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Freedom251 › Blog › 7 Days to Die

How to Kick or Ban Players on a 7 Days to Die Server

By Freedom251 Team · · 9 min read

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Use the server console to remove a disruptive player immediately with kick <player name> [reason]. To block a return for a defined period, use ban add <player name> <duration> <unit> [reason]. You can lift that ban with ban remove <player name> and inspect active bans with ban list.

First identify the correct player with listplayers (or its short form, lp). If names are similar, run listplayerids (or lpi) and use the platform ID to distinguish them. You need sufficient administrator or delegated moderator permission, and command defaults vary between server builds, so treat your server’s serveradmin.xml and the console’s help output as authoritative.

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Quick command reference

Purpose Command What to know
Show connected players listplayers or lp Displays names and connection details you can use before a moderation action.
Show platform IDs listplayerids or lpi Use this when two names look alike or a name contains unusual characters.
Kick immediately kick <player name> [reason] The reason is optional. The player is disconnected but can normally reconnect unless separately banned.
Add a timed ban ban add <player name> <duration> <unit> [reason] Units range from minutes through years. Include a reason for an audit trail.
Remove a ban ban remove <player name> Use the same name shown in the ban list.
List bans ban list Confirms which entries the server currently has.
Grant full administrator level admin add <name> 0 Writes the entry to serveradmin.xml. Host documentation reports that a restart is not required, but verify on your build.

Check your build and permissions first

There is no single, current official command reference covering every release. The 7 Days to Die Fandom command table documents Alpha 20 Stable B238, while third-party host guides describe later or differently configured servers. Those references disagree about the stock permission level for kick and ban: one reports level 0 and another reports level 1. Your own serveradmin.xml is the practical source of truth.

In the permission system, smaller numbers represent more power. A command configured at level 50 is described by community forum users as available to administrators at levels 0 through 50, although old posts use inconsistent wording. Do not assume that a level shown in an old guide matches your installation. From the console, run help or inspect the command-permission entries before delegating access.

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  • Use the server console when possible; it avoids problems caused by a client not having administrator privileges.
  • Keep an administrator account for yourself and give helpers only the command levels they need.
  • Test moderation commands with a trusted second account before opening the server to the public.
  • Record the game build and the permission values in your server notes so a future update does not silently change who can moderate.

Find the exact player before acting

List connected names

  1. Open the dedicated-server console or the in-game console with an account that can run informational commands.
  2. Enter listplayers. If your build accepts aliases, lp produces the shorter equivalent.
  3. Copy the player’s displayed name exactly, including capitalization and punctuation.

Names are not a reliable identity when players use similar spellings. A mistyped kick can remove the wrong person, and a mistyped ban can leave the disruptive player connected.

Use platform IDs for look-alikes

  1. Run listplayerids, or the alias lpi.
  2. Compare the IDs with the names in listplayers.
  3. When the console or your build offers an ID-based form, prefer the ID shown by the server. If the command syntax in your build accepts only names, use the exact name from the listing and verify the result with ban list.

The aliases and ID display are documented by host guides, but argument handling can change between builds. If an ID is rejected, use help kick or help ban on that server rather than guessing a different syntax.

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How to kick a player

Immediate kick procedure

  1. Run listplayers and identify the correct name.
  2. Enter kick PlayerName to disconnect the player without a reason, or add a short reason: kick PlayerName repeated griefing.
  3. Read the console response. A successful command should show that the named player was removed; wording differs by build.
  4. Run listplayers again if you need to confirm that the session is gone.

The fan-wiki command description treats the reason as optional. A kick is a session removal, not a timed ban: unless another restriction applies, the player can attempt to join again.

When a kick is appropriate

  • Use it for a warning, a temporary interruption, or conduct that you want to stop immediately while you investigate.
  • Use a clear, factual reason such as kick PlayerName exploiting a duplication bug rather than an insult or an accusation you cannot support.
  • If the same behavior continues after a warning, use a timed ban with a documented duration instead of repeatedly kicking the player.

If the kick fails

  • Unknown command: Check spelling and run help kick. A server may use a different command set or restrict console commands.
  • Permission denied: Your account is not at the required level. Ask an existing administrator to add the appropriate entry or adjust the command permission.
  • No matching player: Re-run listplayers; the player may have disconnected, changed names, or used characters you did not copy exactly.
  • The player returns immediately: A kick does not create a ban. Use the timed-ban procedure if a return must be blocked.

How to add a timed ban

Command format

Use this form:

ban add <player name> <duration> <unit> [reason]

The duration is a number and the unit specifies its scale. References describe units from minutes up to years. For example:

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  • ban add PlayerName 15 minutes spamming chat
  • ban add PlayerName 1 hour repeated griefing
  • ban add PlayerName 1 day deliberate team killing
  • ban add PlayerName 1 year cheating

The final reason is optional, but including one makes later appeals and staff hand-offs easier. Keep it concise; the command parser may treat every word after the duration and unit as part of the reason.

Step-by-step ban workflow

  1. Run listplayers and, where necessary, listplayerids.
  2. Choose a proportionate duration. Use minutes or hours for a cooling-off period, days for a serious but potentially temporary violation, and longer periods only when your rules justify them.
  3. Enter the full ban add command, including a reason.
  4. Confirm the console’s success message and run ban list.
  5. Save the displayed entry, duration and reason in your moderation log if your community keeps one.

Because command syntax and supported units are build-dependent, run help ban if the server rejects a unit. Do not substitute an unlisted unit or assume that a missing duration means “permanent”; the documented form is explicitly timed.

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Remove a ban

  1. Run ban list and copy the exact entry.
  2. Enter ban remove PlayerName.
  3. Run ban list again to make sure the entry has disappeared.
  4. If the player is still connected, remove that current session with kick PlayerName; lifting a ban does not necessarily disconnect or reconnect an existing session.

The remove command is name-based in the documented syntax. If two entries are difficult to distinguish, use the IDs shown by your server and the local help ban text to determine whether an ID argument is supported.

Give someone moderation access without making them a full administrator

Full administrator access

From the console, an existing administrator can run:

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admin add ModeratorName 0

This writes the account to serveradmin.xml. Two host guides report that the change takes effect without a restart, but test that behavior on your server before promising an immediate hand-off. Granting level 0 gives broad authority, so reserve it for people you trust with every administrative command.

Delegated kick and ban permissions

You can expose only the moderation commands by setting their minimum levels and then assigning a matching level to the moderator:

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  1. cp add kick 100
  2. cp add ban 100
  3. admin add ModeratorName 100

This pattern is described by host documentation as a way to delegate kick and ban without granting level 0. Lower numbers are more powerful, so a level-100 administrator is less privileged than a level-0 administrator under the commonly reported scheme. Review every command-permission entry before applying this to a live server, because the interpretation of levels has been described inconsistently in older community posts.

Permission planning table

Role Example entry Use Risk
Owner or lead administrator admin add Name 0 All commands, including permission and ban management. Can alter the entire server configuration.
Trusted moderator admin add Name 100 after cp add kick 100 and cp add ban 100 Kick and ban duties at the delegated level. Can remove players; verify that no other commands are exposed at that level.
Regular player No administrator entry Normal gameplay only. Cannot run protected moderation commands.

Understand and safely edit serveradmin.xml

serveradmin.xml stores administrator entries, bans (the blacklist), the whitelist and command-permission levels. It is the file to inspect when console behavior does not match a guide.

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Locate the file

The exact path is not consistent across installations. Older Windows forum threads point to C:Users<name>AppDataRoaming7DaysToDieSaves. Hosted servers may place it in /saves or in the server root. Your serverconfig.xml can change both the filename with AdminFileName and the save location with SaveGameFolder.

Some installations do not create the file until an administrator command has been run. If a file search finds nothing, run a harmless administrative command you are authorized to use, then check the configured save location.

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Edit without losing changes

  1. Stop the server cleanly before editing. The running process may overwrite manual changes when it saves.
  2. Make a backup copy of the current XML file.
  3. Change only the required administrator, ban, whitelist or permission entry; preserve the existing XML structure and encoding.
  4. Save the file, start the server, and check the console for XML parsing errors.
  5. Verify with listplayers, ban list or a permitted test command.

Use console commands for routine actions whenever possible. Manual editing is most useful for recovery, bulk review or correcting an entry after the server is stopped.

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Troubleshooting common moderation problems

The command works for one administrator but not another

Compare both entries in serveradmin.xml and check the configured command levels. Remember that the Fandom table for Alpha 20 Stable B238 lists level 0 for kick and ban, while another host guide reports level 1. A server update or custom file may use either value or something else. Change the server’s configuration deliberately rather than copying a default from an unrelated build.

A ban appears to succeed but the player rejoins

  • Run ban list immediately to confirm that the entry exists.
  • Check the spelling and identity against listplayerids; you may have banned a similarly named account.
  • Confirm that the duration and unit were accepted rather than ignored by the parser.
  • If the player was already connected, kick the current session after adding the ban.

The server forgets an administrator or ban after restart

Stop the server and inspect the configured file path, AdminFileName and SaveGameFolder. A host control panel may be starting a different instance or restoring a template. Reapply the change with the server stopped, then check that the file’s timestamp and contents persist through a controlled restart.

Manual XML changes disappear

The server may have been running while you edited the file and then saved its in-memory copy over your change. Stop the process first, restore your backup if necessary, edit once, and start the server again.

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You locked yourself out

Do not remove every administrator entry at once. Keep a backup of the last known-good serveradmin.xml, and make one permission change at a time. If the console reports malformed XML, stop the server and restore the backup before attempting further moderation.

A practical moderation checklist

  • Identify the player with listplayers; use listplayerids for ambiguous names.
  • For an immediate, reversible action, use kick Name [reason].
  • For a temporary restriction, use ban add Name Duration Unit [reason].
  • Confirm every ban with ban list.
  • Lift an incorrect or expired entry with ban remove Name.
  • Use admin add Name 0 only for full administrators.
  • For limited staff access, configure cp add kick and cp add ban at a chosen level, then assign that level.
  • When behavior differs from a guide, trust the server’s own serveradmin.xml and help output.
  • Stop the server before editing XML and keep a backup.

What to verify after a game update

After changing Alpha versions or moving between hosting environments, repeat a small permission test. Check that listplayers, kick, ban add, ban remove and ban list still accept the same syntax. Confirm the administrator file location and inspect the command levels again. The documented defaults are not guaranteed for later builds, and no official current reference was available to resolve the conflicting reports.

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7 Days to Dieban commandDedicated Serverkick commandserver administrationserveradmin.xml

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