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1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsTo add an administrator to a Valheim dedicated server, obtain the player’s exact Platform User ID, place it in the server’s adminlist.txt file, save the file, and restart the server to be safe. Put one ID on each line, using the platform-prefixed format shown by the official guide whenever possible.
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The file grants server-management permissions; it does not automatically enable cheats or debug mode. The most common failures are an incorrect ID, the wrong save folder, capitalization errors, or extra spaces and comments in the file.
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What you need before editing the admin list
You need access to the machine or hosting file manager that stores the Valheim dedicated server’s world files. You also need the person’s exact Platform User ID, not their display name, character name, or an approximate account number.
Only edit the administrator list for the server you intend to manage. Valheim keeps several text files in the save area, and confusing adminlist.txt with the permitted-list file changes who can join rather than who can administer the server.
- Administrator list: identifies players who may use administrator commands such as kicking or banning players.
- Permitted list: restricts access to specifically listed players. The official guide warns that adding someone to the permitted list can prevent everyone else from joining. Do not use it as a substitute for
adminlist.txt.
Find the player’s exact Platform User ID
Valheim’s official dedicated-server guidance says the ID can be read either from the server log or from the in-game F2 panel. Use one of those values exactly; do not copy a Steam profile URL, a nickname, or a name shown in the player list.
Read the ID from the F2 panel
- Have the player join the relevant server.
- Ask the player to open Valheim’s in-game F2 information panel.
- Have them copy the Platform User ID exactly as displayed, including the platform name, underscore, digits, and capitalization.
- Transfer that value without adding quotation marks or spaces.
The F2 panel is useful when you are adding yourself or another player who is online. If you are working from a server console or a player is not currently connected, use the log instead.
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Read the ID from the server log
- Open the dedicated server’s current log through the host’s console, file browser, or operating-system log folder.
- Search for the player’s connection or join entry.
- Copy the complete Platform User ID associated with that connection.
- Compare the copied value with the value shown in the F2 panel when possible. A matching value is a useful check against selecting the wrong account.
Do not shorten the number or remove the platform prefix merely because a different guide shows a shorter-looking example. The official format is platform-dependent and case-sensitive.
Locate adminlist.txt
The official guide places adminlist.txt in the server’s default save folder. The exact folder depends on the operating system, launch configuration, hosting panel, and whether cloud saves are being used.
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Common Windows save location
The community wiki documents this Windows path:
%UserProfile%AppDataLocalLowIronGateValheim
Paste the path into File Explorer’s address bar, replacing the environment variable automatically through Windows, or browse to the equivalent folder under your Windows user profile. Look for an existing file named adminlist.txt. If it does not exist, create a plain-text file with that exact name.
Cloud-save and alternate path reports
A forum user reported finding the file under:
%appdata%/LocalLow/Irongate/Valheim
That report associated the location with enabling Cloud saves. It is user experience rather than official placement guidance, so treat it as an alternate location to check when the default folder is empty. Notice that the capitalization in the reported folder name differs from the community-wiki path; use the folder that actually contains the active world and server files on your installation.
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How to identify the active save folder
- Check the dedicated server’s startup output for its save or world location.
- Look for the folder that changes when the server creates or updates the world.
- If a hosting panel exposes separate local and cloud-save directories, inspect the one selected by the server configuration.
- Back up the existing text file before changing it.
Editing a copy in an unused directory has no effect. If an administrator entry appears correct but never works, confirming the active save path should be one of the first checks.
Use the correct ID format
The official guide specifies the format [Platform]_[User ID] and says it is case sensitive. For a Steam account, community examples commonly use a prefix followed by the account’s numeric identifier, such as Steam_ followed by a 17-digit number.
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There is conflicting community advice: the community wiki and many forum posts also show a bare SteamID64, usually a 17-digit number beginning with 7656119. Because the official format and community format are not identical, start with the exact value displayed by the F2 panel or server log. If the entry fails, test the alternate representation and inspect the server log for how Valheim identifies the connecting player.
| Representation | When to use it | Important detail |
|---|---|---|
Platform_UserID |
First choice; this is the format specified by the official guide. | Platform label, underscore, and capitalization must match. |
Steam_17-digit-number |
Typical Steam rendering reported by users. | Use the exact digits from the F2 panel or log; do not substitute a display name. |
| Bare 17-digit SteamID64 | Fallback when the server or community documentation shows this representation. | Try only after checking the official value and review the log if it still fails. |
Edit adminlist.txt step by step
- Stop or prepare to stop the server. A stopped server prevents a simultaneous write while you are editing. If your host does not provide a stop control, make the change during a quiet period and save a backup first.
- Open the active save folder. Use the default save path or the confirmed cloud-save directory described above.
- Open
adminlist.txtas plain text. A basic text editor is sufficient. Avoid a word processor that may add formatting. - Add one complete ID per line. Each administrator gets a separate line. Do not separate IDs with commas, semicolons, or spaces.
- Remove comments and surrounding whitespace. The community wiki says every line is read as a whole, so inline notes, leading spaces, trailing spaces, and comment characters can make an otherwise correct entry fail.
- Save as an ordinary text file. Confirm that the filename is exactly
adminlist.txt, notadminlist.txt.txt. In editors that hide extensions, enable visible file extensions before checking. - Restart the dedicated server. Sources disagree about whether an edit is applied immediately. Restarting is the safest operational choice because it forces the server to reread the file.
- Reconnect and verify. Have the listed player join, then test an administrator-only management action appropriate for your server. Check the log if the server does not recognize the account.
Example of a clean file
A file with two administrators should contain only two entries, one per line:
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Steam_7656119YYYYYYYYYYThe letters in this example are visual placeholders for digits; replace the entire value with the real ID copied from the F2 panel or log. Do not paste the explanatory text into the file.
Examples of lines to avoid
Steam_7656119XXXXXXXXXX # owner— contains a comment.Steam_7656119XXXXXXXXXX— has leading whitespace.Steam_7656119XXXXXXXXXX— has trailing whitespace.Steam_7656119XXXXXXXXXX,Steam_7656119YYYYYYYYYY— places two IDs on one line.Alex - Steam_7656119XXXXXXXXXX— includes a name and punctuation instead of an ID-only line.
Verify that administrator access works
After the restart, the listed player should connect using the same account whose ID was entered. An administrator entry belongs to the platform account, not to a character name, server nickname, or a different Steam account on the same computer.
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Valheim administrators can use administrator-specific console commands to manage a server, including actions such as kicking or banning a player. Test access with a controlled management action and then confirm the expected result in the server log. Do not test by banning a real player unless you have a clear recovery plan.
Administrator status does not grant cheats or debug mode. Cheat codes that work in a single-player world do not necessarily behave the same way on a dedicated server, according to community reports. Treat server administration and gameplay cheating as separate permissions.
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| Symptom | Likely cause | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| The player joins but has no admin permissions. | Wrong ID format, wrong account, or the server read a different file. | Copy the ID again from F2 or the log, confirm the active save folder, then test the alternate Steam representation if necessary. |
| The file appears correct but nothing changes after saving. | The server has not reloaded the file. | Restart the dedicated server and reconnect the player. |
| One listed person works and another does not. | A typo, capitalization difference, hidden whitespace, or malformed line affects the failing entry. | Compare each character with the source ID and remove all comments and spaces. |
| No administrator is recognized. | The filename is wrong or the file is in an unused directory. | Check for adminlist.txt.txt, verify the exact save path, and inspect the server log after restart. |
| The server becomes inaccessible to other players. | An ID was added to the permitted list instead of the admin list. | Open the permitted-list file and remove the restrictive entry unless you intentionally want an allowlist. |
| The SteamID64 works in one guide’s example but not on this server. | Different versions or configurations may expect the platform-prefixed form. | Use the value shown by the server log or F2 panel, preserve capitalization, and test the documented platform-prefixed form. |
Check for invisible characters
When an entry looks identical to the copied ID, inspect it in a plain-text editor that can reveal whitespace or retype the line manually. Do not add a tab for alignment. The community wiki’s warning that each line is read as a whole makes invisible characters especially important.
Check the log after every controlled test
Use the log to confirm which account connected and whether the server loaded the administrator file. This is more reliable than judging from a player’s display name, which may be duplicated or changed.
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Add, remove, or audit several administrators
To add another administrator, append a new ID on its own line and preserve the existing entries. To remove access, delete only that person’s line, save the file, and restart the server so the change is loaded. Keep a dated backup before large edits so you can restore the previous list if a typo locks out every administrator.
Limit the file to people who genuinely need server-management powers. An administrator can perform disruptive actions such as kicking or banning players, so use individual accounts rather than sharing one account or one copied ID among several people.
Admin list versus permitted list
These files solve different problems:
adminlist.txt: grants listed accounts administrative permissions while leaving normal server access unchanged.- Permitted-list file: limits who may join. The official warning says that adding one person there can exclude everyone else who is not listed.
If your goal is “let this player manage the server,” edit adminlist.txt. If your goal is “allow only these accounts to connect,” use the permitted list deliberately and add every intended player.
Operational checklist
- Identify the active save folder before editing.
- Copy the exact Platform User ID from the F2 panel or server log.
- Use the official
[Platform]_[User ID]form first. - Keep one ID per line with no whitespace, comments, names, or punctuation.
- Check that the filename is exactly
adminlist.txt. - Back up the file before changing it.
- Restart the server to ensure the new list is read.
- Verify the result with the same account and review the log.
- Remember that admin rights are not cheat or debug permissions.
- Do not confuse the admin list with the permitted list.
The Bottom Line
The dependable method is: copy the exact Platform User ID from Valheim’s F2 panel or server log, put it alone on a line in the active save folder’s adminlist.txt, save a plain-text file, restart the server, and verify the account. If it fails, check the file path, hidden whitespace, capitalization, and the alternate Steam ID representation before changing any other server settings.
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