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Palworld RCON Commands: Setup and Full Practical Command List

Enable Palworld RCON correctly, connect with the server address, port, and admin password, and use the practical command list for saving, shutdowns, broadcasts, player management, teleportation, and troubleshooting.
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To enable RCON on a Palworld dedicated server, edit the active PalWorldSettings.ini file—not the default template—set an administrator password, turn on RCONEnabled=True, choose an RCONPort, save the file, and restart the server. An RCON client then connects with the server address, that port, and the administrator password. The command list below covers the maintained practical command set for shutdowns, broadcasts, player management, teleportation, status checks, saving, and unbanning.

What Palworld RCON does

RCON is the remote administration interface for a Palworld dedicated server. It lets an administrator issue server commands from a separate client instead of entering them in the server process window. That is useful when the server runs on a remote machine, inside a container, or under a hosting control panel.

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RCON authentication is separate from the REST API. Pocketpair’s server settings table lists RESTAPIEnabled and RESTAPIPort independently from RCONEnabled and RCONPort; enabling one interface does not configure the other.

The settings procedure documented in Pocketpair’s Server Guide version 1.0.4 uses a saved configuration file. The command table in this guide is the current practical list maintained by a Palworld server Docker implementation. Pocketpair’s commands documentation may add commands after the 1.0.4 guide, so treat the table as the documented working set rather than a guarantee that every future build exposes only these commands.

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What you need before changing anything

  • A running Palworld dedicated server with access to its files and permission to restart it.
  • The administrator password you will place in PalWorldSettings.ini.
  • A port number that is available on the server and permitted by the host’s firewall or control panel.
  • The server’s reachable address, the configured RCON port, and an RCON client.
  • For player-targeting commands, a way to read each player’s SteamID; ShowPlayers supplies that information on clients that expose identifiers.

Keep a backup of the active settings file before editing it. Make changes while you can schedule a restart, because the dedicated server must reload the file before the new RCON settings take effect.

Enable RCON in PalWorldSettings.ini

Windows dedicated server

  1. Locate the supplied DefaultPalWorldSettings.ini file in the Palworld server installation.
  2. Copy that file to PalSavedConfigWindowsServerPalWorldSettings.ini. Create the destination directory if your installation does not already contain it.
  3. Open the copied PalWorldSettings.ini and set AdminPassword to the password you will use for RCON authentication.
  4. Set RCONEnabled=True.
  5. Set RCONPort to the port you intend to expose for RCON.
  6. Save the file and restart the dedicated server.

Linux dedicated server

  1. Copy DefaultPalWorldSettings.ini to Pal/Saved/Config/LinuxServer/PalWorldSettings.ini.
  2. Edit the copied active file and set AdminPassword, RCONEnabled=True, and your chosen RCONPort.
  3. Save the file, then restart the dedicated server so it reads the Linux configuration path.

The path difference matters: use WindowsServer for a Windows server and LinuxServer for a Linux server. Pocketpair explicitly warns that editing DefaultPalWorldSettings.ini alone does not change the running server. The default file is a template; the file under the saved configuration directory is the active configuration.

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Do not confuse RCON and REST API settings

Leave the REST API settings alone unless you specifically need that separate interface. RESTAPIEnabled and RESTAPIPort are not substitutes for RCONEnabled and RCONPort. An RCON client must use the RCON port you configured.

Make the configured port reachable

RCON can be enabled correctly and still be unreachable if the server’s network policy blocks the port. Check every layer that controls inbound access:

  • The operating system firewall on the Windows or Linux host.
  • A cloud or dedicated-host firewall, security group, or provider-level port rule.
  • A container or virtual-machine port mapping when the server is not running directly on the host.
  • A hosting panel’s dedicated-server networking settings.
  • Any router or NAT rule required when administrators connect from outside the local network.

Use the same port value in all of those places as in RCONPort. Do not assume that a game port automatically exposes RCON; the RCON setting is separate. If a provider does not let you edit PalWorldSettings.ini or expose the configured port, ask its support team whether dedicated-server RCON is supported before choosing that setup.

Connect with an RCON client

Container command-line example

The maintained Docker reference demonstrates an in-container client with this form:

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docker exec -it palworld-server rcon-cli "<command> <value>"

Replace palworld-server with the name of your container and replace the command and value with the operation you want to run. Commands without an argument, such as Info or Save, omit the value. Quoting rules can differ between shells and clients, so preserve the syntax expected by the client you are actually using.

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Standalone command-line client

A community CLI documents the equivalent connection shape as:

<IPAddress:RCONPort> <AdminPassword> <command> [args]

The first argument combines the server address and configured RCON port. The second is the exact AdminPassword value from the active settings file. The command follows, with optional arguments where required. That CLI documents Windows and Linux requirements; check its own invocation rules before adapting the example to another client.

Graphical clients and host panels

A graphical RCON client or hosting-panel console still needs the same three pieces of information: server address, RCON port, and administrator password. Some clients ask for the address and port in separate fields; others use an address:port field. Some keep the password in a saved profile, while others prompt for it each session. Do not assume that quoting, spaces in messages, or command aliases work identically across clients.

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Palworld RCON command list

The following table is the maintained practical list documented by the cited Palworld server Docker implementation. Replace each brace-enclosed item with a real value; do not type the braces unless your client specifically requires them.

Command Syntax What it does
Shutdown Shutdown {Seconds} {MessageText} Schedules a shutdown after the specified number of seconds and can display a message to players.
DoExit DoExit Force-stops the server immediately.
Broadcast Broadcast {MessageText} Sends a message to all connected players.
KickPlayer KickPlayer {SteamID} Kicks the player identified by the supplied SteamID.
BanPlayer BanPlayer {SteamID} Bans the player identified by the supplied SteamID.
TeleportToPlayer TeleportToPlayer {SteamID} Teleports the administrator to the target player.
TeleportToMe TeleportToMe {SteamID} Teleports the target player to the administrator.
ShowPlayers ShowPlayers Displays connected-player information, including identifiers on clients that expose them.
Info Info Displays server information.
Save Save Saves world data.
UnBanPlayer UnBanPlayer {SteamID} Removes the supplied SteamID from the ban list.

How to use the commands safely

Check the server and player roster

Start a session with Info to confirm that the client is talking to the intended server. Run ShowPlayers before any player-specific action. Copy the target SteamID exactly as returned; display names are not a safe substitute because names can change or be duplicated.

Send an announcement

Use Broadcast for maintenance notices, restart warnings, or rule reminders. A message containing spaces may need quotation marks in a command-line client, for example:

Broadcast "Server restart in 10 minutes"

The command itself is the same, but shell escaping and client parsing vary. If the output truncates the message or rejects the command, consult that client’s quoting convention rather than changing the server settings.

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Kick or ban a player

Run ShowPlayers, identify the correct SteamID, and then issue either KickPlayer SteamID or BanPlayer SteamID. A kick removes the player from the current session; a ban adds the identifier to the server’s ban list. To reverse a ban, use UnBanPlayer SteamID with the same identifier. Verify the ID before executing the command, because an incorrect ID can affect the wrong person.

Teleport an administrator or player

TeleportToPlayer SteamID moves the administrator to the selected player. TeleportToMe SteamID moves the selected player to the administrator. Both commands require a valid SteamID from ShowPlayers; they do not use a character name as the argument.

Save before planned maintenance

Run Save before a planned restart or shutdown to write current world data. Then use Shutdown when you want to provide a grace period and a visible message. For example:

Save
Shutdown 60 "Server restarting in 60 seconds"

The number is the delay in seconds. The message is optional according to the documented syntax. A scheduled shutdown gives players time to leave; DoExit is the force-stop option and should not be treated as an orderly maintenance command.

Operational runbooks

Routine restart

  1. Run Broadcast with the planned restart time.
  2. Run Save.
  3. Run Shutdown with a delay long enough for players to finish their immediate activity.
  4. After the process stops, perform the host or container restart.
  5. Reconnect with the RCON client and run Info to verify that the server is back.

Emergency stop

  1. Broadcast a warning if the server is still responding.
  2. Use DoExit only when a scheduled shutdown cannot be completed or an immediate stop is required.
  3. Start the server again using the normal host procedure.
  4. Check the server with Info and inspect player connectivity before declaring the incident resolved.

Removing an incorrect ban

  1. Run ShowPlayers if the person can connect through another account or obtain the correct SteamID from your administration records.
  2. Confirm the identifier character by character.
  3. Run UnBanPlayer SteamID.
  4. Have the player reconnect and verify that the ban was the cause of the failure.

Automation and scripting considerations

RCON is useful for scheduled notices and maintenance scripts, but the command syntax belongs to the client you choose. The Docker example wraps the client in docker exec, while the standalone CLI places the address, password, command, and arguments on its command line. Those forms are equivalent in purpose, not necessarily interchangeable in quoting or exit-code behavior.

For automation, keep the administrator password out of publicly readable scripts and process listings where your operating system allows safer secret handling. Restrict access to the script and its logs, and avoid logging full command lines when they include credentials. Test automation against a non-production server first, especially scripts that call BanPlayer, DoExit, or a short-delay Shutdown.

A basic maintenance sequence can be represented conceptually as:

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connect(address, rcon_port, admin_password)
run("Broadcast", "Maintenance begins soon")
run("Save")
run("Shutdown", "60", "Server restarting in 60 seconds")

This is a workflow illustration, not a universal programming API. Adapt it to the command runner supplied by your client and verify how that client passes multiple words as one message argument.

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Troubleshooting RCON connections

The client cannot connect

  • Confirm that you edited the active saved-config file, not DefaultPalWorldSettings.ini.
  • Check that the file contains RCONEnabled=True and the intended RCONPort.
  • Restart the dedicated server after saving the file; changing the file while the process is running does not reload the settings.
  • Verify that the client is using the same address and port written in the configuration and that the password matches AdminPassword.
  • Check host, operating-system, container, and router firewall rules for the RCON port.
  • Confirm that a hosting provider actually exposes the port and permits dedicated-server RCON.

Authentication fails

Re-enter the administrator password from the active file, paying attention to capitalization and accidental spaces. Make sure the client is connecting to the intended server; a correct password for one instance will fail against another. If you changed the password, restart the server and update the client profile.

The command is rejected or produces no useful output

  • Check capitalization and spelling against the command table.
  • Supply the required argument: a SteamID for player commands, seconds for a scheduled shutdown, or message text for a broadcast.
  • Use ShowPlayers to obtain an identifier instead of entering a display name.
  • Review the client’s quoting rules for messages containing spaces.
  • Confirm that the command is supported by the server build and client implementation you are running; command coverage can change as Palworld versions evolve.

The server stopped unexpectedly after an RCON command

Check whether an automation script or administrator issued DoExit or a short-delay Shutdown. Reconnect after restarting and use Info to confirm the instance. For future maintenance, prefer Save followed by a broadcast and a delayed Shutdown.

Choosing an RCON client

No single client is best for every administrator. Compare the options on the capabilities that affect your workflow:

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Decision point What to verify
Operating-system support Whether the client runs on the Windows or Linux machine from which you administer the server.
Interface Command-line tools suit scripts and repeatable tasks; graphical tools can make one-off commands and saved connections easier.
Password handling Whether credentials are stored securely, prompted interactively, or exposed in command history and process listings.
Automation Support for scripts, non-interactive execution, useful exit status, and predictable handling of message arguments.
Quoting behavior How the client handles spaces, quotation marks, and multi-word Broadcast or Shutdown messages.
Connection fields Whether it expects separate address and port fields or an IPAddress:RCONPort value.

Test the client with read-only commands such as Info and ShowPlayers before using player-management or shutdown commands.

Choosing a hosting setup

If you are deciding between self-hosting and a managed host, ask these questions before deploying:

  • Can you access and edit the active PalWorldSettings.ini?
  • Can you restart the dedicated server after changing settings?
  • Can you open, map, and restrict the configured RCON port?
  • Are backups available before maintenance or version changes?
  • Does the service provide dedicated-server access rather than only a game-panel abstraction?
  • Does support identify the Palworld server version it currently runs?

A host that hides the saved configuration path or does not expose the RCON port may still run Palworld, but it cannot provide the setup described here without a provider-side change.

Security practices for RCON

  • Use a strong, unique AdminPassword; do not reuse a player account password.
  • Expose the RCON port only to trusted administrator networks where your firewall supports source restrictions.
  • Keep the active settings file and any client profiles readable only by administrators.
  • Rotate the password after sharing access with contractors or after a suspected disclosure, then restart the server and update authorized clients.
  • Prefer delayed Shutdown and Save for routine maintenance; reserve DoExit for emergencies.
  • Review automation logs so SteamIDs, passwords, and administrative actions are not unnecessarily published.

Version and command-coverage caveat

Pocketpair’s Server Guide used for the configuration procedure is labeled version 1.0.4. The practical command table above comes from a maintained server Docker reference, while Pocketpair’s current commands documentation may contain additions for later releases. If a command listed here fails on a newer or older build, verify the server version, the client syntax, and the current official command documentation before assuming that the port or password configuration is wrong.

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