The correct way to become admin in Garry’s Mod depends on how the server runs. On a listen server started from the game client, the host already has server authority. On a dedicated server, either add a Steam ID to garrysmod/settings/users.txt or install ULX with its required ULib dependency and grant a group from the server or web console.
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Use the least powerful route that solves your problem: admin or a custom group for routine moderation, and superadmin only for the people who must manage every command and user.
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First identify your server type
Many failed admin attempts come from using instructions for the wrong kind of server. Before editing a file or entering a command, determine whether you are hosting from the Garry’s Mod client or operating a dedicated server.
| Server situation | What you need | Admin route | Where the permission is controlled |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listen server hosted from your game client | Be the player who created the server | No setup for the host | The host has server authority for that session |
| Dedicated server without an administration addon | Filesystem access and your Steam ID | Edit garrysmod/settings/users.txt |
Vanilla user-group entries |
| Dedicated server with ULX | Addon installation access plus server or web-console access | Install ULX and ULib, restart, then run ulx adduser |
ULX groups and ULX data |
Listen server
A listen server is launched through the game client. The player who starts it is automatically the server administrator; the host does not need a users.txt edit. If you are joining someone else’s listen server, only that host can grant you whatever permissions the server’s administration system supports.
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Dedicated server
A dedicated server runs separately from the game client, usually on a rented machine, a home server, or a control-panel instance. You are not automatically admin merely because you own the machine or connected first. You must change the server’s permission configuration or use an administration addon.
Choose between vanilla permissions and ULX
The two practical routes solve different needs. Vanilla configuration has fewer moving parts and no addon dependency. ULX provides named groups, console and chat commands, and granular command access, but it requires ULib and a complete restart after installation.
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| Decision point | users.txt |
ULX |
|---|---|---|
| Software required | Garry’s Mod’s built-in permission file | ULX plus the latest ULib required by the installed ULX release |
| Initial access | Server filesystem | Server filesystem for installation, then server or web console for the first grant |
| Typical grant | Put a Steam ID in the admin or superadmin group |
ulx adduser YourName superadmin, or a narrower group |
| Group flexibility | Basic built-in groups | Multiple groups with differentiated command access |
| Persistence | The edited users.txt entry |
ULX’s saved user and group data |
| Best fit | A small server that needs simple, static access | A server with moderators, several roles, immunity rules, or ongoing administration |
ULX’s project documentation describes superadmins as “the highest usergroup.” That level can access all commands, override the immunity of other users, and manage command access with userallow and userdeny. Those capabilities are useful for an owner, but excessive for a helper who only needs moderation commands.
How to become admin on a listen server
- Start Garry’s Mod and create the multiplayer session from the game client.
- Confirm that you are the player hosting the session, rather than a client connected to another person’s listen server.
- Use the server’s available administration controls as the host. No
garrysmod/settings/users.txtedit is required to make the host administrator.
To give a friend powers on a listen server, you need an administration mechanism that supports additional users. If the session has no addon or permission interface, the friend cannot be made a persistent admin through the host’s automatic status. Install and configure an administration addon before attempting group commands, or use a dedicated server when you need durable staff roles.
How to add yourself or a friend with users.txt
Use this method only on a dedicated server that is not relying on ULX or another addon to replace permission handling. Make a backup and stop the server before editing so that a running process cannot overwrite your changes.
1. Find the player’s Steam ID
Join the server with the account that should receive access. Open the server console and run:
statusThe status output lists connected players and their identifiers. Copy the Steam ID exactly as displayed for the intended account. Do not substitute a display name, profile URL, or a different account’s identifier. If the player is not connected, connect that account before running status so you can match the identifier unambiguously.
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2. Stop the server and back up the file
Use the host’s stop control or console command to shut the dedicated server down cleanly. Create a dated copy of garrysmod/settings/users.txt before changing it. A backup gives you a fast recovery path if a brace, quote, or group entry is damaged.
3. Open the correct file
Navigate to the Garry’s Mod installation on the dedicated server and open:
garrysmod/settings/users.txtRetain the existing Users structure and edit only the group that should contain the account. A minimal example looks like this:
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{
"superadmin"
{
"STEAM_0:1:12345678" "1"
}
"admin"
{
"STEAM_0:0:87654321" "1"
}
}The IDs above are examples showing placement and formatting, not accounts to copy. Replace an example with the exact Steam ID from your server’s status output. Keep quotation marks, braces, and capitalization consistent with the file already supplied by your server.
4. Select the smallest suitable group
Place a routine moderator in admin rather than superadmin when the lower group provides everything required. Reserve superadmin for owners or operators who must manage all commands and other administrators. Granting more authority than necessary increases the damage a compromised account or mistaken command can cause.
5. Save, start, and verify
- Save
users.txtwithout changing its location or extension. - Start the dedicated server again. A full restart ensures the file is read from a clean process.
- Connect with the account whose ID you added.
- Test a permission that the selected group is supposed to have. If the group is not recognized, stop and inspect the file for mismatched braces, missing quotation marks, an incorrect ID, or an entry placed outside the intended group.
A map change is not a substitute for stopping and starting the server when you are correcting configuration. If the account still has no access after a clean restart, check that another gamemode or administration addon is not taking control of permissions.
How to become superadmin with ULX
ULX is a Garry’s Mod administration addon. It depends on ULib, so both components must be installed on the server. The official ULX documentation repository provides installation and command-reference material; use the instructions that match the ULX version you install.
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1. Obtain ULX and ULib from a supported source
Install ULX and its required ULib dependency in the server’s garrysmod/addons directory, or use the supported Workshop installation route for your server setup. Do not install ULX alone: the addon requires ULib to load correctly.
2. Perform a full restart
Stop and start the dedicated server after both addons are in place. The installation guide published by Host Havoc and updated 10 June 2026 specifically instructs a restart. Changing maps while the process remains running may leave the addon unavailable or partially loaded.
3. Connect the target account
For the first bootstrap grant, connect the account that should become administrator. Having the player online lets ULX resolve the exact in-game name and avoids granting the role to a similarly named account.
4. Run the command from an authoritative console
Enter the command in the dedicated server console or the provider’s web console:
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5. Confirm the result
Reconnect if necessary, then test a low-risk administrative command. Check the ULX user and group information if the addon reports an error. If the command fails, verify the name or identifier syntax supported by your installed ULX release and confirm that the player is connected.
Giving a friend admin without giving away the server
Decide what the friend actually needs before choosing a group. A player who only removes props, mutes disruptive users, or handles a specific game mode does not necessarily need access to every ULX command.
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Use admin for routine moderation
On a vanilla server, put the friend’s Steam ID under the admin group. With ULX, grant the server’s lower administrative group instead of superadmin when that group covers the required commands.
Create or use a narrower ULX group
ULX is designed for differentiated access. A custom group can receive only the commands needed by a moderator, while owner-level commands remain restricted. Use ULX’s command-management facilities, including userallow and userdeny, to adjust access deliberately rather than handing out the top role by default.
Consider immunity
ULX superadmins can override the immunity of other users. That makes the role appropriate for people who must resolve administrator conflicts, but it also means a superadmin can affect staff members who would otherwise be protected. Keep the highest group small and document who is allowed to use it.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Why an admin command may fail
The command was entered in the wrong console
ulx adduser is a server-side grant. Entering it in a normal client console that lacks server authority will not make you administrator. Use the dedicated server console or the hosting panel’s web console.
ULX or ULib was installed but not loaded
Check that both addons are present in garrysmod/addons or were installed through the supported Workshop route. Then perform a full restart, not merely a map change. Review the startup console for load errors and confirm that the ULX version’s ULib requirement is satisfied.
The player name or identifier is wrong
Names can contain spaces, change between sessions, or resemble another player’s name. Connect the target account, copy the exact name or use the identifier syntax supported by your ULX version, and run the command again. For vanilla permissions, repeat status and compare the Steam ID character by character.
The users.txt syntax is invalid
A missing quote or brace can prevent the file from being parsed. Restore the backup, reapply one change, and preserve the original indentation and group layout. Keep the server stopped while editing and restart it after saving.
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Another system is overriding the group
A gamemode or a second administration addon may assign its own permissions. If the file and addon load correctly but the player remains unprivileged, identify which system is authoritative and remove conflicting duplicate grants or configure the active system instead.
The change appears only after reconnecting
Some permission checks occur when a player joins or when an addon refreshes its user data. After a successful grant, disconnect and reconnect the target account, then test again. Do not repeatedly grant the role while troubleshooting; first verify the stored entry and the active addon.
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Access requirements by setup
| Task | Listen server host | Dedicated server owner | Remote administrator |
|---|---|---|---|
| Become host admin | Start the session | Not applicable | Not applicable |
| Edit vanilla permissions | Not required for the host | Filesystem access and a stopped server | Delegated file access or a control panel |
| Install ULX and ULib | Not required for automatic host status | Addon upload or Workshop access | Provider panel, file transfer, or an authorized installer |
Run ulx adduser |
Only if a compatible addon and authority are present | Server console | Web console or another server-authorized console |
| Recover a bad configuration | Restart the hosted session | Backup of the file and console or panel access | Provider support or delegated recovery access |
Security checklist before granting access
- Confirm the Steam ID or exact ULX identifier belongs to the intended person.
- Back up
garrysmod/settings/users.txtbefore editing it. - Stop the dedicated server before changing the vanilla file.
- Install the required ULib dependency with ULX.
- Use a full restart after addon installation.
- Run bootstrap commands from the server or web console, not an ordinary client console.
- Grant
adminor a custom lower-privilege group when that is sufficient. - Limit
superadminto trusted operators because it can access all commands and override other users’ immunity. - Remove former staff from the relevant file or ULX group when their access should end.
- Keep a record of who has the top role and why.
Practical decision guide
You host a quick session for friends
Use the listen-server route. As the host, you already have administrative authority for that session. Install an addon only if you need persistent staff roles or commands for other players.
You run a small dedicated server and want no addon
Stop the server, back up and edit garrysmod/settings/users.txt, place each Steam ID under the appropriate built-in group, restart, and test. This is the shortest path when a static list of trusted operators is enough.
You need moderators, immunity, and command controls
Install ULX and ULib, restart fully, bootstrap the owner from the server or web console, and create or assign narrower groups for moderators. Keep superadmin membership limited to people who must manage the entire administration system.
You can connect to the game but cannot reach files or a console
You do not have the access required to grant yourself administrator status on a dedicated server. Ask the server owner or host for the change, or obtain authorized filesystem or web-console access. Joining the server alone is not enough.
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A vanilla grant remains represented by the Steam ID entry in garrysmod/settings/users.txt. ULX grants are maintained through ULX’s user and group data. If a role disappears after restarting, inspect the active configuration rather than assuming the command was successful: verify the identifier, check addon loading, and determine whether another permission system is replacing the group.
Quick Recap
Final verification checklist
- Identify listen or dedicated server.
- Choose vanilla permissions or ULX.
- Use
statusto verify the target Steam ID when working withusers.txt. - Back up the file and stop the server before editing.
- Install both ULX and ULib if using ULX.
- Fully restart after addon installation.
- Run
ulx adduser YourName superadminonly from the server or web console. - Reconnect and test the intended permission.
- Downgrade to
adminor a custom group if superadmin powers are unnecessary.
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