Valheim dedicated-server permissions are controlled by three text files, not by a broad in-game administrator switch. Put the correct player ID on a line in adminlist.txt, restart the server, and that player can open the administrator console with F5. Use bannedlist.txt for bans and permittedlist.txt for an allowlist; a non-empty permitted list blocks every ID that is not listed, including the server owner.
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How Valheim server administration works
A dedicated Valheim server reads three plain-text permission files from its configured save directory:
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| File | Purpose | Effect of each line | When changes take effect |
|---|---|---|---|
adminlist.txt |
Administrator access | One player ID per line grants that player access to the server-admin console. | After the server is restarted. |
bannedlist.txt |
Permanent server bans | One player ID per line prevents that player from connecting. | After the server is restarted. |
permittedlist.txt |
Allowlist (whitelist) mode | When the file contains any ID, only listed IDs may connect. | After the server is restarted. |
Use a plain-text editor and put exactly one ID on each line. These files do not use comments or labels, so a line such as # Alex is not a safe way to document an entry. Keep a backup before making edits, especially on a hosted server.
File names are case-sensitive on some server systems. More importantly, the file must be in the save directory used by that server instance. Guides disagree about the exact default location: some installations use the server’s normal save path, while Windows client documentation points to %UserProfile%AppDataLocalLowIronGateValheim. A file placed beside the executable or in a hosting-panel root can be silently ignored. Check the server configuration or panel for the active world/save directory, then edit the files there.
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Make a player an administrator
1. Obtain the player ID
Do not enter a character name. The official guide describes the identifier as a platform-and-user string in the form [Platform]_[User ID], and says the name is ignored. Several hosting guides instead document a 17-digit SteamID64. Because the accepted format can vary with the server build and platform, copy the exact value shown by your server log or the player’s F2 panel. Preserve capitalization, punctuation and every digit.
If the log shows more than one identifier, use the value associated with the player’s connection rather than a display name. Do not convert, trim or retype it. A nearly correct ID is still a different account.
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- Stop the dedicated server, or use the host’s file editor while the server is offline.
- Open the active save directory and create or open
adminlist.txt. - Enter the complete player ID on its own line. Do not add a name, quotation marks or an inline comment.
- Save the file as plain text. Check that the editor did not append
.txt.txtor save it as rich text. - Start or restart the server.
Every edit is read at startup. A player added while the process is running will not become an administrator until the next restart.
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3. Confirm access in game
Join the server with the account whose ID was added and press F5. The administrator console should open. A commonly suggested check is to run banned; if the console returns a response, that is a useful indication that the account is being treated as an administrator, but it is not presented as a guaranteed official diagnostic. If F5 does nothing, verify the ID, directory, file encoding and restart before changing other settings.
Common Valheim admin commands
The following commands are commonly listed for dedicated-server administrators by third-party guides. They are separate from single-player cheat commands and may change with game patches. Enter them in the console opened with F5 by an account in adminlist.txt.
| Command | What it does | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
kick <player> |
Removes a connected player from the server. | Use the console’s accepted player identifier or the exact target value shown by the server. |
ban <player> |
Adds a player to the server’s ban list. | Ban a disruptive player after confirming you selected the right account. |
unban <player> |
Removes a player from the ban list. | Use the same identifier format recorded for the ban. |
banned |
Displays or queries current bans, according to commonly published command lists. | Review the list or use it as a basic console-response test. |
save |
Requests a world save. | Run it before a planned shutdown or maintenance window. |
setworldmodifier <modifier> <value> |
Changes a world modifier. | For example, setworldmodifier portals casual. |
setworldpreset <preset> |
Applies a predefined world rule set. | Presets commonly listed are normal, casual, easy, hard, hardcore, immersive and hammer. |
resetworldkeys |
Resets world keys. | Use only when you understand the effect on the world’s progression and configuration. |
The command table is a practical, commonly reported list rather than a promise that every command and argument is unchanged in every release. If a command returns an unknown-command or invalid-argument message, check the server build’s current documentation and log output instead of repeatedly issuing it.
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World modifiers and presets
setworldmodifier
Commonly documented modifier categories include combat, deathpenalty, resources, raids and portals. The second argument is the setting for that category. A published example is:
setworldmodifier portals casualChanging a modifier affects the shared world, not only the administrator who entered the command. Tell all players before applying it and record the previous setting so you can reverse the change if the command syntax supports that value in your build.
setworldpreset
Presets provide a larger bundle of world rules. Commonly listed values are normal, casual, easy, hard, hardcore, immersive and hammer. Treat these names as build-dependent: a patch can add, rename or remove a preset. Test changes on a copy of the world when possible.
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Ban and unban players safely
Ban a connected player
- Open the console with F5 from an account that is listed in
adminlist.txt. - Identify the correct player account from the connection information or server log; do not rely on a similar display name.
- Run
ban <player>using the identifier format accepted by your server build. - Confirm the result with
bannedif your build returns the ban list.
A ban is an access restriction, not merely a kick. If you only need to remove someone for the current session, use kick instead.
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Unban a player
- Open the active save directory and inspect
bannedlist.txt, or use the console’s ban-list output. - Locate the exact identifier that was banned.
- Run
unban <player>if the command is available in your build, or remove that exact line frombannedlist.txt. - Save the file and restart the server so the file is reread.
Removing a line with a misspelled or differently formatted ID will not lift the ban on the real account. Keep the original identifier in your moderation notes.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Why friends cannot join: the permitted list
permittedlist.txt is an allowlist, not a list of optional exceptions. The moment it contains one ID, the server permits connections only from IDs on that file. This is the most common reason an owner can suddenly join while friends cannot—or why the owner locks themselves out after adding a single friend.
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Enable an allowlist deliberately
- Collect the exact IDs for every player who should connect, including the server owner and administrators.
- Put one ID per line in
permittedlist.txtin the active save directory. - Check for accidental blank content, wrong IDs and duplicate characters.
- Restart the server.
Anyone not listed will be refused even if they are an administrator. Administration status and connection permission are separate: an ID in adminlist.txt does not override an allowlist.
Disable the allowlist
Stop the server and remove the entries from permittedlist.txt (or remove the file if your host’s instructions require that), then restart. Do not leave one forgotten ID in the file, because a non-empty file continues to enforce whitelist mode.
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Cheat commands are not server-admin commands
Being listed in adminlist.txt grants dedicated-server administration functions; it does not turn the server into a local development session. Cheat commands such as devcommands, spawn and fly, along with similar developer tools, do not work on a dedicated server, regardless of which administrator enters them. Do not troubleshoot a failed cheat command by repeatedly rewriting the permission files—the limitation is the server mode, not the player’s rank.
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Fix adminlist.txt when it is not working
- Wrong directory: Find the save directory named in the server configuration or hosting panel. An
adminlist.txtat the executable’s root may be ignored. - No restart: Stop and start the server after every permission-file edit. Live edits are not guaranteed to reload.
- Wrong identifier format: Builds and guides differ between a
[Platform]_[User ID]value and a 17-digit SteamID64. Copy the exact ID from the server log or F2 panel for your build. - Name used instead of ID: A player name is not a substitute for the documented identifier.
- Formatting damage: Remove comments, quotation marks and extra text. Keep one complete ID per line and save as plain text.
- Hidden extension: Enable file extensions in the file manager and verify the file is exactly
adminlist.txt. - Account mismatch: Make sure the account joining the server is the same account whose ID was copied, particularly when a platform account has changed.
- Allowlist lockout: Check
permittedlist.txt. A single unrelated line can block the administrator and every friend not listed. - Unsupported expectation: If you are trying
devcommands,spawnorfly, those cheats are not enabled by dedicated-server admin status.
A repeatable diagnostic sequence
- Stop the server and back up all three list files.
- Confirm the configured save path and open the files from that location.
- Temporarily keep only the intended administrator ID in
adminlist.txt; remove comments and labels. - Check whether
permittedlist.txtis enforcing an allowlist and add the administrator’s ID if whitelist mode is intended. - Start the server, watch the startup log for the world and save path, and reconnect.
- Press F5 and test a non-destructive command such as
bannedif it produces a response on your build. - If access still fails, compare the log’s exact ID with the file character by character and verify that the server process is using the file you edited.
Operational habits that prevent lockouts
- Keep a dated backup of
adminlist.txt,bannedlist.txtandpermittedlist.txtbefore moderation changes. - Maintain at least two trusted administrator IDs so one account can recover the other.
- Record the exact ID alongside a human-readable name in a separate private note; do not put the name inside the Valheim list file.
- Announce world-modifier or preset changes because they affect every player using that world.
- After a game update, recheck the server log and command behavior. ID parsing and command lists can change with patches.
Quick reference
| Goal | Action | Required follow-up |
|---|---|---|
| Grant admin access | Add the exact player ID to adminlist.txt. |
Restart; player presses F5. |
| Ban a player | Run ban <player> or add the ID to bannedlist.txt. |
Restart if you edited the file. |
| Lift a ban | Run unban <player> or remove the exact ID from bannedlist.txt. |
Restart after file editing. |
| Allow only selected players | Put every permitted ID, including the owner, in permittedlist.txt. |
Restart; unlisted players cannot connect. |
| Let everyone try to connect | Clear the entries in permittedlist.txt. |
Restart and test with a non-admin account. |
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