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Freedom251 › Blog › BattlEye

How to Ban Players on a DayZ Server (UID, BattlEye RCon, Unbans, and Global-Ban Limits)

By Freedom251 Team · · 9 min read

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To ban someone on a DayZ server, first choose the identifier that matches the ban system. A DayZ local ban uses the player’s 44-character DayZ UID in the server-root ban.txt. BattlEye bans use a BattlEye GUID (or, with the documented offline command, an IP address) and are managed through BattlEye RCon or BattlEye/bans.txt. Do not substitute a SteamID64 for either identifier.

For a connected player, use BattlEye RCon: run players, note the player number, then run ban <player #> [time in minutes] [reason]. An omitted duration or 0 creates a permanent BattlEye ban. For an offline player, use addBan [GUID or IP address] [time in minutes] [reason]. Review entries with bans and remove one with removeBan [ban #]. Local UID bans and BattlEye global bans are separate systems; a server owner cannot reverse a global BattlEye ban.

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Choose the right ban system first

DayZ exposes two local enforcement paths that look similar but do not use the same identifier or file. Selecting the wrong one is the most common reason a ban appears not to work.

Mechanism Identifier Location or command Best use Scope
DayZ local ban 44-character DayZ player UID Server-root ban.txt, one UID per line Persistent server-local bans entered or maintained as a file Your DayZ server
BattlEye ban BattlEye GUID; the documented offline command also accepts an IP address RCon commands or BattlEye/bans.txt Live administration, timed bans and GUID enforcement Your server’s BattlEye enforcement
RCon live action Connected player number first, then the player’s BattlEye GUID is banned players, followed by ban <player #> [time in minutes] [reason] Immediate action against someone currently connected Current server session and BattlEye ban list

A UID and a GUID are different values. Copying a SteamID64, a display name or a player number into ban.txt will not create a valid UID ban. A player number is also temporary: it is the number shown by the current players response, not a permanent identity.

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Make a fair, auditable moderation decision

Bohemia Interactive’s public-hive hosting rules list “Kick/Ban players without just cause” as prohibited conduct. Before applying a ban, identify the server-rule violation and preserve the relevant evidence, such as a log entry, screenshot, clip or moderator report. Record the player identifier, date and time, duration, reason and the administrator who acted. This record makes a later appeal or unban decision possible.

  • State which server rule was violated rather than relying on a vague label.
  • Use a temporary duration when the facts are incomplete or a warning is proportionate.
  • Use a permanent local or BattlEye ban only when your rules and evidence justify that scope.
  • Keep the reason short enough to be useful in the RCon list and detailed enough for another moderator to understand.

Configure BattlEye RCon before using commands

RCon requires a password configured for the server. The DayZ server-configuration reference identifies BEServer_x64.cfg as the BattlEye configuration file and documents RestrictRCon, which controls whether RCon kick, ban and connection-restriction functions are enabled. Confirm both settings before troubleshooting a command that is rejected or has no effect.

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  1. Open the BattlEye configuration used by the running DayZ instance, normally the BEServer_x64.cfg referenced by your hosting panel or launch setup.
  2. Confirm that an RCon password is present and that you are connecting with that exact password. Treat it as an administrator secret; do not paste it into public chat, tickets or screenshots.
  3. Check the RestrictRCon setting and make sure its configured state allows the kick and ban restrictions you intend to administer.
  4. Save the configuration and reconnect your RCon client using the server’s documented connection details. If your host manages configuration through a control panel, make the change there so it is not overwritten by the panel.

The configuration reference establishes the file and setting names, but the exact panel fields and connection screens vary by host. If you cannot authenticate, verify that you edited the configuration for the active instance rather than a second server or an unused profile.

Ban a connected player with BattlEye RCon

This is the fastest documented workflow when the player is online. The player number is obtained immediately before the ban so that you do not act on a stale number.

  1. Connect to the server’s BattlEye RCon endpoint with the configured RCon password.
  2. Run players. Find the offending player in the returned list and note the current player number.
  3. Run ban <player #> [time in minutes] [reason], replacing the brackets with values. For example, a 60-minute ban for a rule violation can be entered as ban 12 60 Repeated combat logging. The number 12 is only an illustration; use the number shown by your own players output.
  4. Choose the duration deliberately. BattlEye documents that leaving the time out or entering 0 makes the ban permanent. A positive number is a duration in minutes.
  5. Check the command response and, if needed, run bans to confirm that the entry is present. Save the reason and time in your moderation record.

The RCon ban command bans the player’s BattlEye GUID, not merely the current player number. If the player disconnects between players and ban, run players again and identify the current session before retrying; never assume that a reused number belongs to the same person.

How to choose the RCon duration

Situation RCon value Result
Short cooling-off period A positive number such as 30 or 60 Temporary BattlEye ban for that many minutes
Long but reviewable sanction A positive number selected in your rules Temporary ban that can expire without manual removal
Permanent local decision Omit the duration or use 0 Permanent BattlEye ban until an administrator removes it

Only the command syntax and the permanent meaning of an omitted or zero duration are defined in the BattlEye documentation. Set other durations according to your published rules rather than inventing a universal “correct” number.

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Ban an offline player with addBan

Use addBan when the person is no longer connected or when you already have a verified BattlEye identifier. BattlEye documents the syntax as:

addBan [GUID or IP address] [time in minutes] [reason]

  1. Confirm that the value is the player’s BattlEye GUID or the IP address you intentionally mean to restrict. A DayZ UID and SteamID64 are not substitutes.
  2. Enter the identifier, duration and reason in the addBan command. For example: addBan 0123456789abcdef0123456789abcdef 120 Exploiting a restricted area. The GUID in this example is illustrative; use the verified value associated with your case.
  3. Run bans and confirm that the new entry appears.
  4. Record why the identifier was used and how it was verified. IP-based bans can affect more than one player when addresses are shared or change, so use that option only when your rules and evidence support it.

As with the connected-player command, an omitted or zero duration is documented as permanent. If you need a timed sanction, enter the number of minutes explicitly.

Use DayZ’s local UID file

DayZ’s server-files documentation describes a root-level ban.txt containing one player UID per line. This is a server-local list, separate from BattlEye’s GUID list.

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  1. Obtain the player’s DayZ UID from a trustworthy administrative source. Verify that it is the 44-character UID expected by the DayZ server files.
  2. Open the ban.txt file in the DayZ server root. Do not place the value in BattlEye’s bans.txt; the two files serve different systems.
  3. Add the UID on its own line. Keep existing entries intact and avoid adding names, comments or extra fields to the line.
  4. Save the file and use your host’s documented restart or configuration-reload procedure if one is required for file changes to take effect. The server-files reference specifies the file format, but it does not establish a universal live-reload command for every host.
  5. Test with a controlled connection or your server’s administrative monitoring, then note the change in your moderation record.

A local UID entry does not create or remove a BattlEye GUID ban. If you need BattlEye’s timed-ban behavior, RCon audit trail or GUID enforcement, use the BattlEye workflow instead.

Inspect, expire and remove BattlEye bans

List current entries

Run bans in RCon. The result provides the ban entries and their list numbers. Use that output rather than guessing an index, because entries can change as bans expire or are rewritten.

Remove a specific entry

Run removeBan [ban #] with the number shown by bans. This is the documented RCon unban workflow. Confirm the result by running bans again and record who authorized the removal.

Rewrite the list and clear expired entries

Run writeBans to rewrite the BattlEye ban list. BattlEye documents that this can remove expired bans while writing the current list. Use it after reviewing the output so that an entry you still need is not mistaken for an expired one.

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Do not confuse removal with a global-ban appeal

removeBan operates on the BattlEye bans administered by your server. It cannot cancel a BattlEye global ban imposed outside your local list. The global-ban boundary is explained below.

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Understand local bans versus global BattlEye bans

A local ban affects the server you administer. You can create it with a DayZ UID in ban.txt, with a GUID or IP through addBan, or with the connected-player ban command. You can review and, for BattlEye entries, remove it using your own RCon controls.

A global BattlEye ban is administered by BattlEye. Bohemia Interactive states: “The banning system is administrated by Battleye, we have absolutely no involvement in the process of detecting cheats/hacks nor administrating any bans etc.” A DayZ server owner therefore cannot reverse that global ban by deleting an entry from ban.txt or bans.txt, nor by running removeBan.

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Direct a player who believes a global ban is mistaken to BattlEye for the appeal or support path. Bohemia Interactive also notes that players can filter for servers where BattlEye is not required; that does not remove the global ban from BattlEye-protected servers and is not a control available to an individual server administrator.

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File and command pitfalls

Using a SteamID64 or display name

Neither a display name nor a SteamID64 is the documented value for the DayZ UID line in ban.txt or the BattlEye GUID field. Ask for the correct identifier instead of converting or guessing it.

Editing the wrong directory

The DayZ local file is the root ban.txt. BattlEye maintains bans.txt in its working directory, commonly represented as BattlEye/bans.txt in the server-file comparison. A host may expose these through different panel labels, so verify the active instance and directory before saving.

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Assuming a file edit is an RCon action

Adding a UID to ban.txt does not populate the BattlEye list, and editing BattlEye’s list does not add a DayZ UID entry. Decide which system you want and verify it through that system’s own check.

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Reusing an old player number

Player numbers come from the current players output. Re-run the command immediately before a live ban, especially after a disconnect, reconnect or server-side player-list change.

Expecting an unban to remove every restriction

Removing a local BattlEye entry does not affect a DayZ UID line that you separately added, and neither action affects a global BattlEye ban. Check all relevant layers before telling a player that access has been restored.

Leaving the reason blank

The reason is optional in the command syntax, but omitting it weakens your audit trail. A concise, factual reason helps another moderator match the action to the evidence without publishing unnecessary personal information.

A repeatable moderation workflow

Use this checklist whenever a ban is requested:

  1. Confirm the server, player identity and alleged rule violation.
  2. Collect evidence and check that the action has just cause under your published rules.
  3. Choose local UID enforcement or BattlEye GUID enforcement based on the intended scope and whether the player is connected.
  4. For an online player, run players and then the documented ban command. For an offline player, verify the GUID or IP and use addBan, or maintain the UID in ban.txt.
  5. Set a positive duration for a timed sanction; use omitted time or 0 only when a permanent BattlEye ban is intended.
  6. Verify with bans or by checking the correctly formatted local file.
  7. Record the identifier, command or file change, reason, evidence location, duration and moderator.
  8. When an appeal succeeds, remove the relevant BattlEye entry with removeBan, rewrite with writeBans if appropriate, and separately remove any local UID entry your policy no longer supports.

Quick command reference

Goal Command or file Important detail
Show connected players players Use the current player number for the next command
Ban a connected player ban <player #> [time in minutes] [reason] Omitted time or 0 is permanent
Ban an offline identifier addBan [GUID or IP address] [time in minutes] [reason] Use a verified BattlEye GUID or deliberately chosen IP address
List BattlEye entries bans Use the displayed ban number for removal
Remove a BattlEye entry removeBan [ban #] Removes the selected local BattlEye entry
Rewrite the BattlEye list writeBans Can remove expired bans while rewriting the list
Local DayZ ban Root ban.txt One 44-character DayZ UID per line

The practical boundary is simple: use the DayZ UID file for a persistent local UID list, use BattlEye RCon for live or timed GUID administration, and send global-ban questions to BattlEye rather than attempting to alter your server files.

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