The Forest Dedicated Server Admin Commands (Kick, Ban, Save)

The Forest dedicated server has a short list of admin commands typed in multiplayer chat with a / in front: /help, /save, /restart, /shutdown, /kick, /ban, /unban, /treeregrowmode, /allowbuildingdestruction and /allowenemiescreative. They only work for a player who joined with the server's admin password (serverPasswordAdmin). Kicks and bans take the player's 17 digit SteamID64, not their name. Below is each command, how admin login works, and the config settings that sit behind them.

This is for The Forest (2018). Sons of the Forest admin works differently.

Set the admin password first

The admin password lives in serverPasswordAdmin. On a self hosted server it is a line in Server.cfg (in AppData\LocalLow\SKS\TheForestDedicatedServer\ds by default), or it can be passed on the launch line:

TheForestDedicatedServer.exe -batchmode -nographics -serverPasswordAdmin MyAdminPass

If both exist, the launch line wins, so editing the file does nothing when the password is also on the command line. Keep it different from the join password, short enough for the 20 character fields many setups use, and do not share it with the whole group. Anyone holding it can ban everyone else.

Restart the server after setting it.

Log in as admin

Admin rights come from the join itself:

1. Launch The Forest, choose Multiplayer, then Join Game.
2. Switch to the dedicated server list and select your server.
3. In the join dialog, enter the admin password in the admin password field, along with the server password if the server has one.
4. Join.

The rights are granted on connect. If you joined without the admin password, leave the server and join again with it. Then press Enter to open chat and type /help. If you get the command list back, you are admin.

The full command list

Commands are typed in the normal chat box. There is no separate admin console for these.

Saving before a restart

The single habit that saves the most grief: type /save before every /restart, /shutdown or panel restart. The server also autosaves on serverAutoSaveInterval (in minutes, 15 is the usual minimum and 30 a common default), but a crash or restart between autosaves loses the last stretch of building.

Watch the slot number. /save 3 writes to slot 3. If Server.cfg has slot 1 and initType Continue, the server loads slot 1 on the next start, not the slot you just saved to. Unless you mean to keep a second copy, use plain /save, which writes to the current slot.

Restarts also only continue the world when initType is Continue. With initType New, every start builds a fresh world, which looks like the save failed. The move The Forest save to a dedicated server guide has more on slots and initType.

Kicking and banning: finding the SteamID64

/kick and /ban need the SteamID64, a 17 digit number starting with 7656119. Ways to get it:

• Ask the player to open their Steam profile, then Edit Profile or Account details. The Steam ID is shown there.
• If their profile address is steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561198..., the number in the address is the SteamID64.
• If they set a custom URL (steamcommunity.com/id/name), paste it into a SteamID lookup site to get the 64 bit ID.

Then in chat:

/kick 76561198000000001
/ban 76561198000000001
/unban 76561198000000001

Copy and paste the ID. One wrong digit bans a stranger and leaves the troublemaker on the server.

Settings that live in the config, not chat

Some rules have no chat command and are set in Server.cfg (stop the server, edit, start):

The chat toggles change the running game. If you want a rule to survive restarts for sure, set it in the config as well.

Be careful with allowCheats. It is not an admin feature: it lets every connected player use the built in developer console, which includes spawning items and changing the world. Leave it off on any server with people you do not know well.

Common problems

• /help does nothing: you did not join with the admin password, or the password on the launch line differs from the one you typed. Rejoin with the right one.
• Kick or ban "does nothing": you used a name. Use the SteamID64.
• Toggles reset after restart: set the matching key in Server.cfg.
• /restart lost the base: the game was not saved first, or initType is New.

Admin on a GamezServers server

On a The Forest server with GamezServers, the Admin Password is a field in the panel that is passed to the server on every start, so set it there rather than in the config file, and change the default before you invite anyone. Difficulty, VAC, password and Init Type are panel fields too, and the other keys such as veganMode or treeRegrowMode sit in config.cfg in the file manager. Take a one click backup before you try anything risky with slots, and use the live console to watch joins and saves. If you are still choosing how to run your world, the game server for friends page covers the basics.

FAQ

How do I become admin on The Forest dedicated server?

Set serverPasswordAdmin, restart, then enter that admin password in the join dialog when you connect. Admin rights are granted on join.

How do I kick someone in The Forest multiplayer?

Open chat and type /kick followed by their 17 digit SteamID64. Use /ban to keep them out.

How do I save The Forest dedicated server manually?

Type /save in chat as admin. /save 2 writes to slot 2 instead of the current one.

Does /restart delete the save?

It restarts the server, and anything not saved since the last save or autosave is lost. With initType New the server also starts a fresh world, so run /save first and keep initType on Continue.

Can players use cheats on a dedicated server?

Only if allowCheats is on in the config, which opens the developer console to every client. It is off by default.