Space Station 14Space Station 14 Admin Commands, Ranks and Permission Flags
Set up admins on your own Space Station 14 server: permission flags, admin ranks, the F7 admin menu, and the commands for bans, aghost, rounds and kicks.
Updated Oct 7, 2026 · 6 min read
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On your own Space Station 14 server, admins are managed in game. Once you have host rights, open the console with the backtick key and type permissions to create ranks and give staff flags like +ADMIN, +BAN and +MODERATOR. Day to day admin work happens in the F7 admin menu and F1 admin help, plus console commands such as aghost, ban, kick, restartround and forcepreset. Each command needs a specific flag, so a moderator rank can ban without being able to spawn things or change server settings.
Getting the first admin
A fresh server has no admins at all. You need one account with full host rights before you can hand out anything else. The quick version: put your SS14 username in server_config.toml and restart.
[console]
login_host_user = "YourSS14Name"
You can also type promotehost YourSS14Name in the server console while you are connected, which lasts until you disconnect. Our Space Station 14 hosting guide covers all three ways, including the localhost shortcut.
Host is meant for the owner only. The +HOST flag can run code on the server, which the official docs describe as able to take over the whole machine. Your staff never need it.
How do I add admins and ranks?
- Join the server with host rights.
- Press the backtick key (
) to open the console and typepermissions`. - In the Admin Ranks tab, create ranks with the flags each role should have.
- In the Admins tab, add a player by SS14 username, give them a rank, and optionally a title that shows in admin chat.
Admins and ranks are stored in the server's database, which is SQLite in the data folder by default. Keep that folder when you update the server, or you lose your staff list along with playtime and bans.
What do the permission flags mean?
These come straight from the game's code. Give each rank only what it needs.
| Flag | What it allows |
|---|---|
ADMIN |
Basic admin verbs, aghost, teleport (tp, tpto) |
ADMINHELP |
Answering player admin help tickets |
ADMINCHAT |
Using admin chat |
ADMINWHO |
Seeing which admins are online |
MODERATOR |
Moderator actions such as kick and respawn |
BAN |
Bans, role bans and pardons |
LOGS |
Reading admin logs |
VIEWNOTES / EDITNOTES |
Reading and writing admin notes on players |
ROUND |
Round control: restartround, endround, forcepreset, forcemap |
SERVER |
Server control, like restart, shutdown and the panic bunker |
FUN |
Events and fun tools that trial admins should not have yet |
SPAWN |
Spawning entities and tiles |
VAREDIT |
View Variables, editing any entity's data live |
DEBUG |
Debug commands for coders |
MAPPING |
Large mapping operations |
PERMISSIONS |
Editing other admins' permissions |
STEALTH |
Hiding from adminwho except to other stealth admins |
PII |
Seeing players' private details such as IPs |
NAMECOLOR |
A custom color for your OOC name |
HOST |
Dangerous host commands like scripting. Owner only |
A sensible starting set for a small community:
| Rank | Flags |
|---|---|
| Trial moderator | ADMIN, ADMINHELP, ADMINCHAT, ADMINWHO, MODERATOR, LOGS, VIEWNOTES |
| Moderator | Trial moderator plus BAN, EDITNOTES |
| Game admin | Moderator plus ROUND, FUN, SPAWN |
| Head admin | Game admin plus SERVER, PERMISSIONS, VAREDIT, PII |
VAREDIT and SPAWN are where most self inflicted server crashes come from. The admin tooling docs warn that editing variables can break an entity or crash the server, so keep them with people who know the systems.
What are the main admin menus?
| Key or command | What it opens |
|---|---|
| F7 | Admin menu: player list, entity spawning, atmos tools, round and server tabs, panic bunker |
| F1 | Admin help. Players use it to contact staff, admins see all tickets |
| Right click a player | Admin verbs: player panel, teleport, notes, messaging, smites |
adminlogs |
Searchable logs of who did what this round |
banpanel |
The ban window, with role and server bans |
For most moderation you never need to type a command. Right click a player and use the player panel.
Which console commands do admins use most?
| Command | Flag | What it does |
|---|---|---|
aghost |
ADMIN | Become an admin ghost to observe, with universal access |
adminwho |
ADMINWHO | List online admins |
deadmin / readmin |
none | Drop and regain admin powers while you play normally |
kick <player> <reason> |
MODERATOR | Kick a player |
ban <player> "<reason>" <minutes> |
BAN | Ban a player. Leave minutes out or use 0 for permanent |
roleban <player> <job> "<reason>" <minutes> |
BAN | Ban someone from one job |
pardon <ban id> |
BAN | Lift a ban by its ID |
restartround |
ROUND | End the current round normally and restart |
restartroundnow |
ROUND | Restart immediately |
endround |
ROUND | End the round and show the scoreboard |
forcepreset <preset> |
ROUND | Set the next round's game mode, in the lobby only |
forcemap <map> |
ROUND | Set the next round's map |
panicbunker |
SERVER | Toggle the panic bunker that blocks new accounts during a raid |
stealthmin |
STEALTH | Hide from adminwho |
Put reasons with spaces in quotes. The ban reason shows to the player, so write it for them, not for your staff. Typing a command name with no arguments, or help <command>, shows its usage.
deadmin is good practice for staff who also play. It removes your powers and admin chat until you readmin, so you play the round like everyone else and are not tempted to peek.
What is the panic bunker?
When a group of fresh accounts floods a server to grief it, the panic bunker refuses new players who do not meet minimum requirements, such as account age or playtime, while regulars keep playing. Turn it on with panicbunker or from the F7 menu, and off again once the raid passes. Related settings let it switch itself off when an admin is online. Small private servers rarely need it, but public ones should know where it is.
Running admin on a hosted server
On a Space Station 14 server from GamezServers, server_config.toml is in the browser file manager, so setting login_host_user takes a minute, and the data folder with your admins, bans and playtime is included in every one click backup. The live console in the panel is the server console, so promotehost and other server commands work there. Authentication is a panel setting and stays required by default, which keeps bans tied to real accounts. Once staff are set up, our guide to Space Station 14 game modes and round settings covers choosing presets and fixing small server problems like rounds that never have antagonists.
FAQ
How do I open the admin menu in Space Station 14?
Press F7 once you have admin rights. Admin help is F1, and the console opens with the backtick key.
How do I give someone admin on my SS14 server?
Type permissions in the console as a host or an admin with the PERMISSIONS flag, add their SS14 username in the Admins tab, and give them a rank.
What admin flags should a moderator have?
A typical moderator gets ADMIN, ADMINHELP, ADMINCHAT, ADMINWHO, MODERATOR, BAN, LOGS and the notes flags. Keep HOST, VAREDIT and PERMISSIONS for senior staff.
How do I ban someone permanently in SS14?
Use ban PlayerName "reason" with no minutes, or 0 minutes, or pick permanent in the ban panel.
Where are SS14 admins and bans stored?
In the server's database, SQLite in the data folder by default. Keep that folder safe across updates.
Skip the setup. Your own Space Station 14 server.
Then $7.99/mo. Just trying it? $2.00 for 3 days
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