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Valheim Console Commands and Admin Cheats for Your Server

Set up Valheim dedicated-server admins with SteamID64, use vanilla moderation commands, and understand the limits and risks of enabling development cheats.
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On a vanilla Valheim dedicated server, administrator access comes from your SteamID64 in the server’s adminlist.txt file—not from your character name or display name. Once listed, you can use moderation commands such as kick, ban, unban, banned and save, along with the world-management commands supported by your current game build.

god, spawn, goto and most other development cheats are a different matter: the Valheim Wiki’s developer-console guidance and supporting Steam discussions indicate that these cheats do not run on a vanilla dedicated server. For unrestricted cheats, use single-player or a player-hosted world, or install a compatible server-side mod such as Server_devcommands on both server and client. That mod route is based on community reports and can break after game updates.

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What Valheim server admin status actually does

Valheim separates administration from cheating. An admin is an account the dedicated server recognizes as trusted. The server grants that account moderation privileges; it does not automatically grant the single-player development console.

The identity check is based on a SteamID64 value. A display name can change, contain unusual characters or match another player’s name, so entering a name in adminlist.txt will not make that player an admin. Put one SteamID64 per line in the file and keep the value unchanged even if the player renames the character or Steam profile.

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After the file is saved, connect using the same Steam account whose ID was added. Depending on the server build and host, the process may require a server restart or a reconnect before the list is read; if the account is still treated as a normal player, restart the dedicated process and check the file for extra characters, blank formatting or an incorrect ID.

Turn on the in-game console

The console is disabled unless Valheim is launched with the -console Steam launch option. This option affects the game client, not the server’s permission list.

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  1. Open Steam and find Valheim in your Library.
  2. Open the game’s Properties window.
  3. In Launch Options, enter -console exactly, including the leading hyphen.
  4. Start Valheim and join the server.
  5. Press F5 while connected to open the console.

If F5 does nothing, confirm that the launch option is present on the client that is actually running Valheim, remove conflicting launch options temporarily, and restart the game. Opening the console does not make you an administrator and does not bypass the dedicated server’s restrictions.

Add yourself to adminlist.txt

The exact folder differs between a self-hosted installation and a managed host, but the file is normally in the dedicated server’s save or configuration area. Use the host’s file manager or operating-system file browser to locate adminlist.txt. If it does not exist, create a plain-text file with that exact name; do not save it as adminlist.txt.txt.

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  1. Stop the dedicated server before editing its files so a shutdown cannot overwrite your change.
  2. Open adminlist.txt in a plain-text editor.
  3. Enter your SteamID64 on its own line. Add additional administrators one per line.
  4. Save the file as UTF-8 plain text, without commas, quotation marks or labels.
  5. Start the server again, or reconnect after a restart if the host supports live file changes.
  6. Join with the Steam account represented by the ID and press F5 to test an administrative command.

Do not use the number shown in a character name, the short Steam account name or a display name. If you need to identify the correct SteamID64, obtain it from a trusted Steam account-ID lookup method or your server’s connection logs, then verify that the ID belongs to the intended account before granting access.

Vanilla dedicated-server commands

These are the administrative functions consistently associated with a listed admin on a vanilla dedicated server. Enter the command in the F5 console while connected. Current builds can change argument syntax, so treat the command names as stable functions and follow the argument format accepted by the version you are running.

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Command Purpose Typical use
kick Removes a connected player from the server. kick <player>; use the identifier format accepted by your build if a name is ambiguous.
ban Blocks a player from reconnecting. ban <player> or the supported account identifier.
unban Removes a player from the server’s ban list. unban <identifier>.
banned Displays the accounts currently banned by the server. banned.
save Forces a world save instead of waiting for the next automatic save. save, particularly before maintenance or a controlled shutdown.

World-modifier commands are also available to an authorized admin when the current Valheim version exposes them. Their names, arguments and effects have changed across updates, so do not copy an old list blindly. Test a modifier in a backup world first and record the exact game version with your server notes.

Why god and other cheats fail on a vanilla dedicated server

The development console and the administrative console are not equivalent. Commands such as god, spawn and goto are development cheats intended for single-player or player-hosted sessions. According to the Valheim Wiki’s developer-console guidance, they do not work on a standard dedicated server, even when the person entering them is listed in adminlist.txt.

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This explains a common troubleshooting pattern: the console opens, save or kick works, but god returns an error or has no effect. That result normally means the permission setup is working and the requested command is outside the vanilla dedicated-server command set. Re-adding the same SteamID64 or repeatedly typing devcommands will not turn a vanilla server into a cheat-enabled server.

Ways to use full development cheats

Single-player

For testing builds, experimenting with items or recovering from a mistake, launch a local single-player world with the console enabled and use the development commands there. This avoids changing the dedicated server and eliminates client/server version mismatch.

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Player-hosted world

A world hosted directly by a player has a different command environment from a vanilla dedicated server. If the host enables the console and the relevant development commands for that session, cheats can be used without installing a server mod. Everyone who joins still depends on the host’s session and availability.

Server_devcommands or another server-side mod

Community reports indicate that full development commands on a dedicated server require the third-party mod Server_devcommands installed on the server and the connecting client. This is a community-supported approach, not a vanilla feature, and the reports are lower-confidence than the documented admin-file behavior.

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  • Confirm that the mod supports the exact Valheim version running on the server and every client.
  • Install the same mod version and its dependencies wherever the mod documentation requires them.
  • Back up the world before enabling commands that create items, alter locations or change world state.
  • Test with a non-admin account and a copy of the world before allowing ordinary players to connect.
  • Remove or update the mod promptly after a game update if the server stops loading or commands disappear.

A client-only installation cannot add privileges to a vanilla server. If the server has no compatible mod or configuration accepting development commands, the dedicated server will continue to reject cheats.

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Related access-control files

bannedlist.txt

bannedlist.txt contains SteamIDs that the server blocks outright. The ban command updates the server’s ban state; inspect this file when a player remains unable to connect after an apparent unban. Remove only the intended ID and preserve the one-ID-per-line format.

permittedlist.txt

permittedlist.txt acts as an allowlist for invite-only servers. When allowlisting is enabled, a player can be refused even without appearing in bannedlist.txt simply because that SteamID is not permitted. Add trusted players deliberately and test with a second account before turning an open server into an allowlisted one.

How the files interact

Admin, ban and permit lists serve different purposes. adminlist.txt grants administrative authority; bannedlist.txt denies entry; permittedlist.txt limits entry to approved IDs. A person can be an admin and still be blocked by the ban list, so check all three files when access behavior seems contradictory.

Troubleshoot “admin commands not working”

The console will not open

  • Verify -console is in Steam’s Valheim Launch Options, then fully restart the game.
  • Press F5 after joining the server, not at the Steam title screen.
  • Check that another application or keyboard layout is not intercepting the key.

Moderation commands are rejected

  • Confirm the SteamID64 is on its own line in the server’s adminlist.txt.
  • Check that you edited the active server instance, not a backup, test world or different host container.
  • Restart the server and reconnect so the file is re-read.
  • Use the command spelling accepted by the current build and avoid copying syntax from an older version.

god, spawn or goto does nothing

First determine whether the server is vanilla. If it is, this is expected behavior rather than a broken admin list. Move the test to single-player or a player-hosted world, or install and maintain a compatible server-side development-command mod on both ends.

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A player cannot join after an unban

Check bannedlist.txt for the player’s SteamID64, then check permittedlist.txt if the server is invite-only. Remove the ID only from the file that is causing the block, save the file, restart or reload as required by the host, and test again.

Self-hosted versus managed hosting

Consideration Self-hosted dedicated server Managed host
Editing adminlist.txt Direct filesystem access and full control over backups and permissions. Usually performed through a web file manager or support request; the active instance must be identified carefully.
Installing a development-command mod You control server files, dependencies and update timing. Availability depends on the provider’s mod support and restart controls.
Recovery from a bad command or update You are responsible for world backups, rollback and troubleshooting. The host may provide snapshots or automated restarts, but policies differ.
Security exposure You must protect operating-system access and restrict who can edit lists. Account security and panel permissions become the main control points.

Regardless of hosting model, give admin status only to accounts you trust. An admin can remove players and force saves; a development-command mod can provide much broader control over the world.

Keep command behavior predictable after updates

Valheim updates can change command availability, SteamID handling and file behavior. The SteamID process for a future 1.0 release has been mentioned in isolated hosting guidance but is not independently verified here, so do not assume that an old file format will remain valid.

  • Record the Valheim version, server build and installed mods before updating.
  • Back up the world, adminlist.txt, bannedlist.txt and permittedlist.txt.
  • Test administrative commands after each update before inviting the full group.
  • Remove stale administrators and review every SteamID64 periodically.
  • Keep cheat testing in a disposable world whenever possible.

The practical rule is simple: use adminlist.txt for moderation on a vanilla dedicated server, and do not treat administrator status as a promise of god mode. Development cheats require a session type that supports them or a carefully maintained server-side mod.

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