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How to Become Admin on an Arma 3 Server

Set passwordAdmin in the active Arma 3 server.cfg, restart the server, then enter #login followed by the exact password in in-game chat. This guide also covers admins[], BattlEye RCon, commands, troubleshooting, and security.
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To become an administrator on an Arma 3 server you control, set an administrator password in server.cfg, restart the server, join it, open chat, and enter #login followed by that password. The password must match the server’s passwordAdmin setting.

If you need administration without typing a shared password, Arma 3 also supports an admins[] list. BattlEye RCon is a separate remote-administration system; it is not required for the in-game #login method.

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What you need before you start

You must have permission to change the server configuration. On a privately hosted dedicated server, that usually means access to the server’s file system or its hosting control panel. You also need to know which configuration file the instance actually loads. Arma 3’s official configuration reference is the Arma 3: Server Config File page.

  • Server access: You need an account or control-panel role that can edit server.cfg and restart the Arma 3 process.
  • A player account: Join with the account that will use administrator commands.
  • A private administrator password: Choose a value that is not used for any other service.
  • A maintenance window: Changing the file does not generally affect a running process until the server is restarted.

If you only play on somebody else’s server, you cannot grant yourself administrator rights. The owner or an existing operator must configure access for you.

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The standard method: passwordAdmin and #login

This is the simplest method when several trusted operators may need access. Anyone who knows the configured password can authenticate in game, so treat the password as a shared credential.

1. Open the active server.cfg

Use your host’s file manager, an SFTP/FTP client, or a shell session to open the server.cfg used by the Arma 3 server instance. A server may have more than one profile or configuration file, so confirm that you are editing the file referenced by the startup command or control panel rather than an unused template.

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Make a backup before editing. If the file is malformed, the server may fail to start or may ignore the changed setting.

2. Set passwordAdmin

Add or edit the administrator-password parameter. A typical entry is:

passwordAdmin = "Use-a-long-unique-password";

The parameter name is case-sensitive in practical configuration work, and the value must be the password you will enter after #login. Do not leave two competing passwordAdmin entries in the file; keep one authoritative setting so you know which value the server will read.

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Use a long, unique password. Do not paste a password that protects your operating-system account, control panel, database, or another game server. The in-game login command can expose the password to people who can see the relevant chat, so a dedicated credential limits the damage if it is observed.

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3. Save the file and restart the server

Save the file without changing its encoding or removing required semicolons. Restart the Arma 3 server from the control panel or service manager. A normal stop-and-start is preferable to assuming that a live process has re-read the file. Wait until the server is accepting connections again.

4. Join and authenticate

  1. Launch Arma 3 and connect to the server that was restarted.
  2. Open the in-game chat input.
  3. Enter #login, followed by one space and the exact value configured in passwordAdmin. For example: #login Use-a-long-unique-password.
  4. Submit the command and wait for the server response before trying another command.

The official dedicated-server documentation describes the password after #login as matching the passwordAdmin parameter. If the command is rejected, check spelling, capitalization, punctuation, and whether the server was restarted after the edit.

5. Test the session and log out when finished

Run a harmless administrative command that is appropriate for your server, then use #logout when you no longer need elevated access. The command reference is maintained on Bohemia Interactive’s Multiplayer Server Commands page.

Logging out is useful on shared machines and public servers because it reduces the chance that a later command is executed with administrator privileges. If you suspect that somebody learned the password, stop using it, change passwordAdmin, restart the server, and distribute the replacement only through a trusted channel.

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Using admins[] for password-free login

Arma 3 supports an admins[] configuration list that permits listed player identifiers to authenticate without entering the shared administrator password. The feature dates back to Arma 2: Operation Arrowhead and is documented in the official server-configuration material.

What the setting does

The list associates approved identifiers with administrator access. A configuration has the general form:

admins[] = {"identifier-one", "identifier-two"};

After saving the list and restarting the server, a listed player can use #login without appending the administrator password. Keep the list as small as practical and remove identifiers when a player should no longer have access.

The identifier-format problem

Available documentation is not completely consistent about the value to place in each list entry. The official wiki describes UIDs, while several hosting guides describe quoted SteamID64 values. Because using the wrong identifier prevents a password-free login, do not guess.

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Use the current Bohemia documentation for your server build and compare it with the identifier shown by your server’s logs or administration tools. The following guides discuss the setup but should not be treated as a substitute for checking the current format:

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Add one known identifier first, restart, and test it. If it fails, remove the entry while diagnosing rather than adding multiple unverified formats. You can continue using passwordAdmin as a fallback while you resolve the identifier.

In-game administration versus BattlEye RCon

These are related but different systems:

Method Where it operates Credential or setting When to use it
#login Inside an Arma 3 game session passwordAdmin in server.cfg Routine administration while you are connected as a player
admins[] Inside an Arma 3 game session Approved player identifier in server.cfg Trusted operators who should not type a shared password each session
BattlEye RCon Outside the game client, through a remote administration connection A separate RCon configuration and credential Remote monitoring or control when you are not playing on the server

The BattlEye option in server.cfg enables the BattlEye anti-cheat client. Enabling BattlEye is not the same as configuring BattlEye RCon. RCon has its own file and connection process, and it is not required for in-game #login.

Without BattlEye RCon, Arma 3 limits the server to one server administrator at a time. That administrator can come from an authenticated login or a server vote. If your team needs several people to manage a server remotely or concurrently, investigate RCon separately instead of trying to solve that requirement with additional #login passwords.

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Commands available after login

The exact command set depends on the server version, mission, permissions, and whether you are using the in-game command channel or a remote tool. Bohemia’s Multiplayer Server Commands page is the authoritative reference to check before relying on a command.

Command Typical purpose Important qualification
#login [Password] Authenticate as server administrator The password must match passwordAdmin, unless your account is covered by admins[].
#logout End the current administrator session Use it when you are finished with elevated access.
#mission Display or select mission information Available syntax and effects can vary by server state.
#missions List mission choices Consult the current command reference for arguments.
#restart Restart the current mission or server-side session Confirm the exact effect for your build before using it on a live event.
#reassign Reassign players or mission roles Mission and lobby state affect the result.
#kick Remove a player Some third-party command lists include it; verify current syntax in Bohemia’s reference.
#shutdown Stop the server process Treat it as a disruptive command and verify the supported form first.

For a public server, announce disruptive actions before executing them when possible. A command that changes a mission or stops the process can affect every connected player.

Troubleshooting failed administrator login

“Unknown command” or no response

  • Make sure you entered the command in the actual in-game chat input, not a normal text message field or a server-console window that uses different syntax.
  • Confirm the command begins with the hash character: #login.
  • Check that you joined the intended server after the restart; it is easy to edit one instance and connect to another.
  • Review the server log and the current Bohemia command reference for version-specific behavior.

“Wrong password” or authentication denied

  • Compare the typed value with passwordAdmin character by character, including capitalization and punctuation.
  • Check for a second passwordAdmin line elsewhere in the active file.
  • Verify that the file was saved on the server and that the process was fully restarted afterward.
  • Do not assume a password copied from a hosting panel is the value used by the running instance; inspect the active configuration.

admins[] access does not work

  • Recheck the identifier format against the current official documentation; UID and SteamID64 descriptions are not interchangeable assumptions.
  • Ensure the value is quoted correctly and separated from other entries by commas.
  • Restart after changing the list.
  • Test with one identifier before adding more.

You can log in, but another operator cannot

Without BattlEye RCon, only one server administrator can exist at a time. Have the current administrator use #logout, then let the next operator authenticate. If your operating model requires simultaneous or remote administration, configure and secure RCon as a separate service.

Administrator status after reconnecting is uncertain

Documentation and community summaries do not establish a single reliable rule for whether administrator status persists across every reconnect scenario. Plan on authenticating again after reconnecting unless your own server test confirms otherwise. This is safer than assuming a player still has privileges.

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Security practices for an Arma 3 administrator

Protect the password

  • Use a unique, randomly generated value and store it in a password manager.
  • Do not post it in a public Discord channel, server announcement, or shared screenshot.
  • Remember that entering #login can reveal the password to people who can view that chat.
  • Rotate it immediately if an operator leaves the team or the value may have been exposed.

Limit configuration access

Give file-manager and shell permissions only to people who need them. A person who can edit server.cfg can usually replace the administrator password, alter server behavior, or add another administrator. Keep backups of known-good configurations so you can recover from an accidental edit.

Separate game administration from RCon

RCon credentials should not be reused as the in-game administrator password. Keep the RCon port and password restricted, and expose the service only as broadly as your administration workflow requires. BattlEye anti-cheat activation and RCon administration are separate settings, so verify each one independently.

A repeatable setup checklist

  1. Confirm that you own or are authorized to administer the server.
  2. Identify the active server.cfg and make a backup.
  3. Set one unique passwordAdmin value.
  4. Save the file with valid syntax.
  5. Restart the Arma 3 server.
  6. Join the restarted instance.
  7. Enter #login plus the configured password in chat.
  8. Run a low-impact command to verify access.
  9. Use #logout when finished.
  10. If password-free access is required, add one verified identifier to admins[], restart, and test it.
  11. If remote or concurrent administration is required, plan a separate BattlEye RCon configuration.

Arma 3’s configuration and command pages can change as the game and server tools are maintained. Before applying a setup to a production server, check the current Bohemia Interactive pages for Arma 3: Dedicated Server, Arma 3: Server Config File, and Multiplayer Server Commands.

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