. The list is separate from the banlist: a whitelist defines who is allowed, while a banlist blocks named players. The commands and startup options in this guide address the allow-list only.
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Quick command reference
| Goal | Command | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Add one player | /whitelist add PLAYERNAME |
Adds the specified account to the allow-list. |
| Display entries | /whitelist get |
Prints the current whitelist so you can verify names. |
| Remove one player | /whitelist remove PLAYERNAME |
Deletes that account from the list. |
| Remove every entry | /whitelist clear |
Clears the list; with no entries, whitelist functionality is disabled. |
The syntax is /whitelist <add/remove/get/clear> [player]. The player argument is needed for add and remove, but not for get or clear.
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Where to run the commands
In-game console
If you are connected to a multiplayer game and have access to its console, enter the slash command there. Use the same command syntax shown above, including the player’s exact Factorio account name.
Dedicated-server console
For a headless server, enter the commands in the server process’s console. This is the console attached to the running Factorio server, not a shell command prompt used to launch or stop the process. Runtime commands change the list while the server is running.
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Enable enforcement on a dedicated server
A dedicated server must be launched with --use-server-whitelist for Factorio to enforce the allow-list at startup. The optional --server-whitelist FILE switch selects the whitelist file path explicitly. If you omit that option, Factorio uses its normal whitelist-file location in the server’s write directory.
| Option | Purpose | When to use it |
|---|---|---|
--use-server-whitelist |
Turns whitelist enforcement on for the dedicated server. | Include it whenever only listed accounts should be able to join. |
--server-whitelist FILE |
Selects the file used for whitelist entries. | Use it when the file is outside the default write directory or when you want an explicit, documented path. |
--start-server SAVE.zip |
Starts a dedicated server from a save archive. | Required by Factorio’s documented dedicated-server startup pattern; create the save before starting the server. |
--server-settings SERVER_SETTINGS.json |
Loads the server’s gameplay and multiplayer settings file. | Use it when your server configuration is stored in a separate settings file. |
The whitelist switch and the runtime commands have different jobs. The switch determines whether the dedicated server uses the allow-list at launch. The slash commands add, remove, display or clear entries in the running server’s list.
Step-by-step: add and verify a player
- Identify the exact account name. Ask the player for the Factorio name they use to join. Enter it as presented, rather than relying on a nickname, a platform display label or a local description.
- Open the appropriate console. Use the in-game console for a game you are administering, or the dedicated-server console for a headless process.
- Add the account. Run
/whitelist add PlayerName, replacingPlayerNamewith the intended account. Add each player with a separate command. - Read the current list. Run
/whitelist get. Confirm that every intended account appears and that spelling and capitalization match what the players will present when joining. - Check the launch configuration. On a dedicated server, confirm that the process was started with
--use-server-whitelist. An entry in the file is not enough if enforcement is not enabled. - Test access deliberately. Have a listed account join. Then, if you can do so safely, have an account that is not listed attempt to join and observe the result. This verifies the complete path: the command, the file, the startup flag and the server that players are actually reaching.
The final test is an operational check you perform on your own server. It is not a substitute for checking the list and launch arguments, because a test can be affected by connecting to the wrong server instance or by an account-name mismatch.
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The following command combines Factorio’s documented save-and-settings pattern with both whitelist options:
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./bin/x64/factorio
--start-server ./saves/my-save.zip
--server-settings ./data/server-settings.json
--use-server-whitelist
--server-whitelist ./config/server-whitelist.jsonChange the executable, save, settings and whitelist paths to match your installation. The save archive must already exist before the dedicated server starts. --server-settings points to the server-settings file; --server-whitelist points to the separate allow-list file.
Using the default whitelist location
If you do not need a custom location, omit --server-whitelist and keep --use-server-whitelist. Factorio then uses its normal whitelist-file location in the server’s write directory. Because the write directory depends on how and where the server is run, document that location for whoever maintains backups or moves the installation.
Using a custom location
Pass the complete path after --server-whitelist. Use an absolute path when a relative path could resolve differently under a service manager, container, panel or scheduled task. Ensure the server process can read and write the selected location; otherwise entries may not be loaded or saved as expected.
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Why a friend still cannot join
The name is not an exact match
Run /whitelist get and compare the displayed entry with the account name the player presents. Remove a mistaken entry with /whitelist remove PlayerName, then add the corrected name. Do not add several guesses indefinitely: an accurate list is easier to audit and less likely to grant access to the wrong account.
Whitelist enforcement was never enabled
A dedicated server can have entries without enforcing them if it was launched without --use-server-whitelist. Stop the server, add the flag to the launch command or panel startup arguments, and start the same save again. Then verify the active process or startup log through the tools your host provides.
The server is reading a different file
If you use --server-whitelist, the path after the option is authoritative for that launch. Check for path typos, relative-path surprises and multiple Factorio installations. A panel may display a file named server-settings.json prominently while the whitelist is a different file, often named server-whitelist.json.
The list is empty
An empty list is permissive in Factorio: it disables whitelist functionality. If someone cleared the list or the server created a new empty file, add at least one intended account and run /whitelist get before relying on the restriction.
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The player is connecting to another instance
When a machine runs more than one server, a correct list on one process does not affect another. Confirm the address, port and save instance the player uses, then inspect that process’s launch arguments and whitelist path.
Managing entries during normal operation
Adding a new member
Run the add command in the active server console, then immediately run /whitelist get. This gives you a record of the resulting state without editing the JSON file manually.
Removing one account
Use /whitelist remove PlayerName for a single departure or access change. Verify with /whitelist get. If it was the final entry, remember that the now-empty list allows anyone to join until you add another account or disable access by another supported method.
Resetting the list
/whitelist clear removes all entries. Treat it as a destructive operation: save a copy of the intended names in your administrative records before clearing if you expect to rebuild the list. Because an empty list disables whitelist functionality, do not use clear as a way to create a temporarily private server.
Keeping an audit trail
Record who authorized additions and removals, the date, the server instance and the path used for the whitelist file. Factorio’s commands show the current state, while your operational notes explain why an account was present. This is especially useful when a panel, service manager or container can launch more than one copy of the server.
Understanding server-whitelist.json
The whitelist is commonly stored in a file named server-whitelist.json, but the effective location is determined by Factorio’s normal write directory or by the path supplied with --server-whitelist. Do not infer the location from the name of the settings file shown by a hosting panel.
A Factorio forum explanation reports that starting with --use-server-whitelist and then running an add command can create a new server-whitelist.json when one does not already exist. Treat that behavior as version-sensitive operational guidance rather than a guarantee for every installation. After adding a player, confirm which file changed in your host’s write directory and include that file in backups.
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When moving a server
- Stop the original process cleanly.
- Copy the save archive, server-settings file and the whitelist file selected by your launch command.
- Recreate the same paths, or update
--server-whitelistto the new location. - Start the new process with
--use-server-whitelistand the intended save. - Run
/whitelist geton the new instance before inviting players.
Copying only the save does not necessarily copy the allow-list. Treat the save, server settings and whitelist as separate pieces of server state.
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Common administration scenarios
Adding several players before opening the server
Prepare the intended names in an administrative note, then issue one /whitelist add command for each account. Finish with /whitelist get and compare the complete output against your note. This catches a skipped command or a typo before anyone depends on the restriction. Do not assume that adding a name to a panel’s player list changes Factorio’s whitelist.
Temporarily opening a private server
Do not use /whitelist clear as a temporary public mode unless that is genuinely what you want: clearing leaves an empty list, and an empty list permits everyone. Keep the entries intact and remove --use-server-whitelist only when you intentionally want enforcement disabled, then restore the flag and verify the list before closing access again.
Recovering after a restart
After a restart, confirm that the same save, startup arguments and whitelist path were used. Run /whitelist get from the newly started process. If the entries disappeared, look for a changed write directory, a service account with a different working directory or a panel that generated a second configuration tree. Re-add players through the console only after identifying which instance is active.
Using a managed host
Ask the provider how to edit the actual startup command, reach the Factorio console and back up the selected whitelist file. Some panels expose a console but hide launch flags; others offer file access without showing the process’s working directory. You need all three pieces—enforcement flag, runtime console and persistent file access—to administer the allow-list reliably.
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The commands work the same way, but administration differs depending on where Factorio runs. Before choosing a host or moving an existing world, check the capabilities that affect whitelist reliability.
| Decision area | Questions to answer |
|---|---|
| Launch control | Can you add --use-server-whitelist and, if needed, --server-whitelist PATH to the actual startup command? |
| Console access | Can an administrator reach the Factorio server console to run add, get, remove and clear commands? |
| File access | Can you locate, back up and restore the selected whitelist file independently from server-settings.json? |
| Recovery | Can you restore the save and whitelist together after a failure or migration? |
| Version and mod support | Does the environment support the Factorio version and mods your save requires? |
| Capacity and performance | What player and CPU limits apply to the plan or machine, and are they suitable for the way your group plays? |
| Network location | Where is the server located relative to players, and what latency should your group expect? |
| Total cost | For a managed service, what recurring price covers the required resources, backups and access features? For self-hosting, what machine, electricity and maintenance costs apply? |
Provider features and prices change, so verify these points for the specific service and region before committing. The key requirement is not a particular panel: it is reliable access to the launch flag, active console and whitelist file.
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Operational checklist
- Keep a save file ready before launching a dedicated server.
- Use
--use-server-whitelistwhenever the server should enforce the list. - Use
--server-whitelist PATHwhen the file must live at a known custom location. - Add one exact Factorio account name per command.
- Run
/whitelist getafter changes and after migrations. - Back up the whitelist separately from the save and server settings.
- Remember that an empty list allows anyone to join.
- Test with both a listed and a non-listed account when changing launch settings.
- Do not confuse the whitelist file with
server-settings.jsonor the banlist.
Complete command and flag reference
| Item | Where it is used | What it controls |
|---|---|---|
/whitelist add PLAYERNAME |
Running Factorio console | Adds one account to the allow-list. |
/whitelist get |
Running Factorio console | Displays current entries. |
/whitelist remove PLAYERNAME |
Running Factorio console | Removes one account. |
/whitelist clear |
Running Factorio console | Removes all accounts and leaves an empty, non-enforcing list. |
--use-server-whitelist |
Dedicated-server launch command | Enables whitelist enforcement at startup. |
--server-whitelist FILE |
Dedicated-server launch command | Selects the whitelist file path. |
--start-server SAVE.zip |
Dedicated-server launch command | Starts the server from an existing save archive. |
--server-settings SERVER_SETTINGS.json |
Dedicated-server launch command | Loads the separate server settings file. |
For most private Factorio servers, the reliable sequence is: launch the intended save with whitelist enforcement, add each account through the active console, display the list, and then test access. If a player is rejected, check the exact account name, the active process’s startup flags and the whitelist path before changing anything else.
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What is the Factorio whitelist command?
Use /whitelist add PLAYERNAME in the in-game or dedicated-server console. Replace the placeholder with the exact Factorio account name. Run /whitelist get afterward to confirm that the entry was added.
How do I enable a whitelist on a Factorio dedicated server?
Launch the server with --use-server-whitelist. If you want a specific file, add --server-whitelist /path/to/server-whitelist.json. The dedicated-server command also needs an existing save supplied with --start-server SAVE.zip.
Where is server-whitelist.json stored?
Factorio uses its normal write directory unless you provide a path with --server-whitelist FILE. The file is commonly named server-whitelist.json, but the launch argument determines the effective location. Check the host’s working or write directory rather than assuming it is beside server-settings.json.
Why can’t my friend join after I enabled the whitelist?
First run /whitelist get and compare the entry with the player’s exact account name. Then confirm the active dedicated-server process includes --use-server-whitelist and reads the expected file. Also verify that the player is connecting to the correct server instance and that the list is not empty.
Does an empty whitelist block everyone?
No. Factorio documents that an empty whitelist disables whitelist functionality, so anyone can join. Add at least one intended account before relying on the restriction. Clearing the list is therefore not a method for making a server private.
Can I manage the whitelist without editing JSON manually?
Yes. Use the running server console: /whitelist add PLAYERNAME, /whitelist remove PLAYERNAME, /whitelist get and /whitelist clear. Console changes are easier to verify than manual file edits. Back up the resulting whitelist file after important changes.
Is the whitelist the same as the banlist or server settings file?
No. The whitelist controls who is allowed to join, while the banlist blocks named players. The whitelist file is also separate from server-settings.json, which contains server gameplay and multiplayer settings. A panel may display both files independently.
What should I back up when moving a Factorio server?
Back up the save archive, the separate server-settings.json file and the whitelist file selected by the launch command. Recreate the paths or update --server-whitelist, start with --use-server-whitelist, and run /whitelist get on the new instance before inviting players.
The Bottom Line
Run /whitelist add PLAYERNAME, verify with /whitelist get, and launch a dedicated server with --use-server-whitelist. Use --server-whitelist PATH when you need a known file location, and remember that an empty list allows everyone to join.
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