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Freedom251 › Blog › Game Servers

How to Set Up a Whitelist on a Vintage Story Server

By Freedom251 Team · · 8 min read

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On a current Vintage Story dedicated server, enable whitelist enforcement with /serverconfig WhitelistMode on, then add every permitted player with /player PlayerName whitelist on. Add your own account from the server console before trying to connect: dedicated servers created in version 1.20 or later use whitelist-by-default behavior, so an unlisted administrator can be locked out.

What a Vintage Story whitelist does

A whitelist changes the server from open access to an allowlist. When enforcement is on, only player accounts that have been explicitly marked as whitelisted can complete a connection. Everyone else receives a whitelist denial, even if they know the server address and password.

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The setting that controls current dedicated servers is WhitelistMode. The older OnlyWhitelisted setting belongs to pre-1.20 configurations and should not be used as the control for a current server. Dedicated servers use whitelist-by-default behavior from Vintage Story 1.20 onward. A newly created server can therefore reject its owner until the owner is added through an authorized console.

Before you change anything

Confirm the server type and version

  • For a dedicated server, the default whitelist behavior is on from version 1.20 onward.
  • For a single-player world opened to LAN, the default behavior is off.
  • If a hosting provider, mod, or wrapper changes command handling, the running server’s /help output is the final authority for available aliases and permissions.

Get an authorized command surface

You need one of the following before you can configure access:

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  • The dedicated server’s local console.
  • A hosting panel’s Console tab.
  • In-game chat, after you can connect with an account that has sufficient privileges.

Use the local or panel console for first-time setup. A fresh protected server may block every player, including the administrator, so in-game chat is unavailable until the administrator has been added.

Collect exact usernames

Whitelist entries use the player’s in-game username. Record the spelling exactly, including capitalization and any characters the game permits. Do not include angle brackets, quotation marks, or a display name from a third-party panel. A nearly identical name is a different account and will not be admitted.

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Set up the whitelist step by step

1. Open the console

Stop using in-game chat if you cannot connect and open the dedicated-server console or your host’s Console function instead. If the panel has separate fields for commands and startup settings, use the live Console for player commands and the startup or configuration field for persistent server options.

2. Turn whitelist enforcement on

At the authorized prompt, run:

/serverconfig WhitelistMode on

The command accepts the states default, off, and on. The on state means that only accounts with a whitelist entry can connect. If the server reports an unknown command or setting, run /help and use the syntax shown by that installation; wrappers and mods can expose a different alias.

3. Add the administrator first

Replace YourExactName with the administrator’s actual in-game username:

/player YourExactName whitelist on

Run this from the console while the server is running. An individual whitelist change takes effect without a server restart, so you can test the account immediately. Add the administrator before disconnecting from a session or restarting a newly created server.

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4. Add each other player

Repeat the same command once for every person who should be allowed to join:

/player PlayerName whitelist on

Check each name character by character before testing. The command changes the account’s whitelist status; it does not create a new player identity or correct a misspelled name.

5. Test from a separate connection

Have one listed player connect normally. If possible, test with an unlisted account as well. The listed account should connect, while the unlisted account should receive a whitelist denial. This confirms both that enforcement is active and that the intended account names were entered.

Command reference

Purpose Command Effect
Enable enforcement /serverconfig WhitelistMode on Only whitelisted accounts may connect.
Use the configured default /serverconfig WhitelistMode default Returns control to the installation’s default behavior.
Disable enforcement /serverconfig WhitelistMode off Turns off whitelist enforcement when the command is honored by the running server.
Add a player /player PlayerName whitelist on Allows that exact username to connect; no restart is required for the individual change.
Remove a player /player PlayerName whitelist off Revokes that username’s whitelist status.
Possible removal alias /whitelist remove PlayerName Some current command surfaces provide this alias. Confirm it with the server’s /help output.

Do not paste the literal text PlayerName into a command. Substitute the exact account name and omit brackets or quotation marks.

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How WhitelistMode is stored

The persistent configuration is in data/serverconfig.json. Its numeric values are:

Stored value Meaning Default context
0 Default behavior Whitelist on for dedicated servers; off for single-player worlds opened to LAN.
1 Whitelist off Connections are not restricted by the whitelist setting.
2 Whitelist on Only listed players can connect.

A corresponding JSON fragment may look like {"WhitelistMode": 2}. Preserve the file’s existing JSON syntax and capitalization when editing it. Stop the server before manual file changes, save a backup, and start it again afterward if your host requires a restart to load configuration.

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Using a hosting panel

When the panel provides a Console

Open the running server’s Console and enter the same commands used on a self-hosted installation. Add the owner first, then add other players. A panel’s chat window is not necessarily the same as its server console; use the interface documented for administrative commands.

When the panel provides a Startup or configuration field

Some managed hosts expose a Whitelist Mode value rather than direct access to serverconfig.json. In that case:

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  1. Stop the server from the panel.
  2. Set the panel’s Whitelist Mode value to the enabled or on state.
  3. Start the server again.
  4. Open the panel Console and run /player YourExactName whitelist on for the owner.
  5. Add the remaining players and test a connection.

Panel labels are provider-specific. If the panel’s setting and the live server disagree, inspect data/serverconfig.json or use the live server’s /help output rather than assuming the label maps to a legacy option.

What to verify before choosing managed hosting

If you are deciding between maintaining files yourself and using a managed service, verify these operational details before deploying the world:

Capability Why it matters for a whitelist
Server-console access You need a way to add the owner when a fresh server blocks all connections.
Persistent configuration editing You should be able to set or verify WhitelistMode rather than relying on an undocumented legacy toggle.
Vintage Story version Version 1.20 and later use the dedicated-server default that can protect a new installation immediately.
Backup and restart controls Manual configuration changes may require a controlled stop, backup, and restart.
Documented command behavior Aliases and permission requirements can differ between a provider’s wrapper, mods, and the underlying server.

Remove access safely

To revoke one account while leaving the whitelist enabled, run:

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/player PlayerName whitelist off

Some installations also expose /whitelist remove PlayerName. Because that alias is not universal, check /help on the running server before relying on it. Removing a player does not delete the player’s world data; it changes only the account’s ability to pass the whitelist check.

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After revoking access, test with that account if you need to confirm the change. If the player is currently online, a whitelist change may not terminate an already established session; disconnecting and reconnecting is the reliable test.

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Troubleshooting common failures

You cannot join your own new server

This is the expected failure mode when whitelist enforcement is active and the administrator has not yet been listed. Open the dedicated-server or hosting-panel console and run /player YourExactName whitelist on using the username shown by the game. Then reconnect. Do not depend on in-game chat when the account cannot pass the initial connection check.

The server rejects the command

Run /help and compare the displayed command spelling, capitalization, and permission requirements. A hosting wrapper or mod can change aliases, and an ordinary player account may not have permission to alter server configuration. Use the console account or grant the minimum administrative permission required by your setup.

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Players still receive a whitelist denial after turning it off

On some 1.20 hosting builds, /whitelist off can appear to succeed while the effective configuration remains enabled. Inspect data/serverconfig.json and set WhitelistMode to 1, then restart the server if the hosting panel requires a restart for file changes. After startup, test with an account that is not on the whitelist.

The player is listed but still cannot connect

  • Compare the command’s username with the player’s exact in-game spelling.
  • Check that the command was entered on the intended server, not a staging instance or a different world.
  • Confirm that WhitelistMode is the active setting and that no wrapper or mod is applying a separate access rule.
  • Use the running server’s help and console output to identify permission or syntax errors.

The setting changes back after a restart

A command may change the live state without changing the panel’s saved startup value. Check the panel’s Whitelist Mode field and the persisted data/serverconfig.json file. Stop the server before editing the file, keep a backup, save valid JSON, and restart through the panel so it does not overwrite the change with an older startup configuration.

The server uses OnlyWhitelisted

That name is obsolete for current 1.20 or later dedicated servers. Replace it with WhitelistMode and use the numeric values or command states documented for the current installation. Retaining only the legacy key can leave the effective whitelist state unchanged.

Operational practices for a reliable allowlist

Keep an owner recovery path

Store the server-console location and the administrator’s exact in-game username somewhere secure. If the server restarts with whitelist enforcement and the owner has been removed, console access is the recovery route.

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Change one account at a time

For larger groups, add players in a short sequence and record the names you approved. This makes a typo easier to locate and gives you a clear audit trail when someone later needs access removed.

Back up before manual edits

Copy data/serverconfig.json before changing it by hand. A malformed JSON file or an accidental edit to another setting can prevent the server from loading its configuration. Use the panel’s backup facility when available.

Test after every policy change

Use one approved account and one unapproved account for a quick verification after enabling, disabling, or editing the whitelist. A successful test distinguishes a genuine access-policy change from a command that was accepted only by a wrapper.

Self-hosted and managed setups: choosing the practical route

Self-hosting gives you direct access to the console and serverconfig.json, which makes recovery and diagnosis straightforward if you are comfortable managing backups, updates, and restarts. A managed host can be easier when you want a control panel, scheduled restarts, and a browser-based console, but you must confirm that those controls expose the current WhitelistMode behavior rather than an outdated OnlyWhitelisted option.

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Whichever route you choose, the essential workflow is the same: reach an authorized console, enable WhitelistMode, add the owner with the exact account name, add the remaining players, and verify access from both sides of the allowlist.

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