7 Days to Die Server Admin Commands and How to Use Them (PC, Telnet, and Web Console)

On a PC server, press F1 to open the console, run help to see commands available in your exact build, and use help <command> for syntax. The most important administrative detail is that permission levels are inverted: 0 is full access, while an unlisted player normally has level 1000. Grant access with admin add ... 0, create narrowly scoped moderator permissions with cp add, and use lpi to obtain player IDs. Core tools cover kicking and banning, whitelisting, saving, broadcasts, time and weather, teleportation, spawning and shutdown. A dedicated server can also accept commands through telnet or a web dashboard, although commands that require a local player cannot run from a headless console. Because command names and counts change between builds, your server’s own help output is authoritative.

How do I open the 7 Days to Die console and discover commands?

Connect to the PC client or server and press F1. Keyboard layouts can use a different console key, so check the layout-specific binding if F1 does nothing. At the prompt, enter:

help

This prints the command registry loaded by that server. To inspect one command, use:

help ban
help teleport
help whitelist

The in-game help text is more reliable than a copied list because the registry is version-sensitive and can change with updates or mods. In reference notation, angle brackets indicate required arguments and square brackets indicate optional arguments. Short aliases are common: cm is an alias for creativemenu, dm for debugmenu, and tp for teleport.

Why do command lists report different totals?

Published V3 snapshots do not all count the same registry. One V3.2.0 snapshot reports 177 commands, while a V3.2/V3.3 dedicated-server registry reports 192 commands and 86 aliases. Those figures reflect different extraction scopes, not necessarily a disagreement about your installation. Run help on the live server, particularly after installing a mod, and use that result for syntax and availability.

How do permission levels work?

7 Days to Die uses an inverted scale. Level 0 is maximum authority; larger numbers are more restricted. A player with no explicit entry defaults to level 1000.

• 0: full administrative access.
• 1000: the normal level for a user who is not listed.
• Intermediate values: restricted roles you define with command-permission rules.

There is a second rule that often causes confusion: commands not explicitly present in the command-permission table default to level 0. Consequently, assigning a helper level 100 does not automatically create a useful inherited set. You must deliberately add the commands that level may run.

How do I make myself or another player an admin?

Run the following from the server console, telnet session, or web console:

admin add <name / entity id / platform + platform user id> <level> [displayname]
admin remove <name / entity id / platform + platform user id>
admin list

1. Use lpi (also written listplayerids) to identify a connected player and copy the exact name or entity ID.
2. Grant full access by assigning level 0, for example admin add PlayerName 0. Confirm the exact accepted name format with help admin on your build.
3. Run admin list to verify the entry.
4. Use admin remove when access should end.

Name and entity-ID forms require the player to be online. A platform-plus-platform-user-ID form can target an offline player. Entries persist in serveradmin.xml; the server configuration determines that file’s location. Treat the file and every console credential as administrative secrets.

How do I create a limited moderator role?

Use command-permission (CP) rules instead of giving every helper level 0:

cp add <command> <level>
cp remove <command>
cp list

Building an allowlist

1. Choose a numeric role, such as 100, and document what it may do.
2. Add only the required commands, for example cp add kick 100 and cp add say 100.
3. Check the resulting rules with cp list.
4. Test with a non-owner account before using the role on a public server.

Because an unlisted command remains level 0 by default, do not assume that level 100 automatically inherits a safe or complete moderator toolkit. Keep destructive commands out of the allowlist unless the role genuinely needs them.

Which commands manage connected players?

Start with the identity commands, then apply the action. listplayers (alias lp) shows connected players; listplayerids (alias lpi) shows IDs used by other commands.

Command	Scope	Typical use	Persistence and reversibility
listplayers / lp	Server	See who is connected	Runtime report; no state change
listplayerids / lpi	Server	Get entity or platform IDs	Runtime report; no state change
kick	Another player	Remove a player immediately	Temporary; the player can reconnect
ban add	Another player	Apply a timed ban	Persistent until expiry or removal
ban list	Server	Review active bans	Runtime report; no state change
ban remove	Another player	Lift a ban	Reversible administrative change
whitelist add	Server access	Admit a named player	Persistent list; test before enabling broadly
say	Server-wide message	Broadcast maintenance or rules	Transient chat announcement

Examples

lpi
kick PlayerName "Reason"
ban add PlayerName 2 hours "Reason"
ban list
whitelist add PlayerName
say Server restart in 10 minutes

Ban durations can be expressed in minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, or years. Exact argument order and accepted identity forms can change, so check help ban, help kick, and help whitelist on the running build. A populated whitelist admits only listed users; verify your own administrator account before relying on it.

How do I save, change time, control weather, and run world events?

These commands affect the world or the whole server rather than one player.

Command	Scope	What it does	Access path
saveworld	World	Manually writes the current world state	F1, telnet, or web console
settime / st	World clock	Changes day and time	F1, telnet, or web console
gettime / gt	World clock	Reports the current day and time	F1, telnet, or web console
weather	World	Changes weather conditions	F1, telnet, or web console
spawnairdrop	World event	Creates an airdrop	F1, telnet, or web console
spawnsupplycrate	World event	Creates a supply crate	F1, telnet, or web console
spawnentity / se	Entity	Spawns an entity using the command’s parameters	F1, telnet, or web console
spawnentityat	Entity and coordinates	Spawns an entity at a specified location	F1, telnet, or web console
shutdown	Server	Stops the dedicated server	F1, telnet, or web console

Use lpi before any command that requires a player ID. Run saveworld before planned maintenance or risky world edits, then announce the shutdown with say.

How do teleport commands differ?

teleport (alias tp) moves the local player who issued it. teleportplayer (alias tele) moves another player and therefore needs that player’s name or ID plus the destination syntax accepted by your build.

• Local teleport: works when the command has an in-game player context.
• Player-to-player teleport: targets another connected player; obtain the target ID with lpi.
• Headless console: a web or telnet session has no local avatar, so a local-player teleport cannot resolve its subject.

Because coordinate and player-argument formats vary, run help teleport and help teleportplayer before issuing a move on a live world.

What are creative, debug, item, and progression commands?

These tools bypass normal progression and should be restricted on shared servers.

Command	Effect	Scope	Risk
creativemenu / cm	Toggles the creative item interface	Local player	Removes normal item scarcity
debugmenu / dm	Toggles debug tools such as god mode and flight	Local player	Can bypass survival mechanics
giveself	Grants an item, with optional quality and count	Local player	Can alter progression and economy
giveselfxp	Grants experience to the local player	Local player	Progression bypass
givexp	Grants experience according to its target syntax	Player-dependent	Progression bypass
buff / debuff	Adds or removes a status effect	Local player	May create unintended states
buffplayer / debuffplayer	Adds or removes an effect on another player	Another player	Can disrupt a player’s character
kill	Alters the targeted player or entity state	Target-dependent	Potential item, location, or survival loss
killall	Removes entities in bulk	World	High impact and difficult to undo

For an item grant, the documented pattern is giveself <itemName> [quality] [count]. Verify the item name and optional arguments with help giveself; item IDs and accepted quality values are build-dependent.

How do I administer a server without an in-game player?

A dedicated server can expose telnet and an optional web dashboard. Hosting panels generally send commands through telnet, while a web console provides a browser-based equivalent. These are useful for a server that runs unattended or when no administrator is currently logged into the game.

Telnet settings and security

The configuration reference includes TelnetEnabled, TelnetPort (default 8081), and TelnetPassword. A blank password keeps telnet on local loopback instead of exposing it remotely. If remote access is required, set a strong password, restrict the listening address and firewall, and treat the credential as equivalent to an administrator password.

What headless consoles cannot do

Telnet and web dashboards can run server, world, and other-player commands such as kick, ban, say, and shutdown. Commands that act on the local player, including giveself and local teleport, need an in-game player context and fail or have no valid subject from a headless panel console.

Why does a command say I lack permission?

Check the identity, level, and command rule in that order.

1. Run admin list and confirm the exact name, entity ID, or platform ID you granted.
2. Remember that level 0 is strongest; a larger number is not more powerful.
3. If the player is not listed, the effective level is 1000.
4. Run cp list and check whether the command has an explicit rule for the player’s level.
5. Confirm that you are issuing the command through a path that supplies the required context. A local-player command can fail in telnet even when the account is an administrator.
6. Run help <command> to catch a renamed command, changed alias, or altered argument order.

After changing permissions, reconnect or re-authenticate if the server does not immediately reflect the new entry, then test with a harmless command such as say.

What changed in V3 server configuration?

V3 moved many gameplay settings out of the older individual properties in serverconfig.xml and into a generated SandboxCode value. Guides that instruct you to edit removed properties can appear to work while leaving the live setting unchanged.

1. Use the in-game Sandbox Options workflow to choose the settings.
2. Generate the resulting sandbox code.
3. Start or update the server with that value.
4. Run getsandboxoptions (alias gso) to verify the options actually loaded.

Use this verification step after an update or migration; do not infer that an old configuration key is still active merely because the server starts.

Which commands are dangerous, and how should I recover?

Back up before any terrain reset, bulk kill, or statistics reset. The high-impact set includes chunkreset, regionreset, worldchunkreset, smoothworldall, resetallstats, and killall.

• Terrain resets: can permanently alter or regenerate chunks and regions.
• killall: can remove entities across the world rather than one selected target.
• resetallstats: can erase accumulated statistics.
• Creative and debug tools: may not destroy files but can permanently change the intended progression of a shared save.

Use a copy of the save for experiments, announce disruptive actions, run saveworld first, and keep a known-good backup outside the live server directory. If a command produces an unexpected result, stop issuing further state-changing commands, preserve the logs and save, and restore the backup rather than attempting repeated resets.

Do these commands work on PS5 and Xbox?

The full F1 developer-console workflow applies to PC clients and PC dedicated servers. PS5 and Xbox provide a smaller, menu-based cheat or creative subset rather than the PC-style console, so PC command syntax should not be assumed to work on those clients.

Cross-play players can still administer a PC dedicated server through its web console. Server-side actions such as kick, ban, and shutdown remain available there, subject to the server’s permissions and console implementation.

What is the safest day-to-day administration workflow?

1. Identify: connect through F1, telnet, or the web dashboard and run help.
2. Back up: save the world and copy the save before resets, mass actions, or configuration changes.
3. Inspect IDs: run lpi before targeting a player.
4. Use least privilege: give owners level 0 and moderators only the explicit commands they need.
5. Announce: use say before kicks, restarts, or shutdowns that affect the community.
6. Verify: confirm bans, whitelist entries, sandbox options, and permission rules with ban list, admin list, cp list, and gso.
7. Test: run unfamiliar syntax on a copy or with a harmless target before applying it to the production world.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I run 7 Days to Die commands from a hosting control panel?

Usually yes, if the panel connects to the dedicated server’s telnet or web console. Server-wide operations work there, but commands whose subject is “self” need an in-game player and therefore cannot be substituted with a panel login.

What does the number after a ban duration mean?

It is the amount of time followed by a unit such as minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, or years. Use the live help ban output to confirm the accepted unit spelling and argument order for your build.

Where can I find the player ID needed by teleport or ban commands?

Run listplayerids or its short alias lpi from a console with access to the server. Copy the identifier exactly, because display names and platform IDs are not interchangeable in every command.

Why did an old serverconfig.xml tutorial stop changing my settings?

V3 consolidated many gameplay options into a generated SandboxCode value. Set options through the Sandbox Options workflow and verify the loaded result with getsandboxoptions or gso instead of relying on removed properties.