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Freedom251 › Blog › Commands.dat

Unturned Server Console Commands: The Full List (Console, Chat, and Commands.dat)

By Freedom251 Team · · 10 min read

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What are all the Unturned server console commands, which commands go in Commands.dat, and why does a command say Cheats are disabled? The answer depends on where you run it. Unturned commands work in the dedicated-server console, administrator chat, and the newline-separated Commands.dat startup file. Console entries omit a prefix; chat entries begin with / or @; configuration entries are written as one setting per line. This guide gives the complete command list, shows the correct syntax for each context, explains administrator and Cheats requirements, and includes safe save and shutdown procedures.

How Unturned server commands work

Unturned calls these features commands, console commands, or cheat commands. They range from changing server settings to spawning items. Commands are case-insensitive, and parameters in server syntax are separated with forward slashes.

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Choose the right execution context

Context How to enter a command Typical use
Dedicated-server console Type the command without / or @; for example, Players. Live administration, moderation, diagnostics, saves, and shutdowns.
Administrator chat Prefix the command with / or @; for example, /Players. Running commands while connected to the game.
Commands.dat Put one startup setting on each line, without a chat prefix. Applying identity, map, capacity, access, gameplay, and network settings when the server starts.

Chat execution requires administrator status. The dedicated Unturned server tool (U3DS) is installed separately from the game and supports Windows and Linux hosting; macOS hosting is not supported in the official documentation.

Prepare the server and grant permission

Install the dedicated server

Install U3DS rather than assuming the client game installation is a server. Start the server once so it creates its configuration and data directories, then stop it before editing Commands.dat. Make a backup of the file before changing startup settings.

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Grant owner or administrator access

Method Syntax When to use it
Startup owner Owner <SteamID> in Commands.dat Give a Steam account permanent owner-level control from startup.
Runtime administrator Admin <SteamID|Player> Add an administrator while the server is running.
Admin list Add an entry to Adminlist.dat Maintain administrator access in a separate list.

Use the player’s SteamID where the syntax requires one. A player name is accepted only by commands that explicitly show Player as an alternative. In chat, an account must have administrator status before it can run administrative commands.

Enable Cheats deliberately

Add the single line Cheats to Commands.dat before using cheat-classified commands. The official guide specifically identifies Give as a runtime command that requires Cheats. On a public server, enable this setting only when you intend to permit the relevant spawning or progression actions, and check each command’s classification in the official command table.

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Commands.dat: startup settings

Commands.dat is not a script of live commands. It is a newline-separated startup configuration. A typical file can look like this:

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Name My Unturned Server
Map PEI
MaxPlayers 24
Owner YourSteamID
Cheats
Password ExamplePassword1234
PvE
Perspective Both
Port 27015
Setting What it controls
Name <Text> Server name shown to players.
Map <Level> Startup map, such as PEI.
MaxPlayers <Number> Connection capacity; the example value is 24.
Owner <SteamID> Startup owner account.
Cheats Enables commands classified as cheats.
Password <Text> Server access password.
PvE Player-versus-environment mode.
Perspective <First|Third|Both|Vehicle> Permitted camera perspectives.
Port <Number> Network port used by the server.

Other commands in the full reference can also be used as startup settings, but do not assume that a runtime-only action belongs in this file. Save, for example, is a live command. Use Shutdown for a clean stop that saves the server.

Editing and restart checklist

  1. Stop the server before editing the file so a running process does not overwrite your changes.
  2. Keep one setting per line and preserve the spelling shown in the command reference.
  3. Use actual SteamIDs, map names, ports, and numeric values instead of the angle-bracket placeholders.
  4. Save the file, start the server again, and test with Help or Players.

Choosing a dedicated Unturned server host

Self-hosting with U3DS is not the only option. If you rent a dedicated Unturned server, confirm that the provider supports the operating system and server tool you plan to use. Official documentation covers Windows and Linux hosting and does not support macOS hosting. Compare the provider’s current geography and pricing for the locations and player capacity you need; those details can change, so check the provider’s live terms rather than relying on an old offer.

Administration, permissions, and access commands

Command Syntax Purpose
Admin Admin <SteamID|Player> Add an administrator at runtime.
Admins Admins List current administrators.
Owner Owner <SteamID> Set the owner in configuration.
Unadmin Unadmin <SteamID|Player> Remove administrator status.
Hide_Admins Hide_Admins Hide administrator labels.
Permit Permit <SteamID>/<Tag> Add a permitted player or tag.
Permits Permits View the permit list.
Unpermit Unpermit <SteamID> Remove a player from the permit list.
Whitelisted Whitelisted Enable whitelist mode.

For chat, add / or @ before the command, so the runtime example becomes /Admin <SteamID|Player>. In the server console, use the table syntax exactly as shown.

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Moderation commands

Command Syntax Purpose
Ban Ban <SteamID|Player>/<Reason>/<Duration> Ban a player, recording a reason and duration.
Bans Bans List bans.
Kick Kick <SteamID|Player>/<Reason> Remove a player with a reason.
Unban Unban <SteamID> Remove a ban.
Slay Slay <SteamID>/<Reason> Slay a specified player and record a reason.
Kill Kill <SteamID|Player> Kill a selected player.
Timeout Timeout <Max Ping> Set the maximum permitted ping before timeout handling.

Forward slashes separate parameters. A chat user prefixes the complete command, not each parameter: /Ban <SteamID>/Griefing/30 is the pattern.

Server identity, networking, and operations

Command Syntax Purpose
Name Name <Text> Set the server name.
Password Password <Text> Set or change the access password.
Port Port <Number> Set the listening port.
Bind Bind <IP> Bind the server to a network address.
GSLT GSLT <Login Token> Set the game-server login token.
Gold Gold Enable the Gold setting.
MaxPlayers MaxPlayers <Number> Set the player cap.
Queue_Size Queue_Size <Number> Set the connection queue size.
Chatrate Chatrate <Number> Control chat rate.
Filter Filter Apply server filtering.
Log Log <Chat Y/N>/<Join/Leave Y/N>/<Death Y/N>/<Anticheat Y/N> Choose which chat, connection, death, and anticheat events are logged.

Map, difficulty, and gameplay rules

Command Syntax Purpose
Map Map <Level> Select the map.
Mode Mode <Easy|Normal|Hard> Choose a difficulty preset.
GameMode GameMode <Class Name> Set a game-mode class.
Perspective Perspective <First|Third|Both|Vehicle> Set allowed viewpoints.
PvE PvE Use player-versus-environment rules.
Cycle Cycle <Number> Set the day/night cycle duration.
Decay Decay <Time> Set decay timing.
Armor Armor <Barricade Multiplier>/<Structure Multiplier> Adjust barricade and structure multipliers.
Loadout Loadout <SkillsetID>/<ItemID>... Assign a skillset and one or more starting items. Cheats check: classification can require Cheats.
Sync Sync Run the server synchronization action.
ResetConfig ResetConfig Reset configuration values.

Time, weather, and world events

Command Syntax Purpose
Day Day Change the world to daytime.
Night Night Change the world to nighttime.
Time Time <Seconds> Set the current world time in seconds.
Rain Rain <Minimum Frequency>/<Maximum Frequency>/<Minimum Time>/<Maximum Time> Set rain frequency and duration bounds.
Weather Weather <None|Storm|Blizzard> Select weather.
Airdrop Airdrop Trigger an airdrop event.

Player, item, animal, and vehicle actions

These commands affect player inventories, progression, movement, or spawned entities. The commands below are the ones most likely to be classified as cheats; Cheats check means confirm the current official classification before use. Give is explicitly documented as requiring Cheats.

Command Syntax Purpose
Give Give <SteamID|Player>/<ItemID|ItemName|ItemFilename>/<Amount> Give an item and quantity to a player. Cheats required.
Experience Experience <SteamID|Player>/<Experience> Grant experience. Cheats check.
Reputation Reputation <SteamID|Player>/<Reputation> Adjust reputation. Cheats check.
Quest Quest <SteamID|Player>/<Quest> Set or advance a quest. Cheats check.
Flag Flag <SteamID|Player>/<Flag>/<Value> Set a player flag value. Cheats check.
Animal Animal <SteamID|Player>/<AnimalID> Spawn or assign an animal for a player. Cheats check.
Vehicle Vehicle <SteamID|Player>/<VehicleID> Spawn or assign a vehicle. Cheats check.
Teleport Teleport <SteamID|Player>/<SteamID|Player> Teleport one player to another. Cheats check.
Loadout Loadout <SkillsetID>/<ItemID>... Define a skillset loadout. Cheats check.

Do not substitute a display name for an ID unless the syntax lists both forms. Likewise, an item ID, item name, and item filename are alternatives only for Give, where all three are shown.

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Diagnostics, messaging, and server lifecycle

Command Syntax Purpose
Help Help [Command] List available commands or show help for one command.
Debug Debug Print server diagnostics.
Modules Modules List loaded modules.
Players Players List connected players.
Say Say <Text>/<R>/<G>/<B> Broadcast a message with RGB color values.
Welcome Welcome <Message>/<R>/<G>/<B> Set the join message and its RGB color.
Save Save Force an immediate save.
Shutdown Shutdown [Delay] Save and stop the server, optionally after a delay.
Reload Reload <GUID|Directory> Reload an asset or directory.
Votify Votify [settings] Configure voting behavior.

Safe maintenance sequence

  1. Warn connected players with Say <Text>, including the maintenance time.
  2. Run Save from the server console before maintenance. Unturned has no built-in autosave feature.
  3. Use Shutdown <Delay> rather than closing the process or terminal abruptly; shutdown saves and stops cleanly.
  4. Restart the server and use Players or Help to confirm that it is responding.
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Why a command says Cheats are disabled

  • Confirm that the command is being entered in the dedicated-server console or by an administrator in chat.
  • Check that Cheats appears as its own line in Commands.dat; adding it to a runtime command does not enable it.
  • Restart after editing startup configuration, because Commands.dat is read at startup.
  • Verify the syntax and parameter types with Help <Command>. Use forward slashes between parameters and do not add spaces in place of separators.
  • For a public server, enable Cheats only when the server rules permit the affected action, then remove the setting and restart when it is no longer needed.

Practical command examples by context

Goal Console Administrator chat Commands.dat
List connected players Players /Players Not a startup setting
Give an item Give <SteamID>/<ItemID>/1 /Give <SteamID>/<ItemID>/1 Not a startup action; enable Cheats separately if permitted
Set map at startup Use Map <Level> when supported by the running server /Map <Level> when supported and permitted Map <Level>
Save before maintenance Save /Save Not applicable
Stop safely Shutdown 30 /Shutdown 30 Not applicable

Common syntax mistakes to avoid

  • Do not put / or @ in the dedicated-server console; those prefixes belong to chat.
  • Do not put a chat prefix in Commands.dat; write only the setting and its value.
  • Do not replace a slash-separated parameter with spaces. For example, the ban pattern is Ban <SteamID|Player>/<Reason>/<Duration>.
  • Do not assume every command accepts both a SteamID and a player name. Follow the alternatives printed in the syntax.
  • Do not treat a command’s capitalization as significant; commands are case-insensitive, but the parameter values still need to identify the intended map, player, item, or setting.

When a command behaves differently than expected, start with Help <Command> in the console. It is the fastest way to check the syntax exposed by the running server rather than relying on a copied example from another version.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Which Unturned commands go in Commands.dat?

Use newline-separated startup settings such as Name, Map, MaxPlayers, Owner, Cheats, Password, PvE, Perspective, and Port. Live actions such as Save are runtime-only.

Why does Unturned say Cheats are disabled?

Add Cheats on its own line in Commands.dat, restart the server, and verify that you are an administrator. The Give command is specifically documented as requiring Cheats.

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How do I become an Unturned server admin?

Set Owner <SteamID> in Commands.dat, run Admin <SteamID|Player> at runtime, or add an entry to Adminlist.dat. Chat commands require administrator status.

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Can I use a player name instead of a SteamID?

Only when the command syntax explicitly lists Player as an alternative. Commands such as Unban and Unpermit show a SteamID only, while Give accepts a player or SteamID.

Does Unturned have an autosave command?

No. There is no built-in autosave feature. Run Save before maintenance, then use Shutdown <Delay> for a clean save and stop.

Can I host an Unturned dedicated server on macOS?

The official dedicated-server documentation supports Windows and Linux hosting and does not support macOS hosting.

What is the difference between console and chat syntax?

The server console uses the command without a prefix, such as Players. Administrator chat adds / or @, such as /Players; parameters still use forward slashes.

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The Bottom Line

Use the dedicated-server console for live control, administrator chat for in-game control, and Commands.dat for startup settings. Grant access first, enable Cheats only when appropriate, follow each command’s exact ID and slash-separated syntax, and always run Save followed by Shutdown for planned maintenance.

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