Enshrouded Server Admin Commands and How to Use Them

Enshrouded does not document a native slash-command console or RCON interface. Administration is handled through permission groups selected by the join password and, on a dedicated server, the enshrouded_server.json configuration file. Lists of commands such as /give, /tp, /kick, or /ban should be treated as unverified or as commands from another game.

To administer a server, create a protected Admin password, assign trusted players to that password, use the in-game player list or Social interface for moderation, and edit gameplay rules in the generated JSON file. The steps below cover dedicated-server setup, role changes, kicks and bans, custom settings, capacity planning, and recovery when a configuration edit prevents startup.

What are the Enshrouded admin commands?

There is no officially documented Enshrouded command prompt for server administration. Keen Games’ administration model is configuration- and role-based rather than command-based, and current hosting documentation does not describe a native console, chat-command system, or RCON endpoint.

That means a command list copied from a forum or another survival game is not a reliable way to manage an Enshrouded world. In particular, do not assume that /give, /tp, /kick, /ban, or similar text commands work on an unmodified server. Use the permission system and the controls exposed by the running game instead.

How does Enshrouded’s permission system work?

The password used to join determines the permission group assigned to that player. There is no separate in-game promotion command: a player must join with the password associated with the intended group.

Dedicated servers define these groups in the userGroups section of enshrouded_server.json. The generated file for your current server build is authoritative because role names, fields, and default values can differ between peer-to-peer and dedicated-server setup screens.

Permission group	Documented capabilities	Best use
Admin	canKickBan, inventory access, world edits, base edits, and base-extension permissions	Owner and trusted moderators
Friend	Combat, exploration, looting, inventory use, and base building, with fewer destructive and moderation rights	Regular members who need normal building access
Guest	Ordinary world activity with restricted inventory and base permissions	Players who should have limited access
Visitor	The most restricted official preset; no base or outside-world edits in the documented example	Short-term or highly restricted access

Possession of the Admin password grants the permissions attached to that group. Treat it like a server credential rather than a convenience code, and give it only to people who should be able to remove players or change the world.

How do I set up an Enshrouded dedicated-server admin?

1. Install the server tool. In Steam, enable the Tools filter, install Enshrouded Dedicated Server, and launch the executable once. The first launch creates enshrouded_server.json.
2. Stop the process before editing. Do not change the file while the server is running. Make a backup copy so you can restore a known-good configuration.
3. Set a unique Admin password. In the generated userGroups entries, replace the example Admin password with a value not used elsewhere. Configure the Friend, Guest, and Visitor entries as needed.
4. Start the server and read the log. Wait for a healthy online state before asking players to connect. A successful startup confirms that the file is valid JSON and that the executable accepted the current settings.
5. Distribute only the relevant password. Each player should receive the password for the role they need. Do not send the Admin password to a player who only needs ordinary building or exploration permissions.

Players select their role when they join by entering that role’s password. If someone uses the wrong password, they receive the permissions attached to that password; there is no later “promote” command to correct the role from chat.

How do I make someone an admin on an existing server?

Edit the dedicated server’s userGroups configuration and provide the trusted player with the Admin password. The player then needs to connect using that password so the server can assign the Admin group at join time.

For safety, avoid changing a shared password if it is already known by people who should not retain Admin access. Instead, stop the server, update the Admin password to a new value, back up the file, restart, and distribute the replacement only to the intended moderators. A password change controls future joins; players who reconnect with another group’s password will receive that group’s permissions.

How do I kick or ban a player?

An Admin-role player with canKickBan: true can remove players through the in-game player list or Social interface. This is the documented moderation path, not a typed slash command.

Kicking a player

1. Join with the password assigned to the Admin group.
2. Open the in-game player list or Social interface.
3. Select the player and use the available kick action.
4. Confirm the removal and check that the player disappears from the connected-player list.

Banning a player

Use the same in-game moderation interface when the ban action is available to your Admin role. Ban-storage keys and file details can vary by game build or hosting provider, so do not copy a ban-list path from an unrelated guide and assume it applies to your server. Check the generated configuration and the documentation for the specific panel or build before hand-editing ban data.

If moderation controls are missing, first verify that you joined with the Admin password and that the active userGroups entry contains canKickBan: true. Also confirm that you edited the JSON used by the running server rather than a duplicate file in another installation directory.

How do I change Enshrouded gameplay rules?

Gameplay tuning belongs in gameSettings. The official presets are Default, Relaxed, Hard, Survival, and Custom. Individual values are available when the preset is Custom.

Use the Custom preset

1. Stop the server and back up enshrouded_server.json.
2. Set "gameSettingsPreset": "Custom".
3. Keep the complete generated gameSettings object and change existing properties in place. Do not replace it with a short object that omits values your build expects.
4. Save the file as valid JSON, start the server, and wait for a healthy online state.
5. Restart again after later edits; gameplay changes are not a live chat command and require the server to load the new configuration.

The available custom categories include health, stamina, durability, hunger, Shroud time, weather, mining, resource drops, production speed, experience, enemy behavior, boss modifiers, day and night duration, curse behavior, taming repercussions, and tombstone handling.

Example of a valid custom-settings pattern

{
  "gameSettingsPreset": "Custom",
  "gameSettings": {
    "resourceDropStackAmountFactor": 1.5,
    "enemyHealthFactor": 1.0,
    "dayTimeDuration": 1800000000000
  }
}

This is a pattern, not a complete replacement for the generated object. Preserve the rest of the server’s existing gameSettings entries and change only the values you intend to tune.

Why are time values so large?

The official documentation defines time values in nanoseconds. Therefore, a property such as dayTimeDuration or nightTimeDuration does not accept a minute count pasted directly from a calculator or a chat message. Convert the desired duration to the unit documented by the current server version before saving.

Why is my gameSettings block having no effect?

• The preset is still Default or another preset. Individual overrides require "gameSettingsPreset": "Custom".
• The server was not restarted. Stop and start the dedicated server after editing; a running process does not treat the file as a live command console.
• The wrong file was edited. Confirm the path of the JSON generated by the executable you actually launch.
• The property name or value is invalid. Keep the spelling and data type from the generated file. An invalid text value can prevent startup or be ignored.
• The JSON is malformed. A missing comma, extra comma, unmatched brace, or accidental comment can stop the server before it reaches an online state.
• The time unit is wrong. Convert durations to nanoseconds rather than entering minutes or seconds directly.

If a change breaks startup, stop trying to repair the file line by line. Restore the backup first. If the JSON has become stale after an update, back it up, delete it, allow the executable to generate a fresh file, and reapply your settings carefully.

What are the Enshrouded server limits and resource requirements?

The dedicated server accepts up to 16 player slots. Keen Games’ 2025 figures provide a useful planning baseline for a self-hosted Windows machine, although actual usage can vary with the world and operating environment.

Setting or resource	Published figure	How to use it when planning
queryPort	15637 by default	Keep the configured port consistent with the firewall and connection details.
slotCount	1–16 players	Set a value within this range; the game does not provide a larger native slot count.
Idle physical RAM	About 4.4 GB	Reserve this before counting players or other applications.
Additional RAM per player	Up to about 100 MB	Use the upper figure for conservative capacity planning.
Recommended total physical RAM	No more than 6 GB	Use Keen Games’ recommendation as a practical target for the server process and its player load.
Free disk space	About 30 GB recommended; uncompressed files reported at about 13 GB	Leave room for installation files, updates, world data, logs, and backups.

The default query port is not a substitute for firewall configuration: the machine must allow the port you actually set, and players must use the same connection information exposed by the server. If you change the port, record the new value with your server’s other settings.

Should I use peer-to-peer hosting, a self-hosted dedicated server, or a managed host?

The right choice depends less on a missing command console and more on who should maintain the executable, JSON file, network access, restarts, and backups.

Hosting approach	Permission and settings control	Maintenance responsibility	Best fit
Peer-to-peer	Roles and defaults are exposed through the game’s setup flow; exact names and defaults can differ from dedicated-server JSON.	The host handles sessions and configuration through the game’s available controls.	A small group that does not need a continuously available dedicated process.
Self-hosted dedicated server	Direct access to userGroups, gameSettings, queryPort, and slot settings in enshrouded_server.json.	You handle the Windows executable, firewall and port configuration, restarts, backups, updates, and recovery.	Owners who want direct file control and can maintain the machine.
Managed hosting	Usually exposes the same kinds of role and gameplay settings through a provider panel; the exact interface follows that provider’s documentation.	The provider is intended to reduce hands-on work for the executable, ports, backups, and JSON maintenance.	Groups that prefer convenience over direct machine administration.

All three approaches still use the game’s permission concept: the join password determines the role. A managed panel may make editing easier, but it does not create an officially documented slash-command system.

What should I check when administration is not working?

• Wrong permissions: reconnect with the Admin password and verify the active Admin entry has canKickBan: true.
• Settings are ignored: confirm the preset is Custom, the property exists in the generated object, and the server was restarted.
• Server will not start: restore the last backup. If an update left the file malformed or stale, delete the broken copy after backing it up and let the executable regenerate it.
• Players cannot connect: check queryPort, firewall rules, and the configured slot count. The default query port is 15637 and the valid slot range is 1–16.
• Ban data is unclear: use the in-game moderation action first, then follow the ban-storage instructions for your current build or provider rather than editing an unverified path.
• Role defaults look different: compare the current generated file with an older guide. Dedicated and peer-to-peer setups can present different role names or defaults.

How can I secure an Enshrouded server?

• Use a unique Admin password and distribute it only to trusted moderators.
• Give ordinary players the Friend, Guest, or Visitor password that matches the access they need.
• Stop the server before editing the JSON file and keep dated backups of known-good versions.
• After updates, verify that the regenerated or migrated file still contains the intended role and gameplay settings.
• Record the active query port, slot count, and backup location so another trusted administrator can recover the server.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can two players have different Enshrouded roles on the same server?

Yes. Each player can join with the password for the permission group they need, so one person can use the Admin password while others use Friend, Guest, or Visitor credentials. The role is attached to that join, not permanently to the character.

Does changing a password instantly demote someone who is already online?

The documented system assigns permissions when the player joins with a password. To ensure the new role is applied, change the password, restart if required by your setup, and have the player disconnect and reconnect using the intended credential.

Can I edit the server JSON while players are connected?

Stop the dedicated server before editing. Changes are loaded during startup, and editing a live file can leave the running process and the saved configuration out of sync.

What happens to my settings after an Enshrouded update?

An update can leave the existing JSON malformed or stale. Back up the file, allow the executable to regenerate it when necessary, then reapply settings using the freshly generated structure instead of blindly restoring an older file.