Become a server admin

In 7 Days to Die, admin rights are stored in the serveradmin.xml file. You can add yourself in two ways: with a command (the easiest) or by editing the file by hand.

Method 1: the admin add command (recommended)

Start the server and join it in game
In the Game Panel (game.yorkhost.fr), open your server's Console
Type the following command (without /), replacing MyName with your in-game name:

admin add MyName 0

The server saves the admin in serveradmin.xml: no restart needed.

If the console does not respond

In most setups, the panel console passes your commands to the server. If a command produces no answer, make sure the server has finished starting, then try again. Once you are an admin, you can also type commands in the in-game console (F1 key).

If several players have similar names, use listplayers (or lp) to list connected players with their ID, then pass that ID to admin add.

Method 2: editing serveradmin.xml

Where is the file?

Since Alpha 21, serveradmin.xml is no longer next to serverconfig.xml: it lives in the game's saves folder, at the root of Saves/:

<UserDataFolder>/Saves/serveradmin.xml

On a Linux server, the default data folder is .local/share/7DaysToDie/, which usually gives:

.local/share/7DaysToDie/Saves/serveradmin.xml

The .local folder is hidden: enable hidden files in the file manager if you cannot see it.
If the UserDataFolder property is set in serverconfig.xml, that folder is used instead.
The file is created the first time the server starts. If it is missing, start the server once, then stop it.

Adding an admin

Stop the server
Open Saves/serveradmin.xml in the Files tab
In the <users> section, add one line per admin:

<users>
  <user platform="Steam" userid="76561198000000000" name="MyName" permission_level="0" />
</users>

Save and start the server

Attribute	Value
`platform`	`Steam` for a Steam account, `EOS` for an Epic Online Services ID
`userid`	The SteamID64 (17 digits starting with `7656…`) or the EOS ID
`name`	A free-form reminder, no effect on permissions
`permission_level`	Permission level, `0` = full admin

Finding your SteamID64

Your SteamID64 appears in your Steam profile URL if you have not set a custom URL (steamcommunity.com/profiles/7656…). Otherwise, paste your profile URL into a site such as steamid.io. Once connected to the server, the listplayerids (or lpi) command also shows the platform IDs of online players.

Pre-Alpha 21 format

Older tutorials use a syntax like <admin steamID="…" permission_level="0" />. It no longer matches the current format: follow the structure found in the file generated by your server.

Understanding permission levels

Permissions range from 0 (all rights) to 1000 (regular player). The lower the number, the more rights the player has.

Level	Typical use
`0`	Full admin
`1` to `999`	Moderators, to whom you grant specific commands
`1000`	Regular player (default level)

Each command has a required level, which you can change in the <commands> section of serveradmin.xml or with the cp (command permission) command. Example to allow kick for players of level 2 or lower:

cp add kick 2

Useful console commands

Type these commands in the panel Console or in the in-game console (F1) once you are an admin. Type help for the full list on your version.

Command	Effect
`help`	List of available commands
`listplayers` / `lp`	Connected players with their ID
`listplayerids` / `lpi`	Platform IDs of connected players
`say "message"`	Message to all players
`kick <player> "reason"`	Kicks a player
`ban add <player> <duration> <unit> "reason"`	Bans a player, for example `ban add Name 7 days "Cheating"`
`ban remove <id>`	Lifts a ban
`ban list`	List of bans
`admin add <player> <level>`	Adds an admin
`admin remove <player>`	Removes an admin
`whitelist add <player>`	Adds a player to the whitelist
`gettime` / `gt`	Shows the in-game day and time
`settime day` / `settime night`	Switches to day or night
`saveworld` / `sa`	Forces the world to be saved
`shutdown`	Saves and cleanly stops the server
`mem`	Shows the server's memory usage

An active whitelist blocks everyone else

As soon as one player is added to the whitelist, only whitelisted players and admins can connect. Keep this in mind before adding the first entry.

In-game cheat commands

Once you are an admin, some in-game commands help with building and moderation: dm (debug mode), cm (creative menu), teleport / tele (teleport). These commands change the game balance: keep them for administration.

Giving panel access to a co-admin

In-game rights (serveradmin.xml) are independent from Game Panel access. To let a friend restart the server or edit files, add them as a panel sub-user with the required permissions.

Method 1: the admin add command (recommended)​

Method 2: editing serveradmin.xml​

Where is the file?​

Adding an admin​

Understanding permission levels​

Useful console commands​

In-game cheat commands​

Giving panel access to a co-admin​

See also​