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World desk9 min

How to Enable Cheats on an Unturned Server (Commands.dat Guide)

A complete guide to enabling cheats on an Unturned dedicated server, including the exact Commands.dat entries, SteamID64 owner setup, restart procedure, hosting differences, and troubleshooting.
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Enable Unturned server cheats by editing the server’s Commands.dat file, not through an in-game menu. Add a line containing Cheats Enabled and an Owner line containing your SteamID64, then save the file and restart the server. The spelling, capitalization, file location, and account ID all matter: a typo or an owner entry in a different file will make commands appear broken.

What the cheats setting actually does

Unturned’s dedicated-server cheat switch is a startup configuration value. It is read from the server’s Commands.dat file when the process starts. There is no equivalent toggle in the normal in-game options menu for a dedicated server.

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The setting and administrator identity are separate lines. Cheats Enabled permits cheat commands on that server, while Owner <SteamID64> gives administrator status to the specified Steam account. You generally need both lines for your own commands to work. Enabling cheats without registering your account as owner can leave the server configured for cheats while your commands still fail silently.

Cheats affect the server instance, so every player connected to that instance is subject to the server’s rules. Use the setting only on a server where you have authority to change configuration and where players understand that administrative commands may alter progression or the shared world.

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Before you edit anything

Have the right access

For a self-hosted server, you need access to the machine’s Unturned installation and permission to edit its files. For a rented or managed server, you need a control-panel account that exposes the server configuration files or a file-management interface. If the host does not provide either option, ask the host how to edit Commands.dat; the required contents do not change between hosting arrangements.

Identify your SteamID64

The owner line requires your 64-bit Steam identifier, not your display name, account nickname, or shorter legacy SteamID formats. A SteamID lookup service such as steamid.io can display the 64-bit value. Check that the returned profile is your account before placing the number in the file. Copy only the numeric SteamID64 after the word Owner.

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Stop or schedule a restart

The server reads Commands.dat during startup. Plan a restart window before saving the change. Editing the file while the server is running is possible, but the new value will not take effect until that process is stopped and started again.

Find the correct Commands.dat file

Self-hosted installation

The usual directory sequence is:

  1. Open the main Unturned installation directory.
  2. Open Servers.
  3. Open the folder named after the server you want to change.
  4. Open that server’s Server subfolder.
  5. Locate Commands.dat alongside the other server data files, such as Adminlist.dat, Blacklist.dat, and Whitelist.dat.

There may be several server folders, each with its own configuration. Edit the file inside the folder for the specific instance on which you want cheats enabled. Do not assume that a similarly named file in the game’s general installation directory controls the active server.

Provider-hosted installation

Managed hosts commonly expose a “configuration files,” “file manager,” or similar editor in their control panel. Open the server’s file tree, select the active server folder, and edit its Commands.dat. Some panels hide the .dat extension or present the file in a text-editor window; confirm that the path identifies the server instance you actually start.

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The panel is only a different way to reach the file. The entries, capitalization, restart requirement, and SteamID64 format are the same as for a server running on your own computer.

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Edit Commands.dat

Use a plain-text editor

Open the file in a plain-text editor. Avoid word processors that add rich-text formatting, hidden characters, or smart punctuation. Preserve the existing lines unless you know they are obsolete; server settings can coexist in the same file.

Add the cheat switch exactly

On its own line, enter:

Cheats Enabled

Both words must be capitalized exactly as shown, with a single space between them. Do not add quotation marks, a colon, an equals sign, or a leading dash. A line such as cheats enabled, Cheats enabled, or Cheat Enabled is not the same setting and may be ignored.

Add your owner entry

On another line, enter the word Owner, a space, and your numeric SteamID64:

Owner 7656119XXXXXXXXXX

The number above is a format example, not an account ID to copy. Replace it with your own SteamID64. Do not include your Steam display name, brackets, punctuation, or a second identifier on the line. Keep the owner entry in this same Commands.dat file as Cheats Enabled.

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A complete minimal example

A minimal file might look like this, with the account number replaced by your own:

Cheats Enabled
Owner 7656119XXXXXXXXXX

If the file already contains other valid command settings, leave them in place and add these entries on separate lines. Each directive should occupy its own line; do not combine both settings into one sentence or comma-separated entry.

Save and restart the server

  1. Save Commands.dat as plain text in the same folder and with the same filename.
  2. Close the editor or finish the control-panel save operation so the file is fully written.
  3. Stop the Unturned server through its normal console, service manager, or hosting panel.
  4. Start the same server instance again and wait until it finishes loading.
  5. Connect with the Steam account whose SteamID64 appears after Owner.

A restart is not optional for this setting. Reconnecting to a server that has not restarted does not reload the file, and restarting a different server folder will not apply the change to the instance you intended to modify.

Confirm that cheats and ownership are active

Test from the owner account after the new session has loaded. Use a low-impact administrative command first, then consult the current Unturned command reference for the exact syntax of any command you need. The give command is one example of a cheat-enabled command, but its arguments and target must follow the command table for the server version you are running.

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When the setup is correct, the owner account can execute commands that require administrator status. Other players will not automatically become owners merely because cheats are enabled. If you intend to grant another trusted administrator access, add that account through the server’s supported admin mechanism rather than sharing your Steam credentials.

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Self-hosted and provider-hosted servers compared

Item Self-hosted server Provider-hosted server
How you reach the file Browse the local Unturned installation, then Servers/<server name>/Server/Commands.dat. Use the host’s control-panel file manager or configuration-file editor.
Required setting Cheats Enabled on its own line. Cheats Enabled on its own line.
Administrator identity Owner <SteamID64> in the same file. Owner <SteamID64> in the same file.
Activation Save, stop, and start the server process. Save through the panel, then use the panel’s stop/start or restart control.
Typical access problem Editing a different server folder or lacking filesystem permission. Editing a template or inactive instance rather than the server that is running.

The hosting model changes file access, not the Unturned configuration syntax. If a provider’s interface has a separate “save” button, complete that operation before restarting so the edited content reaches the server filesystem.

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Troubleshoot commands that do nothing

The server starts, but cheats have no effect

  • Reopen the active Commands.dat and verify that the line is exactly Cheats Enabled, including capitalization and spacing.
  • Confirm that the line is in the Server subfolder for the server you actually launched.
  • Check the startup sequence: a file edit without a subsequent server restart will not be loaded.
  • Make sure the editor did not save a second file such as Commands.dat.txt or replace the plain-text format with rich text.

The cheat line is present, but my commands silently fail

This usually indicates an ownership problem rather than a missing cheat switch. Compare the number after Owner with your actual SteamID64, including every digit. A display name, a truncated ID, or another player’s ID will not grant your account administrator status. Also check that the Owner line is in the same file as Cheats Enabled; placing it in an unrelated admin list or a different server folder does not satisfy this configuration.

Only some players can use commands

Cheat enablement is server-wide, while the owner entry identifies a particular Steam account. That difference is expected. Verify which account is connected and which SteamID64 is listed before changing server files. Do not give every player owner status simply to solve a command-permission issue.

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The panel keeps reverting the file

Some hosting panels generate configuration files from a template or save changes only after an explicit confirmation. After saving, reopen the file in the panel and verify that both lines remain. If they disappear, contact the host for the supported method of editing persistent server configuration and ask whether an automated restart or configuration synchronization is overwriting manual changes.

The server will not start after editing

Restore the last known-good copy of Commands.dat, then add one change at a time. Ensure that the file contains ordinary text, one directive per line, and no quotation marks or formatting characters. Keep a backup before experimenting so you can return to a working configuration without losing unrelated settings.

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How to disable cheats later

Open the same active Commands.dat and remove the line Cheats Enabled. Save the file and restart that server instance. Removing the switch disables cheat commands after the restart; it does not require deleting the owner line. If you also want to remove your administrator status, remove or change the relevant Owner entry separately, using the server’s normal administrative procedure.

Operational and security considerations

Protect the SteamID64 and file access

A SteamID64 is not a password, but the owner line determines which account receives elevated server permissions. Restrict filesystem or control-panel access to trusted administrators, and do not publish a configuration backup that reveals internal server details. Never share your Steam password or session credentials as a substitute for adding an administrator.

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Expect persistent world changes

Administrative commands can create items, alter player state, or otherwise change the shared world. Before testing on an established survival server, make a separate backup of the relevant world and configuration data. Tell players when the rules change so ordinary progression and administrator activity are not confused.

Use the command reference for syntax

The cheat switch only permits commands; it does not explain their arguments. Command names, target formats, item identifiers, and required permissions should be checked against the current Unturned command table, such as the one maintained by the Unturned Bunker Wiki. Do not infer syntax from a different game mode, an old forum post, or a command intended for a different server version.

Version and documentation caveat

A wiki search summary reports that the Cheats setting was introduced in version 3.14.13.0 to limit administrator abuse, but that historical detail was not confirmed on the full wiki page. Treat the introduction-version claim as unverified. The practical configuration procedure described here is the documented approach used by the Unturned Bunker Wiki and hosting guides: place the exact directives in Commands.dat, register the owner SteamID64, and restart.

Quick decision guide

If you run the server on your own computer

Navigate to the server-specific Server folder, edit Commands.dat with a plain-text editor, add the two directives, save, and restart the process you normally use to launch that server.

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If a hosting company runs the server

Open the active instance’s configuration-file editor, make the same two-line change, use the panel’s save function, and restart from that panel. If the lines vanish after saving, the panel is likely managing a generated file and the host must provide the persistent configuration method.

If a command still fails

Check in this order: exact capitalization of Cheats Enabled; correct server folder; successful save; complete restart; and your full SteamID64 after Owner. These checks address the common causes without changing unrelated server settings.

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