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How to Become Admin on an Unturned Server

Use your 17-digit SteamID64 to grant Unturned admin access through Commands.dat, Adminlist.dat, an in-game command, or RocketMod’s permissions file.
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To make yourself an admin, use your 17-digit SteamID64—not your display name—in the server’s configuration, then restart the server. The usual owner method is an Owner line in Commands.dat; Adminlist.dat is the boot-time alternative.

What you need before changing anything

You need access to the server files or its hosting panel, permission to stop and start the server, and the SteamID64 for the account that should receive administrative access. A SteamID64 is a 17-digit numeric identifier tied to a Steam account. It is different from the name other players see in-game, and it remains the identifier the server uses even when that display name changes.

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  • Server access: You must be able to open the server’s Server folder or the equivalent file manager in your host’s panel.
  • Your identifier: Copy the complete 17-digit SteamID64. Do not paste a profile nickname, custom URL, or character name.
  • A maintenance window: Stop the server before editing. Changes made while the process is running can be overwritten when it shuts down.
  • A restart: Owner and admin-list entries are read at boot, so the server must start again after the file is saved.

If your server is managed by RocketMod, use its permissions system instead of relying on the vanilla files; that case is covered separately below.

Fastest method: add yourself as the owner in Commands.dat

The standard way to make an account the server owner is to add one line to Commands.dat. Owner entries are loaded when the server starts.

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  1. Stop the Unturned server. Use the stop control in your host panel or shut it down through the normal server-management procedure. Wait until the process is fully stopped.
  2. Open the server’s Server folder. Locate the file named Commands.dat. The spelling and capitalization matter.
  3. Edit the file as plain text. Add a new line containing the word Owner, a space, and the complete SteamID64. For example, the format is:
    Owner 76561198000000000
    The number above illustrates the format; replace it with the intended account’s actual 17-digit SteamID64.
  4. Keep one command per line. Do not join the owner entry to another setting, add punctuation, or put the display name after the number. Commands in Commands.dat are case sensitive.
  5. Save the file. Confirm that the host did not append an extra extension such as .txt or save a second copy in a different folder.
  6. Start the server again. The owner entry is applied during startup. Join with the Steam account represented by that SteamID64 and test an administrative action.

Several owner entries can be placed on separate lines when more than one account needs owner-level access. Treat every added ID as a highly trusted account: an owner can administer the server, and a mistaken or unauthorized ID can control it.

Alternative boot-time method: Adminlist.dat

You can also place SteamID64 values in Adminlist.dat, located in the server’s Server folder. Put one ID on each line and restart the server so the list is read at boot.

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  1. Stop the server completely.
  2. Open Server/Adminlist.dat. The file name uses a capital A.
  3. Add the complete SteamID64 on its own line. Do not add Owner, commas, quotes, or a display name in this file.
  4. Save the file and start the server.

This is not the same as a file called owners.dat. That filename is incorrect for the setup described here; the admin list is Adminlist.dat. If a guide tells you to create owners.dat, do not follow that filename instruction.

Use Commands.dat when you specifically want an owner entry, and use Adminlist.dat when you want a straightforward list of administrator SteamID64 values loaded at startup. Both approaches depend on the ID being exact and the server being restarted.

Choosing between the available methods

Method Where the ID goes When it takes effect Best use
Owner entry Owner SteamID64 in Commands.dat When the server boots Making a trusted account the server owner
Admin list One SteamID64 per line in Server/Adminlist.dat When the server boots Maintaining a simple list of administrator accounts
Running-server admin command /admin SteamID64 or /admin PlayerName During the current running session, according to the command guidance Granting access from in-game when you already have owner authority
RocketMod permissions Permissions.config.xml According to RocketMod’s permission configuration and reload behavior Servers using RocketMod rather than only the vanilla permission files

The table describes the roles of the methods, not a promise that every hosting panel exposes every file. If a panel hides the files, use its configuration editor or ask the host where the server’s Server directory is located.

Granting admin from inside the game

If you are already the owner or otherwise have permission to run administrative commands, the in-game form is /admin <SteamID64>. Some guides also show /admin PlayerName. The owner runs the command in-game for the account that should receive admin access.

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Chat-key instructions differ between guides and server setups: one commonly cited instruction uses Enter, while another uses J. Rather than assuming one key, use the key bound to chat in your current controls, open the chat input, and enter the slash command exactly.

Use the SteamID64 form whenever possible. A player name can be mistyped, duplicated, or changed; the 17-digit account identifier is the unambiguous value the configuration uses.

Some older advice omits the slash, while newer instructions use the slash form. Follow the command syntax accepted by the version and interface you are running. Do not assume that a command shown for an old server build will behave identically on a current one.

Do not confuse admin access with cheats

Administrative permission and cheat access are separate checks for important commands. Spawn and give commands require both admin rights and cheats enabled. Teleport-type commands require admin rights but do not require cheats according to the command guidance summarized for this setup.

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Enable cheats through the server’s Commands.dat setting when your installation uses a text configuration. Some hosting panels expose the same setting as a Server Cheats checkbox instead of showing a text line. If a spawn or give command reports that it is unavailable even though your ID is correct, check the cheat setting rather than repeatedly changing the SteamID64.

  • Permission failure: verify the account’s SteamID64 and the file or permission system in use.
  • Cheat restriction: verify that cheats are enabled for commands that need them.
  • Command formatting: check spelling, capitalization, and the command’s required arguments.

RocketMod servers use a different permission path

RocketMod servers grant administrative access through Permissions.config.xml. If RocketMod is installed and controlling permissions, adding an owner line to the vanilla Commands.dat or an ID to Adminlist.dat may not produce the permission level you expect.

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  1. Identify whether the server is running RocketMod and whether its permission system is active.
  2. Stop the server before editing the permission configuration.
  3. Open Permissions.config.xml in the RocketMod configuration area.
  4. Place the correct SteamID64 in the appropriate RocketMod administrator or permission entry, following that file’s existing structure.
  5. Save the file and restart the server, then test with the account that was added.

Do not paste a vanilla Owner line into XML, and do not paste XML tags into Commands.dat. These are different configuration formats. If the server says permission is denied after a correct ID change, confirm which permission system is actually handling the server before making additional edits.

How to find and verify your SteamID64

The critical value is the 17-digit SteamID64 associated with the Steam account that will play on the server. Use a SteamID lookup utility or your Steam account details to obtain it, then compare every digit before saving the file.

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  • Copy all 17 digits; leading or trailing spaces can cause a mismatch.
  • Check that you copied the intended Steam account, especially if you use more than one account on the same computer.
  • Do not substitute a Steam display name, a server nickname, or a shorter Steam identifier.
  • When adding several administrators, put each complete ID on its own line in Adminlist.dat, or create separate Owner lines in Commands.dat as appropriate.

If the server still denies permission, recopy the ID rather than trying different name spellings. An incorrect digit is enough to make an otherwise valid configuration fail.

Troubleshooting: permission denied or no admin powers

The file was edited while the server was running

Stop the server, make the change, save it, and restart. A running process can write its current configuration back during shutdown, erasing an edit made while it was active.

The wrong file or folder was edited

Confirm that the file is inside the server’s Server folder and that its name is exactly Commands.dat or Adminlist.dat. Editing a similarly named backup, local client file, or panel template will not change the server that players join.

The SteamID64 is wrong

Compare the ID in the file with the account’s actual 17-digit SteamID64. Display names are not valid substitutes. Remove accidental spaces, punctuation, quotes, and line breaks inside the number.

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Capitalization or line format is wrong

Commands.dat commands are case sensitive and use one command per line. The owner entry must begin with the correctly capitalized word Owner, followed by a space and the number. Do not append comments or additional text to the line unless your server’s own configuration format explicitly supports them.

The server was not restarted after a boot-time change

Owner and Adminlist.dat entries are applied at boot. A save operation alone does not activate them on an already running server. Restart, reconnect, and test again.

RocketMod is handling permissions

Check whether the installation uses Permissions.config.xml. If it does, correct the RocketMod permission entry instead of repeatedly changing the vanilla files.

A command needs cheats

If teleport works but spawn or give does not, the distinction may be the cheat requirement rather than your admin status. Enable cheats through the server configuration or the panel’s Server Cheats control, then restart if the panel requires it.

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You relied on an uncertain permanent-grant command

Guides disagree about whether /admin <player> is temporary and whether /owner <SteamID> is the permanent console form. Because that behavior is not consistent across the guidance available for different versions, use the file-based owner or admin-list method when you need a predictable boot-time result. Treat any in-game permanence claim as version-dependent until verified on the server build you operate.

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Safe operating procedure for a shared server

Administrative access is effectively a control credential. Give it only to accounts you trust, and remove an ID when that person should no longer administer the server.

  1. Record the current file before editing so you can restore it if a formatting mistake occurs.
  2. Stop the server and edit only the intended configuration file.
  3. Make the smallest possible change: one correctly formatted ID line.
  4. Save, restart, and test with the account that was added.
  5. Keep a written list of authorized SteamID64 values so you can audit and remove stale entries.
  6. When revoking access, stop the server, delete the relevant line from the file or permission configuration, save, and restart.

A server owner should also tell administrators which actions require cheats. That prevents a valid admin from misdiagnosing a blocked spawn or give command as a failed permission grant.

Verification checklist

  • Identifier: Is the value a 17-digit SteamID64 for the correct Steam account?
  • Location: Is the edit in the active server’s Server folder?
  • Method: Did you use Owner in Commands.dat, a standalone ID in Adminlist.dat, or the RocketMod permissions file that matches your installation?
  • Syntax: Is there one command per line, with the required capitalization and no punctuation?
  • Lifecycle: Was the server stopped before editing and restarted afterward?
  • Feature requirement: Are cheats enabled for spawn and give commands?
  • Test: Did you reconnect and test a permission-appropriate command after startup?

Frequently asked questions

Can I use my Unturned player name instead of a SteamID64?

Use the SteamID64 for configuration. Names can change or be ambiguous; the server’s owner and admin-list entries are based on the 17-digit Steam identifier.

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Does Adminlist.dat need an “Admin” or “Owner” prefix?

No. Put one SteamID64 on each line. The Owner prefix belongs to an owner entry in Commands.dat.

Why does a guide mention owners.dat?

That filename is incorrect for this setup. The relevant files are Commands.dat and Adminlist.dat in the server’s Server folder.

Will editing Commands.dat while players are online work?

Do not rely on it. Stop the server before editing because a running process can overwrite changes during shutdown, and owner entries are read at boot.

Why can I teleport but not spawn items?

Spawn and give commands require cheats as well as admin rights. Teleport-type commands require admin rights but not cheats under the command guidance for this setup.

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What if my server uses RocketMod?

Use RocketMod’s Permissions.config.xml permission system and restart after making the change. Do not mix its XML format with the vanilla Commands.dat syntax.

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