PuckPuck Server Admin Commands: Kick, Ban, Pause and More (2026)
Every Puck server chat command: /kick, /ban, /unban, /pause, /resume, /skip, /start, /warmup, votes, /bots, and how to make yourself admin with admin_steam_ids.json.
Updated Oct 1, 2026 · 5 min read
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Puck server commands are typed in the in game chat and all start with a slash. Admin commands like /kick, /ban, /pause and /skip only work for players whose SteamID64 is listed in the server's admin_steam_ids.json. Everyone else gets the vote commands. This guide covers making yourself admin, every command in the current build (B1235) and how bans and the whitelist are stored.
How to make yourself admin
Puck admins are identified by SteamID64, the 17 digit number that starts with 7656. You can find yours in your Steam profile link (if you have not set a custom URL) or by pasting your profile link into a Steam ID lookup site.
On a GamezServers server
Open your server, go to Settings and paste your ID into Admin Steam IDs. Add more admins separated by commas:
76561198000000000, 76561198000000001
Save and restart. The setting replaces admin_steam_ids.json on every start. If you would rather manage the file yourself, leave the setting empty and edit the file in Files.
On your own server
Edit admin_steam_ids.json in the server folder. It is a plain JSON list of strings:
["76561198000000000", "76561198000000001"]
The server creates the file with an empty list if it is missing, watches it, and reloads it the moment you save, so there is no restart needed. If the file is broken, the server logs the error and keeps the previous list. You can point to a different file with the --adminSteamIdsPath launch option.
Admins get two extra protections: they cannot be votekicked, and they can join the server even when it is full.
Admin commands
| Command | What it does |
|---|---|
/kick <player> |
Kick a player from the server |
/ban <player or steamId> |
Ban a player by name, or a SteamID64 even if they are offline |
/unban <steamId> |
Lift a ban by SteamID64 |
/start |
Start the game, going straight to the faceoff |
/warmup |
Return to warmup |
/pause |
Pause the game |
/resume or /unpause |
Resume a paused game |
/skip |
Skip to the next phase, for example past a replay or intermission |
Pause, resume and phase skips are announced in chat with the name of the admin who used them, so players know it was not a bug. /pause is rejected when the game is already paused, and /resume when it is not.
Type /help in chat to see the commands available to you. The list is split across several messages because of the chat length limit.
Practice bots
/bots spawns and manages bots, which is handy for testing a server or warming up a goalie. Type /help to check whether your admin level allows it on your server.
| Command | What it does |
|---|---|
/bots <count> |
Spawn bots |
/bots red <count> or /bots blue <count> |
Spawn bots on one team |
/bots mode chase, rookie or destroy |
Change how the bots play |
/bots clear |
Remove all bots |
Vote commands for everyone
| Command | Short | What it does |
|---|---|---|
/votestart |
/vs |
Start a vote to start the game. You must be on a team. |
/votewarmup |
/vw |
Start a vote to go back to warmup |
/votekick <player> |
/vk |
Start a vote to kick a player |
/forfeit |
/ff |
Start a vote to forfeit the game |
In public mode a votekick is decided by a majority of the whole lobby. Votekick is turned off in competitive mode, and admins cannot be votekicked. The pause menu also has a Vote to Forfeit button that works like /ff.
Bans, IP bans and the whitelist
Bans are stored as files next to the server, in the same plain list format as admins:
| File | Contents | Launch option |
|---|---|---|
banned_steam_ids.json |
SteamID64s banned with /ban |
--bannedSteamIdsPath |
banned_ip_addresses.json |
Banned IP addresses | --bannedIpAddressesPath |
whitelisted_steam_ids.json |
Players allowed in when the whitelist is on | --whitelistedSteamIdsPath |
/ban and /unban update banned_steam_ids.json for you. You can also edit the files by hand, and the server reloads them when they change. To ban a player by IP, add the address as a string to banned_ip_addresses.json.
The whitelist only applies when useWhitelist is true in server_config.json. On GamezServers, turn on Whitelist only and list players in Whitelisted Steam IDs. For league setups, see how to set up a Puck league server.
Is there a server console or RCON?
No. The Puck dedicated server does not read commands from its console and has no RCON. Its console window only shows the log: startup, mods loading, players joining and leaving and the ready line. Every admin action happens through chat by a listed admin, which is why getting your Steam ID into admin_steam_ids.json is the first thing to do on a new server.
Common problems
- "You do not have permissions to use this command": your SteamID64 is not in
admin_steam_ids.json, or there is a typo. Check that each ID is in quotes and separated by commas. - Admin list ignored after editing: the JSON is invalid, so the server kept the previous list. The log line "Could not load admin Steam IDs" confirms it.
- "Player not found": use the name as it appears in the scoreboard, or ban by SteamID64 instead.
- "Provide a SteamID64 to unban":
/unbanonly takes Steam IDs, not names. Look the ID up inbanned_steam_ids.json. - "Votekick is disabled in this game mode": the server is in competitive mode, where only admins can kick.
Run it the easy way
On a GamezServers Puck server admins, the whitelist, game mode and period lengths are settings in the panel, written into the right files on every start. Plans start at 2.99 USD a month. See the quick start guide, or Puck server config explained for every setting in the files.
Skip the setup. Your own Puck server.
Then $2.99/mo. Just trying it? $0.75 for 3 days