You cannot promote a player from inside an active Euro Truck Simulator 2 (ETS2) or American Truck Simulator (ATS) dedicated server. The dedicated server has no administration screen for this task. Stop the server, edit its server_config.sii file, add the player’s 64-bit Steam ID to moderator_list, save the file, and restart. The player is promoted automatically the next time they join the session.
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What you need before editing
The process is simple once you have file access and the correct identifier, but each requirement matters:
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- Control of the server. You need permission to stop and start the dedicated server and to edit its files. On a self-hosted machine this normally means access to the server’s operating-system account. On a managed host, it means access to the provider’s file manager or configuration panel.
- The correct game folder. ETS2 and ATS use separate game-user directories. An ATS server normally uses the matching American Truck Simulator folder rather than the Euro Truck Simulator 2 folder.
- The player’s SteamID64. The server identifies moderators by SteamID64, not by a Steam display name, nickname, or in-game name.
- A maintenance window. Stop the server before changing the file. Editing a live configuration can be overwritten when the process exits, and the new list is not applied until the server starts again.
- A backup of the existing configuration. Copy the original file before making changes so you can restore it if a syntax error prevents startup.
The configuration file also contains the session description, connection-port information, logon token and password setting. Treat it as a production configuration file, not as a disposable text document.
Self-hosted and managed servers use the same setting
The setting is the same in both environments; what changes is how you reach the file and restart the process.
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| Server type | Where you work | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| Self-hosted | The machine running the dedicated server | You stop the process, open the server’s game-user directory, edit server_config.sii, then start the process again. The default home is under the Documents directory, unless the server was configured with a custom home or Game User Path. |
| Managed host | The provider’s control panel, file manager or SFTP connection | The panel may hide the operating-system details, require an “Advanced” configuration mode, or reset basic-mode settings. Stop and start the instance using the host’s controls and confirm that you are editing the active instance. |
One published Linux hosting layout places the file under /home/container/.local/share/Euro Truck Simulator 2/. The equivalent ATS location uses the American Truck Simulator folder. That path is a host-specific example, not a universal location; use the path exposed by your host or the custom home directory configured for your server.
Step 1: Stop the dedicated server
Use the normal stop control for your installation. On a self-hosted system, stop the dedicated-server process cleanly. On a managed service, press the panel’s stop button and wait until the status is fully offline.
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Do not edit while the server is still writing its configuration. If the process is running, it may keep the old file in memory, rewrite your changes during shutdown, or leave a partially written file if the host applies a restart immediately. Wait for the process to finish, then make a backup of server_config.sii before opening it.
Step 2: Find server_config.sii
The dedicated server creates server_config.sii on its first launch. Its normal location is inside the game’s Game User Path, which stores dedicated-server settings. If you selected a custom home directory during setup, look there instead of assuming the default Documents location.
Windows-style default locations
For ETS2, check the folder under DocumentsEuro Truck Simulator 2. For ATS, check the corresponding DocumentsAmerican Truck Simulator folder. The exact parent path depends on the Windows account that runs the server and whether a custom Game User Path was supplied.
Linux and container locations
Managed Linux instances often place the game-user data below the container account’s home directory. A documented example for ETS2 is:
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When the file is missing
If server_config.sii is not present, confirm that the server has completed at least one successful launch and that you are viewing the active game-user directory. A custom home argument, a host-specific container mount, or a different operating-system account can make the expected Documents folder the wrong place. Starting the server once can create the file, but stop it again before editing.
Step 3: Obtain the moderator’s SteamID64
Ask each prospective moderator for their SteamID64, or use a reliable Steam profile-ID lookup method. The value must be the 64-bit Steam identifier, normally a 17-digit number. Do not paste the person’s profile name, vanity URL, friend code or display nickname into the configuration.
Check the value before saving:
- It is numeric and corresponds to the intended Steam account.
- It is not a second account belonging to the same person.
- Every digit is copied exactly; one missing or extra digit creates a different identity.
- Each moderator has a separate entry. Do not combine IDs on one line unless the existing syntax explicitly does so.
If a player changes their Steam account, the old ID does not automatically follow them. Add the new account’s SteamID64 and remove the old one if that access should end.
Step 4: Edit the moderator_list section
Open the backup copy’s original file only after you have made a separate safety copy. Find the moderator_list setting. The first line contains the number of IDs, and the following indexed lines contain the IDs themselves. Increase the count whenever you add an entry.
This illustrative two-moderator layout shows the relationship between the count and the indexed entries:
moderator_list: 2
moderator_list[0]: 76561198000000000
moderator_list[1]: 76561198000000001The numbers above are examples of the required numeric format. Replace them with the actual SteamID64 values supplied by your players. If your existing file uses slightly different spacing, preserve the file’s established formatting and change only the count and entries. The critical rules are that the count equals the number of IDs and that indexes start at zero and continue without gaps.
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Adding one moderator to an existing list
Suppose the file currently lists two IDs, indexed [0] and [1]. To add a third, change the count to 3 and add the next line as moderator_list[2]. Do not leave the count at 2; the server may ignore the extra line because it believes only two entries exist.
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Delete that person’s indexed line, renumber any later entries so the sequence remains continuous, and reduce the count by one. Removing an ID from the file prevents promotion on the next join; it does not retroactively change a session that is already running. Restart the server and have the former moderator reconnect before treating the change as effective.
Preserve the rest of the file
Do not delete unrelated settings while editing. server_config.sii also stores the session description, connection information, password and optional logon token. A text editor that saves in an unusual encoding or inserts formatting characters can make a valid-looking file fail to load, so use a plain-text editor and keep the original backup.
Step 5: Save, restart and verify
- Save the edited
server_config.siiin the same directory and with the same filename. - Confirm that the file was not saved as
server_config.sii.txtor duplicated in another folder. - Start the dedicated server using the normal service, script or host-panel control.
- Watch the startup status for configuration or parsing errors. If the server fails to start, stop it, restore the backup and correct the edit before trying again.
- Have the listed player join the session after the restart. Promotion is applied when the player joins; changing the file while they are already connected does not provide an in-session promotion.
For more than one moderator, test each account separately. This distinguishes an incorrect SteamID64 from a malformed list and confirms that the count includes every intended entry.
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| Symptom | Likely cause | Recovery |
|---|---|---|
| The player joins without moderator status | The server was not restarted, the player has not rejoined, the SteamID64 is wrong, or the count does not include the entry. | Stop the server, verify every digit, check the zero-based index sequence and count, save the file in the active Game User Path, then restart and have the player reconnect. |
| The server starts but ignores a newly added line | The indexed line is outside the declared list length, or an index is skipped. | Set the count to the exact number of IDs and renumber entries consecutively from [0]. |
| The server fails during startup | A syntax or quoting error was introduced, the wrong file was edited, or the file was saved with unwanted formatting. | Restore the backup to confirm the diagnosis. Reapply only the moderator-list change with a plain-text editor, preserving existing syntax. |
| The edit disappears after a host restart | The provider’s basic configuration mode regenerated the file, or the change was made in a non-persistent location. | Use the host’s Advanced Mode or persistent file manager, verify the active instance path, and restart only after saving the persistent file. |
| The expected folder is empty | The server uses a custom home directory, a different operating-system account, a container mount, or the ATS directory instead of ETS2. | Check the launch configuration and Game User Path, then search that location for server_config.sii. |
Server password in the same configuration file
If you also need to protect the session, edit the password: line in server_config.sii while the server is stopped. Replace the empty quotation marks with the chosen password inside the quotes. Leave the value as "" when you want no password.
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password: "your-password-here"Keep both quotation marks. A malformed quote can produce a startup error. After saving, restart the server and distribute the password only to the people who should be able to join.
Optional logon token and server identity
A dedicated server normally uses an anonymous account and a non-persistent server ID. If you need a persistent identity, obtain a logon token from Steam’s game-server management page. Steam game ownership is required to obtain one. Place the token in the appropriate field in server_config.sii, preserve the existing syntax, and restart the server.
The token is separate from the moderator list: adding a moderator does not create a token, and adding a token does not grant moderator status. Keep the token private because it is an authentication credential for the server identity.
Operational practices for a reliable moderator list
Keep a dated backup
Before each change, copy the working file with a date or version in the backup name. This gives you a known-good configuration if a later password, token or moderator edit causes a startup problem.
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Record who was added or removed, the date, and the SteamID64 used. The record helps identify a mistaken digit and makes it clear which account should be removed when staff roles change. Do not publish the IDs publicly; they are account identifiers even though they are not passwords.
Make one change at a time
When diagnosing a problem, do not simultaneously change the password, token, ports and moderator list. Apply the moderator change, restart and verify it first. Separate edits make it possible to identify the setting that caused a failure.
Check the correct game
ETS2 and ATS maintain separate configuration directories. An ID added to an ETS2 file does not become a moderator on an ATS server, and vice versa. Confirm the server title and directory before editing.
Quick checklist
- Server is fully stopped.
- Correct game-user directory and active
server_config.siiidentified. - Original file backed up.
- Every player’s SteamID64 verified.
moderator_listcount equals the number of indexed IDs.- Indexes run consecutively from
[0]. - File saved as plain text with its original name.
- Server restarted without configuration errors.
- Each moderator rejoined after the restart.
What to remember
Moderator management for an ETS2 or ATS dedicated server is a file-configuration task, not an in-game action. The reliable sequence is: stop the server, edit the active server_config.sii, identify people by SteamID64, keep the moderator_list count and indexes accurate, restart, and have each moderator reconnect. Password and logon-token settings live in the same file, so careful backups and host-specific path checks protect the rest of the server configuration while you make the change.
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