7DTDServer Admin

7 Days to Die Server Admin & Telnet Commands: Console Reference

Every 7 Days to Die admin command an operator needs over Telnet: enable the Telnet console, set permission levels in serveradmin.xml, add admins, kick and ban by name/Steam ID, broadcast and save, change game prefs live, teleport and buff players, and spawn entities - plus why 7D2D uses Telnet (not Valve Source RCON) and the version-dependent gotchas to avoid.

admin2 views

7 Days to Die does not use the Valve Source RCON protocol that Counter-Strike or Rust use. Its dedicated server exposes a Telnet console instead, and many hosts loosely call that "RCON" even though the wire protocol is Telnet. This reference covers enabling Telnet, the permission model, moderation, server control, and game-master tools - and flags the commands that changed in V1.0 or that single sources get wrong.

Three ways to administer a 7 Days to Die server

Method	How	Notes
In-game console	The host/local player presses F1	Same command set, but only for the player running the game.
Telnet	`telnet <server-ip> 8081`, then enter the Telnet password	The primary remote-admin path. Requires `TelnetEnabled` + a `TelnetPassword`.
Web Dashboard	Browser to `<server-ip>:<WebDashboardPort>`	Optional browser console; enabled separately, distinct from Telnet.

Telnet, not Source RCON. Standard Valve RCON clients (mcrcon, most "rcon-cli" defaults) will not connect to a 7 Days to Die server. Use a Telnet client, or an RCON tool with an explicit Telnet mode (e.g. rcon-cli -t telnet). In PuTTY, choose connection type Raw, not SSH.

Enabling Telnet

Telnet is configured in serverconfig.xml (the main server config). Set a strong password - a blank TelnetPassword leaves the console open (or disabled, depending on the host):

<property name="TelnetEnabled"  value="true" />
<property name="TelnetPort"     value="8081" />
<property name="TelnetPassword" value="your_strong_password" />
<property name="TelnetFailedLoginLimit"      value="10" />
<property name="TelnetFailedLoginsBlocktime" value="10" />

EACEnabled (EasyAntiCheat) gates client/server connections only - it does not block Telnet, so you can administer over Telnet whether EAC is on or off.

Permission levels (serveradmin.xml)

Admin rights live in serveradmin.xml (its name is set by ServerAdminFileName in serverconfig.xml). The scale is inverted from what you might expect:

0 = highest authority (owner / superadmin), 1000 = a default unprivileged player.
A user can run any command whose required level is greater than or equal to their own level. A level-0 admin can run everything; a level-500 admin only commands set to 500+.
Users not listed default to 1000. Commands not listed in the permissions section default to 0 (admin-only).

<adminTools>
  <admins>
    <!-- V1.0+ format: -->
    <user platform="Steam" userid="76561198000000000" name="You" permission_level="0" />
    <!-- Alpha-era format, still seen in older host docs: -->
    <!-- <admin steamID="76561198000000000" permission_level="0" /> -->
  </admins>
  <permissions>
    <permission cmd="kick"     permission_level="1" />
    <permission cmd="ban"      permission_level="1" />
    <permission cmd="shutdown" permission_level="1" />
    <permission cmd="admin"    permission_level="0" />
  </permissions>
</adminTools>

Version note: the <user platform="Steam" userid="..."> form is the V1.0+ preferred layout; older Alpha documentation uses <admin steamID="...">. Both appear in the wild - match whatever format your save already uses, and check your version with version.

You can also manage admins live from the console (no file editing or restart):

Command	Syntax	Purpose
`admin add`	`admin add <name/entityid/steamid> <level>`	Grant or set a permission level (0-1000).
`admin remove`	`admin remove <name/entityid/steamid>`	Remove an admin entry.
`admin list`	`admin list`	List all admin entries.

Listing players

Command	Alias	Purpose
`listplayers`	`lp`	List connected players with health, position, and IP.
`listplayerids`	`lpi`	List players with entity IDs and Steam IDs.

Run listplayers before a kick/ban so you target the exact name, entity ID, or Steam ID.

Moderation

Command	Syntax	Notes
`kick`	`kick <name/entityid/steamid> [reason]`	Kick a player; reason optional.
`kickall`	`kickall [reason]`	Kick everyone currently connected.
`ban add`	`ban add <name/entityid/steamid> <duration> <unit> [reason]`	Units: `minutes hours days weeks months years`.
`ban remove`	`ban remove <name/entityid/steamid>`	Lift a ban.
`ban list`	`ban list`

kick "Bob" "AFK on a full server"
ban add "Cheater" 30 days "aimbot"
ban add 76561198000000000 1 years "repeat ban evasion"

Ban by Steam ID for repeat offenders - it survives a name change. The sources do not document a reliable "permanent" duration flag, so use a long explicit duration (e.g. 100 years) rather than relying on an undocumented forever-ban.

Whitelist

Command	Syntax
`whitelist add`	`whitelist add <name/entityid/steamid>`
`whitelist remove`	`whitelist remove <name/entityid/steamid>`
`whitelist list`	`whitelist list`

Communication & info

Command	Alias	Syntax / Purpose
`say`		`say <message>` - broadcast to all connected players.
`help`		`help` for the full list, or `help <command>` for one command's syntax.
`version`		Shows the game version and loaded mods.
`gettime`	`gt`	Current in-game day and time.

Server control & game settings

Command	Alias	Syntax / Purpose
`saveworld`	`sa`	Force an immediate world save.
`shutdown`		Gracefully save and stop the server.
`getgamepref`	`gg`	Show current game preferences.
`setgamepref`	`sg`	`setgamepref <name> <value>` - change one live preference.
`getgamestat`	`ggs`	Show current game statistics.

say "Server saving and restarting in 5 minutes."
saveworld
shutdown

settime warning. The official wiki flags settime as high-risk: jumping the clock can break timer- and quest-related state on a live save. Use it sparingly, and save first.

Teleporting, buffs & spawning (game-master tools)

teleport moves you; teleportplayer moves another player - they are different commands that guides often conflate. Targets must be online.

Command	Alias	Syntax / Purpose
`teleport`	`tp`	`teleport <E/W> [y] <N/S>` (coords) or `teleport <name/id>` - move yourself.
`teleportplayer`	`tele`	`teleportplayer <target> <x> <y> <z>` or `teleportplayer <targetid> <otherid>` - move another player.
`giveself`		`giveself <itemName> [quality]` - drop an item at your feet (quality up to 600).
`giveselfxp`		`giveselfxp <amount>` - give yourself experience.

serverconfig.xml: key settings

<property name="ServerName"           value="My Server" />
<property name="ServerPassword"       value="" />
<property name="ServerMaxPlayerCount" value="8" />
<property name="GameWorld"            value="Navezgane" />  <!-- or "RWG" for procedural -->
<property name="ServerAdminFileName"  value="serveradmin.xml" />

V1.0 removed the old SaveGameFolder property - the save location is now derived from UserDataFolder. Don't carry SaveGameFolder into a V1.0 config.

Common mistakes

It is Telnet, not Source RCON. Valve RCON clients fail to connect; use a Telnet client or an RCON tool's explicit Telnet mode.
giveself, not give. Giving items to yourself is giveself. A bare give <player> <item> for other players is not consistently documented across the official wiki - avoid relying on it.
teleport vs teleportplayer. The first moves you, the second moves someone else. Use tele (teleportplayer) to relocate a stuck player.
settime can corrupt timers - see the warning above.
serveradmin.xml format changed in V1.0 - <user platform="Steam" userid=...> vs the older <admin steamID=...>. Match your save's existing format.

MantaScope tracks your 7 Days to Die server from the browser - live player count, population history, uptime, server rank, and public reviews - so you can watch your community without a desktop tool, alongside scheduled monitoring and Discord status alerts.