OpenTTD Server Console and RCON Commands for Admins

You run an OpenTTD server from its console: type commands straight into the dedicated server's console, or from your own game with rcon <password> "<command>" once rcon_password is set in secrets.cfg. The commands admins use most are clients and companies to see who is where, kick and ban for problem players, move to shift a player between companies, reset_company to clear an abandoned company, pause and unpause, and save and load to keep a map safe. Below is each one with real examples.

Two ways in: server console or rcon

Server console. On a dedicated server started with openttd -D, the terminal it runs in is the console. On a hosted server, the live console in your control panel is the same thing. Type a command and press Enter.

Remote console (rcon). From your own OpenTTD client, while connected to the server:

1. On the server, set an rcon password in secrets.cfg:

[network]
rcon_password = a-long-random-string

2. Restart the server.
3. In your game, open the console with the backquote key (`, left of 1 on most keyboards).
4. Run commands like this:

rcon a-long-random-string "clients"

The quotes matter when the command has spaces: rcon a-long-random-string "kick 5".

Treat the rcon password like the keys to the map. Anyone with it can reset companies or load another save.

See who is on the server

Start almost every admin action with clients and companies. The IDs they print are what the other commands need.

Deal with players

kick and ban take either a client ID or an IP. Client IDs are safer: an IP can belong to several people in one house.

Manage companies

reset_company only works on companies with no players in them, so move people to spectators first. It is permanent: take a save before you use it.

Company passwords were removed in OpenTTD 15.0. Who may join a company is now handled with invites from the Online Players window, and the server remembers the allow list. You do not need admin commands for that.

Control time

Useful when you need to explain something to everyone or when a player is downloading the map. For automatic pausing, the min_active_clients setting pauses the game until enough players are in, and pause_on_join pauses while someone joins.

Save, load and new maps

Run save before anything risky, and before every server stop. A dedicated server started without a save to load generates a new map at every start, so a named save is how a long game survives restarts. Our OpenTTD save transfer guide covers moving a single player map onto the server.

Change settings on a live server

Settings can be read and changed from the console:

setting server_game_type
setting server_game_type public
setting max_companies 8

Changes made this way are written back to openttd.cfg, so they survive a restart. Use list_settings to search for a setting name. Many gameplay settings can only change before a map is generated, so set them before newgame.

Download content from the console

A dedicated server has no menus, but it can still fetch NewGRFs, AIs and game scripts from BaNaNaS, OpenTTD's content service:

content update
content state
content select 4e4f4254
content download

content update fetches the list, content state shows what is available and installed, content select picks items by ID, and content download grabs them. Add NewGRFs before generating a map; changing them on a running game can break vehicles and industries.

The admin port

Separate from rcon, OpenTTD has an admin port (3977 by default) for bots and tools such as Discord bridges and statistics sites. It is enabled by setting admin_password in secrets.cfg. Only open it if you use such a tool, and never with a weak password.

Running admin on a hosted server

On an OpenTTD server from GamezServers, the live console in the panel accepts every command in this guide directly, so you only need rcon if you want to admin from inside the game. openttd.cfg and secrets.cfg are in the file manager, one click backups sit alongside your named saves, and the server name and list visibility are panel settings. For the full setup, see how to host an OpenTTD server.

FAQ

How do I use rcon in OpenTTD?

Set rcon_password in the server's secrets.cfg, restart, then in your game console type rcon <password> "<command>".

How do I kick a player in OpenTTD?

Run clients to find their ID, then kick <id>. Use ban <id> to stop them rejoining.

How do I delete a company on an OpenTTD server?

Move any players out with move <client-id> 255, then run reset_company <company-id>. Save first, it cannot be undone.

How do I make an OpenTTD server keep its map after a restart?

Run save <name> before stopping, then load <name> after starting, or start the server with that save.