Valheim Admin Commands for Dedicated Servers (2026 List)

Q: Why do Valheim admin commands say I am not an admin?

Your ID in adminlist.txt does not match. Use the platform ID from the F2 panel, check for extra spaces or text on the line, and restart the server.

Q: How do I unban someone in Valheim?

Type unban with their ID in the console as an admin, or delete their line from bannedlist.txt and restart.

Valheim admin commands on a dedicated server are a short list: kick, ban, unban, banned and save. To use them you add your player ID to adminlist.txt on the server, restart, and type the commands in the in game console with F5. Cheat commands from devcommands are a separate system and do not work on a vanilla dedicated server, even for admins. This guide covers all of it.

Short answer

Find your ID in game with the F2 panel.
Add it on its own line to adminlist.txt in the server's save folder.
Restart the server.
Enable the console in Valheim, press F5 in game, and use kick, ban, unban, banned or save.

Step 1: Find your player ID

Since crossplay arrived, Valheim identifies players by a platform ID in the form [Platform]_[User ID], and the text is case sensitive. The easiest way to get yours is in game: join any world and press F2. The panel lists each connected player with their ID. You can also find it in the server log when a player connects.

Old guides tell you to paste a bare 17 digit SteamID64. That is the format from before crossplay and will not match players joining from Xbox, PlayStation 5 or Switch 2. Copy the ID exactly as the game shows it.

Step 2: Add yourself to adminlist.txt

The server creates adminlist.txt in its save folder the first time it runs:

Where the server runs	Folder
Windows	`%USERPROFILE%\AppData\LocalLow\IronGate\Valheim`
Linux	`~/.config/unity3d/IronGate/Valheim`
Custom	the folder you passed with `-savedir`
GamezServers	`.config/unity3d/IronGate/Valheim` in the Files tab

Open the file and add one ID per line. Put nothing else on the line: no names, no comments after the ID.

Steam_76561198000000000
Steam_76561198000000001

Save the file and restart the server. Changes are sometimes picked up without a restart, but a restart makes sure.

The same folder has two more lists that work the same way:

bannedlist.txt: players who cannot join.
permittedlist.txt: a whitelist. If it has any IDs in it, only those players can join.

Step 3: Turn on the console

Valheim hides its console by default. Either:

Open Settings > Gameplay in Valheim and turn on the console option, or
In Steam, right click Valheim, choose Properties and add -console to Launch Options.

Then press F5 in game to open it. On a controller the shortcut is LB + LT + Start.

Valheim admin commands list

These work on a dedicated server for anyone on adminlist.txt:

Command	What it does
`kick [name/ip/userID]`	Removes a player from the server. They can rejoin.
`ban [name/ip/userID]`	Bans a player and adds them to `bannedlist.txt`.
`unban [ip/userID]`	Lifts a ban.
`banned`	Lists everyone who is banned.
`save`	Forces the world to save now. Handy before a restart or a risky fight.

Names with spaces are awkward to type, so kicking or banning by ID from the F2 panel is more reliable.

Commands anyone can use, admin or not:

Command	What it does
`help`	Lists the commands available to you on this server.
`ping`	Shows your latency to the server.
`info`	Prints system and render info.
`lodbias [number]`	Changes view distance for your own game.
`fov [number]`	Changes your field of view.

Newer builds may add more server commands, so type help to see exactly what your version allows.

Why devcommands does not work on a dedicated server

devcommands turns on Valheim's cheat console: god, fly, spawn, killall, tod and the rest. It works in single player and in a world you host from your own game, but a vanilla dedicated server refuses cheat commands from every client, including admins. Adding yourself to adminlist.txt does not change this, and there is no setting that does.

If your group wants cheats on a server, the common option is the Server devcommands mod by JereKuusela on Thunderstore. It runs on BepInEx and limits the cheat commands to players on adminlist.txt. Like other gameplay mods, it is PC only, so it does not suit crossplay servers.

In Valheim 1.0, using cheat commands can also disable achievements for that character and world, so decide as a group before anyone types spawn.

Admin tips for a friends server

Back up before you ban or test anything big. A world backup takes seconds and undoes mistakes.
Run save before restarting if you are not sure when the last autosave happened.
Use the whitelist for private groups. permittedlist.txt plus a password keeps random players out even when the server is public.
Keep the list short. Every admin can ban anyone, including you.

FAQ

Why do Valheim admin commands say I am not an admin?

Your ID in adminlist.txt does not match. Use the platform ID from the F2 panel, check for extra spaces or text on the line, and restart the server.

Can I use admin commands from the server console?

Kick, ban and save are meant to be typed in the in game console by an admin. On a self hosted server the console window mostly shows output. Stopping the server cleanly also saves the world.

How do I spawn items on a Valheim dedicated server?

Not with vanilla commands. You need the Server devcommands mod installed, and you must be on adminlist.txt.

How do I unban someone in Valheim?

Type unban with their ID in the console as an admin, or delete their line from bannedlist.txt and restart.

The easy way

On a hosted server, adminlist.txt is one click away in the browser file manager, and you get one click backups before you try anything risky. See Valheim server hosting, or the quick start for hosting a Valheim server.