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Freedom251 › Blog › admin commands

How to Ban, Unban and Kick Players on an Unturned Server

By Freedom251 Team · · 8 min read

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Use ban, unban and kick from the Unturned server console, or enter the same commands in chat as an administrator with a leading / (or @). Identify players by SteamID or, when they are online, by name. A ban blocks future connections for a specified number of seconds; without a duration, it lasts one year (31,536,000 seconds). An unban requires the SteamID, while a kick only disconnects the player and does not stop them rejoining.

Command reference

The following commands are the core tools for server moderation. In the server console, enter the command without a slash. In administrator chat, prefix it with / or @.

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Purpose Console form What it does Duration or identifier
Ban ban [SteamID | Player] [reason] [duration] Blocks the player from joining until the ban expires. Duration is seconds; the default is 31,536,000 seconds (one year).
Unban unban [SteamID] Removes a SteamID from the blocked-player list. SteamID is required.
Kick kick [SteamID | Player] [reason] Disconnects the player from the current session. The player can rejoin unless another restriction applies.
List bans bans Displays the bans currently known to the server. Takes no arguments.
Slay slay [SteamID | Player] Kills the player and also applies a one-year ban. 31,536,000 seconds according to community command documentation.

Square brackets indicate values you replace; do not type the brackets themselves. For example, replace <SteamID64> with the player’s actual SteamID64.

Before you moderate anyone

Make sure you have administrator permission

Only the server console or an account with the necessary administrator rights can run moderation commands. If a command is rejected, first confirm that you are connected to the correct server console or that your in-game account has been granted admin access.

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Choose the right identifier

A SteamID is the safer identifier because names can be duplicated, changed, or formatted differently. Use a player name when the player is online and the server resolves that name correctly. For an offline player, community guidance commonly recommends using the SteamID rather than relying on a name; treat name matching as an online convenience, not a dependable historical identifier.

Know which interface you are using

  • Server console: type the command without a leading slash.
  • Administrator chat: add / or @ before the command, such as /kick <SteamID64> Advertising.
  • Parameter separators: community references disagree about whether arguments should be separated with spaces or forward slashes. One reference shows spaces, while another describes slash-separated parameters. Check the current in-game help for your Unturned version and use the syntax it displays.

That separator disagreement matters most when a reason contains several words. If a command fails, simplify it to the identifier first, confirm the basic command works, then add the reason and duration using the format shown by your server’s help output.

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How to ban a player

1. Decide whether you need a temporary or default ban

A ban prevents the account from joining for a number of seconds. The command’s default is one year: 31,536,000 seconds. That is a default value, not a permanent ban. If you need a shorter sanction, supply the duration explicitly. The available documentation does not establish a separate permanent-ban keyword for this command, so do not describe the one-year default as permanent.

Intended period Seconds to enter Use case
1 hour 3600 Short cooling-off period
1 day 86400 Temporary disciplinary action
1 week 604800 Repeated but non-permanent violations
30 days 2592000 Long temporary restriction
1 year 31536000 The documented default duration

These conversions are calendar-independent second counts. The server reports the remaining time in seconds to a connecting user.

2. Enter the ban command

Use the documented argument order: target, optional reason, then optional duration. A console example using a SteamID is:

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ban <SteamID64> Cheating 604800

This requests a seven-day ban with the reason “Cheating.” If your server’s help screen uses slash-separated arguments, follow that displayed syntax instead of the space-separated example. A minimal ban that relies on the default duration is:

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ban <SteamID64>

When the connection is refused, Unturned shows the joining user the remaining seconds and the reason supplied with the ban. Use a short, factual reason that will still make sense if the ban is reviewed later.

3. Verify that the ban took effect

Run bans in the console to list current bans. If the player was online, confirm that their connection ended and then check the list. If the list does not show the expected entry, verify the SteamID, the command context, and the argument separator required by your version.

How to unban a player

Use the SteamID, not the display name

The unban command requires the player’s SteamID. A name alone is not sufficient:

unban <SteamID64>

Run this in the console without a slash, or use the administrator-chat prefix in game. Afterward, run bans and check that the SteamID no longer appears. The player may still need to reconnect; unbanning does not automatically place them back into the server.

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Recovering the correct SteamID

If you copied the wrong identifier when applying the ban, use the current ban list and your server’s player information to match the account. Do not guess based on a similar display name. SteamIDs are intended to identify the account consistently even when the player changes their visible name.

How to kick a player

A kick is an immediate session removal, not a joining restriction. Use:

kick <SteamID64> Disconnected for a rule violation

You can target an online player by name where name resolution works. The optional reason is shown as part of the disconnect information, so keep it clear and concise. Because a kick does not create a ban, the player can reconnect afterward unless a separate ban, whitelist rule, or other restriction prevents it.

When a kick is preferable to a ban

  • Use a kick for an immediate warning, a mistaken connection, or a situation that does not justify blocking future joins.
  • Use a ban when the player must be prevented from reconnecting for a defined period.
  • Use an unban when the restriction should end before its scheduled expiry.

If you need both immediate removal and future exclusion, ban the player rather than relying on a kick alone. A kick by itself does not protect the server from an immediate rejoin.

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Viewing and auditing current bans

The bans command takes no arguments:

bans

Use it before changing a moderation decision and after applying or removing one. The output is useful for confirming the exact SteamID, the remaining time, and the reason displayed by the server. Keep a separate staff log if your team needs context beyond what the command output retains; the available command documentation does not specify a richer audit-history system.

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Giving yourself or another account admin rights

Owner entry in Commands.dat

Permanent owner-level administration is associated with an entry in Commands.dat:

Owner <SteamID64>

Place one command per line. Commands.dat contains commands that run whenever the server starts, so an owner entry there is intended to persist across restarts. A 2026 community command list also describes /owner <SteamID> entered in the console as permanent and saved to Commands.dat; because implementations and instructions can vary, verify the behavior with the help output for the version you operate.

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Do not confuse admin configuration with ban storage

The server folder commonly contains four .dat files: Adminlist, Blacklist, Commands and Whitelist. The available documentation does not verify the internal format of Blacklist.dat, nor does it establish that writing a ban, unban, or kick command directly into that file is supported. Do not edit the blacklist file by hand based on an unverified guide.

Cheats are a separate setting

Some commands, including Give, require Cheats to be present in Commands.dat. That requirement concerns cheat-gated commands; it is not evidence that you should add ban entries to the file or that every moderation command needs the same setting.

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Ban, kick or slay: choosing the least disruptive action

Action Immediate effect Can the player rejoin? Best fit
Kick Disconnects the current session. Yes, unless another restriction applies. Warnings, accidental connections, or problems that do not justify a ban.
Ban Disconnects or blocks the player and prevents joining for the chosen period. Only after expiry or an unban. Rule violations requiring a temporary access restriction.
Slay Kills the player and applies a 31,536,000-second ban. Not until the ban expires or is removed. A deliberately severe action where both in-game death and the documented one-year ban are intended.

Because slay combines an in-game kill with the one-year ban behavior documented for the command, use it only when that dual consequence is acceptable. It is not a softer alternative to kick.

Troubleshooting failed commands

The server says the command is unknown

  • Confirm that you are connected to the Unturned server console or are using an account with administrator rights.
  • In chat, add the required / or @ prefix; in the console, remove it.
  • Open the current in-game help and copy the command spelling and separator format.

The player is not found

  • For an online player, try the exact name shown by the server.
  • For an offline player, use the SteamID rather than a remembered display name.
  • Check for accidental punctuation, spaces, or a copied identifier from a different account.

The reason or duration is parsed incorrectly

Reduce the command to the target only, confirm it executes, and then add one optional argument at a time. The documented sources disagree about spaces versus forward slashes between parameters. A multi-word reason is especially likely to expose that difference, so follow the syntax displayed by your installed version’s help command.

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The player can still join after a kick

That is expected. A kick only ends the current connection. Apply a ban when the goal is to block subsequent joins.

An unban appears not to work

Check the SteamID character by character, run bans again, and have the player reconnect after the command succeeds. An unban removes the restriction; it does not force an active connection or bypass a separate server rule.

Operational practices for a fair server

  • Use SteamIDs for decisions that must survive name changes.
  • Set an explicit duration instead of relying on the one-year default when a shorter sanction is intended.
  • Write a neutral reason so another administrator can understand the decision from the ban list.
  • Check bans before issuing a second action against the same account.
  • Reserve owner-level access for trusted accounts and review the SteamID placed in Commands.dat.
  • Keep a private staff record of evidence and appeals; the command output alone is not documented as a complete moderation history.
  • Recheck the in-game help after an Unturned update, especially if a command that previously worked begins rejecting its separators or arguments.

What to remember

Ban with a SteamID, optional reason, and a duration in seconds; the omitted-duration default is one year. Unban with the SteamID only. Kick when you want to disconnect without blocking re-entry. Use bans to verify the current list, and place persistent owner rights in Commands.dat rather than attempting to edit the undocumented blacklist format. Because community references disagree on argument separators, let the help output from your current Unturned build decide whether your server expects spaces or forward slashes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I ban an offline Unturned player by name?

Community guidance indicates that name-based bans are intended for online players. For an offline account, use its SteamID so the restriction targets the correct account.

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How long does an Unturned ban last if I omit the duration?

The documented default is 31,536,000 seconds, which is one year. It is not described as a permanent ban.

Does kicking a player stop them from coming back?

No. A kick disconnects the current session; the player can rejoin unless a separate restriction applies.

Why do Unturned command examples use different separators?

Community documentation conflicts: one reference shows spaces and another describes forward slashes. Check the current in-game help for the syntax used by your installed version.

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