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How to Spawn Items in Project Zomboid as a Server Admin

Use /additem in chat or additem in the server console to spawn items in Project Zomboid. This guide covers admin access, exact case-sensitive IDs, Build 42 changes, mod syntax and troubleshooting.
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As a Project Zomboid server administrator, use /additem "username" "Module.Item" count in in-game chat. In a dedicated-server or hosting-panel console, enter the same command without the leading slash: additem "username" "Module.Item" count. The item name must be its case-sensitive internal ID, not the name shown in menus.

You need administrator access before the command will work. Build 42 changed some item IDs and older command guides contain obsolete commands, so verify the exact ID and confirm available syntax with /help on your server.

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What the additem command does

additem creates an item in a player’s inventory. Its general form is:

/additem "username" "Module.Item" count

Use the slash only when entering the command through in-game chat. The dedicated-server window and a hosting control panel’s Console tab expect the command without that slash:

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additem "username" "Module.Item" count

username is the exact in-game player name, Module.Item is the internal item identifier, and count is optional. If you omit the username, the item is given to the administrator who runs the command. For example, this gives five axes to the player named rj:

/additem "rj" "Base.Axe" 5

Identifiers are case-sensitive. Base.Axe can work while base.axe fails. Display names, translated names and descriptions are not substitutes for the internal ID.

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Command reference by entry point

Where you enter it Syntax Target behavior
In-game chat /additem "username" "Module.Item" count Requires an access level that can run administrative commands.
Dedicated-server console additem "username" "Module.Item" count Do not type the leading slash.
Hosting-panel Console tab additem "username" "Module.Item" count Uses console syntax; the panel may have its own send or execute button.
Self-targeting /additem "Module.Item" count where supported by your build Omitting the player name targets the administrator issuing the command.

Because command parsing can vary between builds and server-management mods, type /help in chat and compare the displayed additem syntax if your server rejects an otherwise valid command.

Get administrator access first

Use the default account created on first boot

A dedicated server creates a default administrator account during its first startup and asks for that account’s password in the server console. Sign in with that account before attempting item commands. Keep the password private: anyone who can use the account can change access levels and manipulate the world.

Promote an existing player from chat

An administrator can promote a connected player with:

/setaccesslevel "username" "admin"

The player-name spelling must match the in-game account. Depending on your server’s permission configuration, the person running this command must have the Change Access Level permission on their role.

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Promote from the server or hosting console

From the dedicated-server window or a panel Console tab, omit the slash:

setaccesslevel "username" "admin"

Have the promoted player reconnect if the new role is not recognized immediately. If the command itself is refused, sign in with the first-boot administrator or another role that is allowed to change access levels.

Find the correct item ID

Use the internal module-and-item form

Every item ID has a module and an item name separated by a period. The supplied example Base.Axe uses the Base module and the Axe item. Enter the complete identifier inside quotes when the syntax shows quotes.

Do not substitute a display name

An inventory label such as “Axe” or a translated label is not necessarily the command ID. A display name can also contain spaces, punctuation or localization that the command parser does not recognize. Look up the item’s current internal ID on a current Project Zomboid item wiki page, then copy its capitalization exactly.

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Account for Build 42 changes

Build 42 changed IDs for some stone tools, metalworking materials and animal products. An ID that worked on an earlier build may therefore fail after an update even though the item still exists. Check the item page for the build running on your server rather than relying on an old command list.

When an item page lists several variants, select the identifier for the actual item you want. Copying only the module or only the visible name produces an incomplete command.

Spawn an item through in-game chat

  1. Join the server with an account that has administrator access.
  2. Confirm the target player is online and note the exact player name. Names containing spaces should remain inside quotation marks.
  3. Open the chat input.
  4. Type a slash, the command, the quoted player name, the quoted internal ID and an optional quantity. For example:
    /additem "rj" "Base.Axe" 5
  5. Send the message. The server should process it as an administrative command rather than broadcast it as ordinary chat.
  6. Ask the recipient to check the inventory. If you left out the player name, check your own inventory instead.

Use a quantity only when you need more than one copy. If your build accepts a self-target form, omitting the player name gives the item to the administrator executing the command; if your build reports a syntax error, run /help and follow the exact argument order shown there.

Spawn an item from the server console

  1. Open the dedicated-server terminal or your hosting panel’s Console tab.
  2. Make sure you are sending a server command, not entering a chat message. Console commands do not begin with /.
  3. Enter the target name, internal ID and optional quantity in the console form:
    additem "rj" "Base.Axe" 5
  4. Submit the command using the terminal’s Enter key or the panel’s execute control.
  5. Have the target player inspect their inventory after the server acknowledges the command.

Some panels echo commands or display a success line; others provide little feedback. The player’s inventory is the practical confirmation. If there is no change, troubleshoot the target name, ID capitalization, access configuration and build-specific syntax in that order.

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Vanilla commands, mods and outdated guides

Vanilla administrative syntax

The slash form of additem in chat and the no-slash form in the server console are the relevant vanilla patterns described here. They use internal IDs and an optional quantity.

Mod-specific prefixes are different

Some administration-tool mods document a command such as:

!additem <PlayerName> <ItemName> <Amount>

That prefix belongs to the mod’s command handler, not to the vanilla server command. Do not replace the vanilla slash with an exclamation mark unless you knowingly installed a mod that requires it and you are following that mod’s documentation.

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Commands removed or absent in newer builds

Build 42 does not provide a vanilla /lootitem command, despite its presence in older guides. The /grantadmin command was removed in Build 35. A page that recommends either command without identifying a compatible mod or build is outdated for a current vanilla server.

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Why a command fails and how to fix it

“Unknown command” or no response

  • In chat, verify that the command starts with /; in the server console, remove it.
  • Run /help in chat to see the command names and argument order exposed by your build.
  • Check whether a server-management mod changes the command prefix or disables vanilla commands.
  • Confirm that the server has finished loading and that you are connected to the intended world.

“Access denied” or permission failure

  • Sign in with the first-boot administrator account or have an authorized administrator promote your account.
  • Use /setaccesslevel "username" "admin" in chat, or the no-slash console equivalent.
  • Check the role’s Change Access Level permission if promotion is refused even though you appear to be an administrator.
  • Reconnect after a role change if the server does not update your permissions in the current session.

The item is not created

  • Copy the internal ID again and preserve capitalization. Base.Axe and base.axe are not equivalent.
  • Check the current Build 42 ID, especially for stone tools, metalworking materials and animal products.
  • Use the exact online player name, including spaces and capitalization, inside quotes.
  • Try a quantity of 1 before requesting a larger stack; this separates an ID problem from a quantity-parsing problem.

The command gives the item to the wrong person

Review the target argument before sending. If the username is omitted, the administrator issuing the command is the target. If two players have similar names, copy the exact name shown in the player list and keep quotation marks around it.

The item appears but is a different variant

Recheck the module and item portion of the ID. Related items can have nearly identical display names but distinct internal identifiers. Use the current item listing for the server’s build and copy the full identifier rather than guessing from the label.

Managing access safely

Grant administrator access only to accounts that need it. Administrative roles can alter players and the world, so use the lowest role that provides the required permission when your server’s role system supports that distinction.

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Guides disagree about the command for removing access: some describe setting a player to none, while Build 42-oriented instructions describe returning the account to user. Because role names differ between builds and permission systems, inspect /help and the access-level list on your server before changing an account. Apply the exact value your build recognizes, then have the player reconnect and test a command they should no longer be able to run.

Build-aware checklist

  • Build: Confirm whether the server is running Build 42 or another release.
  • Access: Verify that your account is an administrator or has the permission to run item commands.
  • Entry point: Use a leading slash in chat and no slash in the server console.
  • Target: Enter the exact online player name, or intentionally omit it to target yourself where supported.
  • ID: Use the current case-sensitive Module.Item identifier, not a display name.
  • Quantity: Leave the count out for the default amount or add a numeric count when your build’s help text permits it.
  • Validation: Check the recipient’s inventory and server console output.
  • Recovery: If it fails, run /help, verify the build-specific item ID and check whether a mod owns the command prefix.

Examples you can adapt

Give another player five axes in chat

/additem "rj" "Base.Axe" 5

Replace rj with the exact connected player name. Keep Base.Axe capitalized exactly as listed for your build.

Give the same item from a console

additem "rj" "Base.Axe" 5

The arguments are unchanged; only the chat slash is removed.

Give an item to yourself

Use the self-target form shown by your server’s /help output. The documented behavior is that leaving out the player name targets the administrator who runs the command. If your build requires an explicit target, enter your own exact player name instead.

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What to remember

The reliable workflow is short: obtain administrator access, identify the current case-sensitive internal item ID, choose chat or console syntax correctly, run additem with the intended target and quantity, and verify the inventory. Build 42’s item-ID changes and the removal of older commands make build-aware verification more important than copying a generic command list.

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