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Freedom251 › Blog › Don't Starve Together

How to Kick and Ban Players on a Don’t Starve Together Server

By Freedom251 Team · · 10 min read

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To remove someone from a Don’t Starve Together server, you must be an administrator. During play, hold Tab, find the player, then select the shoe icon to kick them or the hammer icon to ban them. For exact, identifier-based control, open the console with ~, run c_listallplayers(), and use the player’s KU ID with TheNet:Kick, TheNet:Ban, or TheNet:BanForTime. A managed dedicated server can also enforce a persistent block through blocklist.txt.

Choose the right removal method

Kick, timed ban, permanent ban, and blocklist entry are different actions. A kick removes a player from the current session but allows an immediate rejoin. A timed ban prevents joining for the number of seconds you specify. A permanent ban blocks the player from joining until the ban is removed through the server’s ban controls or persistent files. Editing blocklist.txt is the file-based option for a managed dedicated server and survives a restart.

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Method Fastest use How the target is selected Duration Persistence
Player-list shoe icon Removing someone during play Visible player entry Kick; the player may rejoin immediately Runtime action
Player-list hammer icon Blocking a visible player quickly Visible player entry Ban; joining is blocked Ban control handled by the server
TheNet:Kick Immediate removal with a known KU ID Exact KU ID Temporary Runtime command
TheNet:Ban Immediate permanent ban with a known KU ID Exact KU ID Permanent until removed Server ban state
TheNet:BanForTime Short or scheduled suspension Exact KU ID Specified seconds Timed restriction
blocklist.txt Maintaining a dedicated-server deny list One KU ID per line Until the ID is deleted Persistent after restart

What you need before using any command

  • Administrator privileges: The account must be assigned as an administrator. If the controls or commands do nothing, verify that assignment first; ordinary players cannot use these moderation actions.
  • Access to the active server: You need to be in the world for the in-game player list and runtime console methods. File editing requires access to the managed server’s configuration files.
  • The correct player identity: Console commands use the player’s KU identifier, not a display name. Names can be similar or change, while the KU ID identifies the account entry returned by the server.
  • A plan for the duration: Use a kick for a one-off disruption, a timed ban for a cooling-off period, a permanent ban for a player you do not want joining, and a blocklist entry when the restriction must remain across restarts.

Shockbyte’s administration guide, dated November 9, 2024, states that an administrator assignment is required before kicking or banning. The same guide distinguishes a kick, a permanent ban, and a timed ban. Your host may expose administrator assignment in a control panel rather than in the game; use the panel’s administrator setting before attempting the steps below.

Kick or ban from the player list

The player-list interface is the quickest choice when you are already in the world and can see the offending player. It avoids typing an identifier, but you must select the correct entry if several players have similar names.

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  1. Join the server with an account that has administrator privileges.
  2. Hold Tab to open the player list.
  3. Locate the player you want to remove. Check the displayed name and, where available, any other identifying information before acting.
  4. Click the shoe icon to kick the player. They are removed from the current game and can attempt to rejoin immediately.
  5. Click the hammer icon to ban the player. The server blocks that player from joining rather than merely ending the current session.

If neither icon appears, the most likely cause is that the account is not recognized as an administrator. Leave and rejoin only after the administrator setting has been corrected; repeatedly clicking the list will not grant permission.

Use the developer console with a KU ID

The console is more precise than selecting a name from the list because every action is directed at an exact KU identifier. It is useful when names are duplicated, stylized, or difficult to distinguish.

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1. Open the console

Press the tilde key, shown as ~, to open the developer console while connected to the server. The key location can vary by keyboard layout; use the key that produces a tilde on your layout if the default key does not open it.

2. List connected players

Enter:

c_listallplayers()

The command returns the connected player entries, including each player’s KU identifier. Copy the complete identifier, including the KU_ prefix. For example, an entry may contain KU_oD8s1Au4.

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3. Run exactly one moderation command

Replace the example ID with the ID returned for your target. Keep the quotation marks around the ID and preserve the parentheses, comma, and capitalization.

Action Command Result
Kick TheNet:Kick("KU_oD8s1Au4") Removes the player from the current session; the player can rejoin immediately.
Permanent ban TheNet:Ban("KU_oD8s1Au4") Blocks the player from joining.
Timed ban TheNet:BanForTime("KU_oD8s1Au4", 120) Blocks joining for 120 seconds in this example.

The general timed-ban form is:

TheNet:BanForTime("KU_PLAYER_ID", time_in_seconds)

time_in_seconds must be replaced with a number. For a five-minute restriction, use 300; for a one-hour restriction, use 3600. Those conversions are arithmetic examples: the server interprets the value as seconds, not minutes.

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4. Verify the outcome

After a kick, the player should disappear from the current player list and can reconnect. After a ban, a new join attempt should be refused. After a timed ban, the player must wait until the specified number of seconds has elapsed before trying again. If the command returns an error or has no visible effect, check the administrator role, the KU ID, and the command punctuation before trying another action.

An older Klei forum administration reference also identifies c_listallplayers(), TheNet:Kick(KU_), and TheNet:Ban(KU_) as the relevant administration commands. Klei’s dedicated-server command-line guide, dated July 15, 2026, cautions that command lines are used at the administrator’s own risk, so do not paste an unverified command into a live world.

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Maintain a persistent ban with blocklist.txt

Use the blocklist when you administer a managed dedicated server and want a deny list that remains in place after a restart. This is a file operation rather than a player-list action.

  1. Stop the server. Do not edit the live file while the server is writing configuration or ban data.
  2. Open the active cluster directory. In a managed server layout, the file is under /config/<cluster-name>/. Replace <cluster-name> with the cluster that the server actually starts.
  3. Create or edit blocklist.txt. If it does not exist, create a plain-text file with that exact name.
  4. Add one KU ID per line. Enter the complete identifier, such as KU_oD8s1Au4. Do not use a display name, commas, or a JSON-style list.
  5. Save the file and restart the server. The restriction is applied when the server reads the configuration on startup.

To reverse a blocklist ban, stop the server, remove that KU ID from blocklist.txt, save the file, and restart. Leave other IDs untouched. Removing the wrong line can unintentionally restore access for someone else or continue blocking the intended player.

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Find the correct cluster and configuration location

A dedicated server can contain more than one cluster or shard. Editing a valid-looking file in an inactive cluster will not change the world your players are using, so confirm the active cluster before touching the blocklist.

Platform Default Klei storage root Default configuration directory Default cluster
Windows <Documents>/Klei DoNotStarveTogether Cluster_1
macOS <home>/Documents/Klei DoNotStarveTogether Cluster_1
Linux ~/.klei DoNotStarveTogether Cluster_1

Klei’s dedicated-server layout places cluster.ini in the cluster directory, with shard configuration such as Master/server.ini below it. The storage root or cluster name can be changed from these defaults. A practical check is to identify the cluster containing the cluster.ini and shard files used by the running service, then edit the blocklist.txt in that same cluster rather than assuming the first folder is active.

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Kick, timed-ban, or permanently ban? A decision guide

Use a kick for an immediate, temporary interruption

A kick ends the current connection without imposing a continuing restriction. It fits a player who is lagging, accidentally disrupting a world, or needs to be warned before stronger action. Because rejoining is allowed, a kick will not stop a determined player from coming straight back.

Use a timed ban for a defined cooling-off period

A timed ban is appropriate when you want a measurable pause rather than an indefinite exclusion. Convert the desired period to seconds, run TheNet:BanForTime, and communicate the duration clearly to your moderation team. The command’s duration is numeric seconds; entering 120 means two minutes, not two hours.

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Use a permanent ban for an ongoing exclusion

A permanent ban prevents the KU ID from joining until an administrator reverses it. Confirm the identity carefully before applying it, especially on a shared server where a mistaken selection affects a real player.

Use the blocklist for server-level persistence

Choose blocklist.txt when the server is managed as a service and you need the restriction represented in a durable file. The server must be stopped for the edit and restarted afterward, so this method is slower than the in-game controls but easier to audit as a list of KU IDs.

Troubleshoot failed kicks and bans

The shoe and hammer icons are missing

  • Confirm that the account is assigned as an administrator, not merely the world host’s ordinary player account.
  • Ensure you are viewing the player list while connected to the server you intend to moderate.
  • If an administrator role was just changed in a host panel, apply the change according to that panel’s process and reconnect before testing.

The console command does nothing

  • Run c_listallplayers() again and copy the current KU ID. Do not substitute the player’s visible name.
  • Check that the ID is inside straight quotation marks and includes KU_.
  • Check the colon after TheNet, the parentheses, and the comma in a timed-ban command.
  • Make sure the duration is a number of seconds, with no unit word such as “minutes.”
  • Verify administrator privileges; a syntactically correct command still requires permission.

The player returns after being removed

That behavior is expected after a kick. Use a timed or permanent ban if the person must be prevented from reconnecting. A kick is not a substitute for a ban.

A blocklist edit has no effect

  • Confirm the server was stopped before the edit and restarted after saving.
  • Check that the KU ID is on its own line in blocklist.txt.
  • Confirm that the file is inside the active /config/<cluster-name>/ directory, not another cluster.
  • Check for a spelling or capitalization error in the KU ID.

The wrong person was banned

Do not guess at a replacement ID. Re-run c_listallplayers(), compare the complete KU identifier with your moderation record, and then remove the mistaken entry from the blocklist if that is where the restriction was stored. For a ban created through a runtime control, use the server’s available ban-management interface to reverse it; the documented file-based reversal is deleting the ID from blocklist.txt and restarting.

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Safer moderation practices

  • Record the KU ID and reason: Keep a private moderation log so another administrator can distinguish similarly named players.
  • Prefer the least severe effective action: A kick is reversible by rejoining, while a permanent ban can disrupt a player’s access until an administrator corrects it.
  • Back up before editing: Make a copy of blocklist.txt before changing a long list. This gives you a recovery point if a line is deleted accidentally.
  • Use one ID per line: This keeps the file readable and makes removal of a single ban less error-prone.
  • Confirm the target twice: Match the player-list entry to the KU ID returned by c_listallplayers() whenever a permanent action is being considered.
  • Coordinate restarts: A blocklist change requires a restart, so warn players before taking a managed server offline.
  • Treat console commands as privileged operations: Klei warns that command-line use is at the administrator’s own risk. Test syntax on a noncritical session when possible, and never paste a command whose target or effect you have not checked.

Unbanning a player

The documented file-based unban procedure is straightforward: stop the server, delete the player’s KU ID from blocklist.txt, save the file, and restart the same cluster. The player can then attempt to join again. Preserve every other line in the file.

If the original restriction was applied through an in-game hammer action or a console ban rather than by editing the file, first identify which ban-management mechanism your server uses. Do not assume that removing an unrelated line or changing a display name will lift it. The essential information for any reversal is the player’s KU ID and the server instance holding the ban.

Command reference

Purpose Syntax Required input
List connected players c_listallplayers() None
Kick a player TheNet:Kick("KU_PLAYER_ID") Exact KU ID in quotes
Ban permanently TheNet:Ban("KU_PLAYER_ID") Exact KU ID in quotes
Ban temporarily TheNet:BanForTime("KU_PLAYER_ID", time_in_seconds) Exact KU ID and numeric seconds

For example, these commands target the KU ID KU_oD8s1Au4:

TheNet:Kick("KU_oD8s1Au4")
TheNet:Ban("KU_oD8s1Au4")
TheNet:BanForTime("KU_oD8s1Au4", 120)

Run only the line that matches the action you intend. A permanent ban command is not a stronger version of a kick that can be undone by reconnecting; it changes the player’s ability to join.

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