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1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsTo whitelist players by IP address, run the world with TShock, set "EnableWhitelist": true in TShock’s config.json, then add permitted addresses to whitelist.txt or manage them with TShock’s /whitelist command. The vanilla Terraria dedicated-server documentation describes passwords, bans and lobby privacy, but does not document a native whitelist setting.
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What a Terraria whitelist does
A whitelist is an allow-list: the server accepts connections only from IP addresses that appear in its whitelist. In TShock, the feature is explicitly IP-based and is controlled by the EnableWhitelist Boolean in config.json. Its documented default is false, so a new TShock installation does not filter connections until you turn it on.
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Repair common Windows errors and clear accumulated junk for a smoother, more stable PC - no reinstall needed.Free scan · no reinstallWhen the filter is active, TShock checks a connecting address against whitelist.txt. An address that is not listed is rejected. TShock’s documented default rejection text is You are not on the whitelist.; the message is configurable in TShock’s configuration.
This is different from a password. A password lets anyone who knows the shared secret attempt to join. A whitelist makes the source IP address the admission criterion. It also differs from a ban list: a ban list identifies addresses that must be refused, while a whitelist identifies addresses that may connect.
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Vanilla Terraria or TShock?
The official dedicated-server documentation for vanilla Terraria covers launching TerrariaServer.exe, serverconfig.txt, console commands, passwords, ban lists and Steam lobby options. Its documented command-line controls include -banlist, -pass/-password, and -lobby friends or -lobby private. It does not document a named whitelist switch.
Therefore, EnableWhitelist is a TShock setting, not a vanilla Terraria setting shown in that documentation. If you start the ordinary dedicated server executable without TShock, adding this key to a vanilla configuration file will not create the documented TShock IP filter.
| Capability | Vanilla dedicated server | TShock |
|---|---|---|
| Named whitelist setting | Not documented in the vanilla dedicated-server controls | EnableWhitelist in config.json |
| Filtering basis | No documented native IP-whitelist mechanism | IP addresses listed in whitelist.txt |
| Configuration storage | serverconfig.txt and the vanilla server’s documented settings |
TShock’s config.json, plus whitelist.txt |
| Entry management | No documented whitelist command | The in-game or console /whitelist command, or direct file editing |
| Permission model | No documented whitelist permission | The administrator needs tshock.cfg.whitelist to modify the list |
Use TShock when the requirement is an IP allow-list. Use vanilla password, ban and lobby controls when those controls meet your needs without an IP whitelist.
What you need before changing the server
- A TShock server package installed for the world you intend to protect.
- Access to stop and start that server process.
- Permission to edit TShock’s
config.jsonandwhitelist.txt, or an administrator account with the TShock whitelist permission. - The public IP addresses that should be allowed. TShock’s documented mechanism matches addresses, not player names or character accounts.
- A way to test from one permitted address and one deliberately unlisted address.
Back up TShock’s configuration before editing it. Stop the server first; changing files while the process is running can allow the running process to overwrite your edits when it saves its configuration.
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Enable the whitelist in TShock
- Install or select TShock for the target world. Make sure you are editing the data for the TShock instance that actually launches this world. A separate vanilla server process will not read TShock’s whitelist setting.
- Stop the server cleanly. Do not edit
config.jsonwhile the server is still running. Wait until the process has stopped before opening the file. - Back up
config.json. Keep an untouched copy so you can restore the previous configuration if the file is damaged or a setting is changed accidentally. - Open TShock’s
config.json. Use a plain-text editor. Locate the Boolean property namedEnableWhitelist. - Set the value to true. The entry should be:
"EnableWhitelist": trueKeep the JSON syntax valid. true is a Boolean value and must not be enclosed in quotation marks. If the property already exists with false, change only that value. Preserve the comma placement required by the surrounding JSON object.
- Save the file. If your editor offers an encoding choice, retain the existing text format rather than converting the file to a different format.
- Start the TShock server again. The setting takes effect when TShock loads the configuration at startup.
- Populate the allow-list. Add permitted addresses to
whitelist.txt, or use the/whitelistcommand from the server console or in-game. The file and command are two ways to manage the same TShock whitelist. - Verify administrator authorization. The account performing whitelist changes must have
tshock.cfg.whitelist. Without that permission, the command-management step will be denied even when the global whitelist is enabled.
Where to find and edit whitelist.txt
whitelist.txt belongs to the TShock server data/configuration area, not to the vanilla serverconfig.txt workflow. The exact directory depends on how the TShock server package was installed and which server data directory it uses. If you do not see the file immediately, stop the server, inspect the TShock data directory created for that instance, and confirm that you are looking at the same installation whose executable launches the world.
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TShock documents the whitelist as an IP-address list read from this file. Add only the addresses that should be admitted. Keep one entry format consistent with the entries TShock creates or displays. If you choose direct editing, save the file while the server is stopped, then restart TShock so it can read the updated list.
Using /whitelist avoids manual file editing when you are managing the server live. TShock registers that command specifically for whitelist management. The exact add, remove and listing syntax is provided by the command implementation and its help output; use the command’s built-in help rather than guessing a subcommand.
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Grant the permission needed for /whitelist
TShock separates the switch that enables filtering from the permission that allows an administrator to change entries. The documented permission is:
tshock.cfg.whitelistGrant this permission to the administrator role or account that should maintain the list. Then run the whitelist command from the authorized in-game account or server console. If the command reports that it is unavailable or unauthorized, check the account’s effective permissions before changing EnableWhitelist again; enabling the feature does not automatically grant management rights.
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Test the configuration without locking yourself out
- Record the test addresses. Identify one address that you have added and one address that is intentionally absent. Do not rely on a test that uses only an already-allowed connection.
- Connect from the allowed address. Confirm that the player can reach the world after TShock starts with
EnableWhitelistset totrue. - Connect from the unlisted address. The expected documented rejection text is
You are not on the whitelist.TShock can use a different message if that configuration value has been customized. - Remove test data when finished. If the second address was added only for testing, remove it with the authorized
/whitelistcommand or by editing the file while the server is stopped.
Do not treat a successful connection as proof that filtering is active unless you have also checked an address that is not listed. A password, a private lobby setting or an existing session can otherwise make an unverified setup appear correct.
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Confirm that the server is actually running TShock
The whitelist setting belongs to TShock. If the world is being launched by the vanilla dedicated server, the TShock property and file will not provide the documented filtering behavior. Check the launch process and make sure the TShock server package is the one hosting the world.
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Check the Boolean value and JSON syntax
Open config.json only after stopping the server. Confirm that the property is spelled EnableWhitelist and that its value is the unquoted Boolean true. A misspelled key, a quoted value or invalid JSON can prevent the intended setting from loading. Restore the backup if you are unsure which edit introduced a problem.
Check the address in whitelist.txt
Compare the address being used by the player with the entry in TShock’s whitelist file. The documented filter is IP-based, so a player name, Terraria account name or password does not substitute for an allowed address. Save file changes while the server is stopped and restart TShock before retesting.
Check which server data directory is active
Multiple installations can leave more than one config.json or whitelist.txt. Editing a file belonging to a different world or server instance has no effect on the process accepting the connection. Match the file location to the TShock instance that launches the protected world.
Check permissions when the administrator cannot change entries
If an administrator can connect but cannot use /whitelist, verify that the account has tshock.cfg.whitelist. The permission controls modification of the list; it is separate from the Boolean that turns filtering on.
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Read the rejection message as a configuration clue
The default TShock message is You are not on the whitelist. If the server displays different wording, the rejection text may have been customized. The wording alone does not identify which address was expected, so inspect the active list and the address used for the connection.
Operational practices for a reliable allow-list
Keep a recovery path
Retain the pre-change config.json backup and ensure at least one administrator can edit the files or access the server console. If an address is removed accidentally, restore the configuration while the server is stopped, add the correct entry, and start TShock again.
Make one change at a time
When diagnosing a rejection, change only the relevant item: the EnableWhitelist value, the address list, or the administrator permission. Restart after file edits and test again. Changing several files at once makes it difficult to determine which setting resolved the problem.
Document the addresses you authorize
Because the documented TShock mechanism is based on IP addresses, keep an administrative record of why each address is present. When an authorized person can no longer connect, compare the address currently being used with the stored entry before changing unrelated server settings.
Use the command or the file consistently
The /whitelist command is suitable for routine management by an authorized administrator. Direct file editing is useful for offline maintenance, but it requires the server to be stopped and the file to remain valid. Do not edit the file while TShock is running.
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- “A private lobby is a whitelist.” The vanilla documentation’s
-lobby privateoption controls lobby privacy; it is not documented as an IP allow-list. - “The ban list can be inverted into a whitelist.” A ban list and a whitelist have opposite purposes. Vanilla documentation lists ban controls, but it does not document a switch that converts them into an allow-list.
- “Changing
serverconfig.txtenables TShock filtering.” TShock reads its ownconfig.jsonsetting andwhitelist.txt; the vanilla server configuration file is not the documented location for this feature. - “Any administrator can run the command.” TShock documents
tshock.cfg.whitelistas the permission required to modify the whitelist. - “The default rejection sentence is permanent.” TShock documents that the rejection reason is configurable, with
You are not on the whitelist.as the default text.
Quick verification checklist
- TShock, rather than the vanilla executable, is hosting the world.
- The server was stopped before configuration files were edited.
- A backup of
config.jsonexists. EnableWhitelistis the Boolean valuetrue.- Allowed IP addresses are present in TShock’s
whitelist.txtor were added with/whitelist. - The administrator managing entries has
tshock.cfg.whitelist. - The server was restarted after file changes.
- One listed address and one unlisted address were tested separately.
Bottom line
TShock provides the documented Terraria IP-whitelist workflow: enable EnableWhitelist in config.json, maintain permitted addresses in whitelist.txt or with /whitelist, and grant administrators tshock.cfg.whitelist. Vanilla Terraria’s documented dedicated-server controls do not include an equivalent named whitelist setting.
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