Insurgency Sandstorm Admin Commands, Admin Menu and RCON

On an Insurgency Sandstorm server, admins are listed by SteamID64 in Insurgency/Config/Server/Admins.txt. Once you are on the list, press minus on the number pad in game to open the admin menu for kicks, bans, map changes and bot settings. For text commands like kick, ban, travel and restartround, turn on RCON in the [Rcon] section of Game.ini and connect with any Source RCON client, by default on TCP port 27015.

How do I make myself admin?

1. Find your SteamID64. It is the 17 digit number in your Steam profile URL if you have not set a custom one, or any SteamID lookup site will convert your profile link.
2. Open Insurgency/Config/Server/Admins.txt. Create it if it does not exist.
3. Put one SteamID64 per line:

76561198000000001
76561198000000002

4. Restart the server.

Sandstorm reads the file named by the -AdminList launch option, and the default is Admins, so Admins.txt works without any extra switch. If you want a second list, for example a separate file for a co-op night, save it as CoopAdmins.txt in the same folder and launch with -AdminList=CoopAdmins.

Keep the list short. Anyone on it can ban, change maps and open the developer page, which includes cheats that switch off XP for everyone on the server.

How do I use the admin menu?

The admin menu is bound to numpad minus by default. You can rebind it in the game's controls if your keyboard has no number pad. It has four pages, and you move between them with Q and E:

For most server owners the menu is all they need. It shows only scenarios that exist for each map, which avoids the classic mistake of typing a scenario the map does not have.

Be careful on the Developer page. Sandstorm only awards XP on community servers while cheats are off, so if you run a Game Stats token so people can level up, stay on the first three pages.

How do I set up RCON?

RCON lets you run commands without being in the game, from a desktop tool, a bot or a phone app. Add this to Game.ini in Insurgency/Saved/Config/LinuxServer/ (or WindowsServer on Windows):

[Rcon]
bEnabled=True
Password=use-a-long-random-password
ListenPort=27015
bAllowConsoleCommands=True
MaxPasswordAttempts=3
IncorrectPasswordBanTime=30

You can enable it from the launch line instead with -Rcon -RconPassword=yourpassword -RconListenPort=27015.

Restart, then connect with any client that speaks the Source RCON protocol, such as mcrcon or the RCON tools built into server manager apps. Use your server's IP, the ListenPort and the password.

The port has to be reachable. At home, forward it on your router as TCP, as covered in our port forwarding guide. On a rented server, RCON can only listen on a port that is assigned to your server, so if no spare port is listed for you, ask your host to add one.

Which RCON commands are there?

If a command is not recognised after a game update, help prints the exact names your server build uses.

A few real examples:

listplayers
kick 76561198000000003 "team killing"
ban 76561198000000003 1440 "team killing after warning"
scenarios Checkpoint
travelscenario Scenario_Farmhouse_Checkpoint_Security
restartround 1

Use the SteamID from listplayers rather than the name. Names with spaces, symbols or clan tags are easy to get wrong, and two players can share a name.

How do I change bot settings without a restart?

listgamemodeproperties lists the live settings of the current game mode, and gamemodeproperty changes them for the rest of the match. Filter the list by a word to find the setting you want:

listgamemodeproperties Enemies
gamemodeproperty MaximumEnemies 16

This is a quick way to test bot counts with your squad. Changes made this way are lost when the map changes, so once you find values you like, write them into the co-op section of Game.ini. Our Sandstorm hosting guide covers those keys.

Where are bans stored?

Bans made from the admin menu or RCON are saved to a Bans.json file in the server's config folders, normally next to Admins.txt in Insurgency/Config/Server/. Use the file manager's search if it is not there. You can open it to see who was banned and for how long. To lift a ban, use unban rather than editing the file while the server runs. Back it up when you move servers so your ban list comes with you.

Running admin on a hosted Sandstorm server

On an Insurgency Sandstorm server from GamezServers, Admins.txt, Game.ini and Bans.json are in the browser file manager, the server name, map, scenario, max players and Game Stats token are panel settings, and the Steam server token is created for you. Extra launch options such as -AdminList or -Rcon go in Additional Switches. Backups are one click, and your clan can split the monthly bill. If your server is not appearing in the list, see why a Sandstorm server does not show in the browser.

FAQ

What key opens the admin menu in Insurgency Sandstorm?

Minus on the number pad, by default. You can rebind it in the controls settings, and it only works if your SteamID64 is in the server's Admins.txt.

Why can I not open the admin menu on my own server?

Your SteamID64 is missing from Admins.txt, it has a typo, or the server was not restarted after you added it. Check that the file is in Insurgency/Config/Server.

How do I change the map with RCON?

Use travelscenario followed by a scenario name, such as travelscenario Scenario_Farmhouse_Checkpoint_Security. Run scenarios first to see the exact names.

Does using admin commands stop XP?

Kicking, banning and changing maps do not. Turning on cheats from the Developer page does, because XP is only awarded while cheats are off.

What is the default RCON port for Insurgency Sandstorm?

27015 over TCP, set with ListenPort in the [Rcon] section of Game.ini.