How to Become Admin on a Project Zomboid Server

How to Become Admin on a Project Zomboid Server

You become admin on Project Zomboid through the server console — there's no in-game button, no admin password set up by default. This guide walks through the exact steps to grant yourself admin access on a Pterodactyl-hosted server, then covers the essential commands you'll actually use day-to-day.

Step 1 — Find your server console

In the DoomHosting panel (or any Pterodactyl panel):

1. Open your server
2. Click the Console tab
3. Wait for the line SERVER STARTED to appear

You'll see startup logs first. Don't type until the server is fully started — early commands get dropped.

Step 2 — Grant yourself admin

Type this in the console (no / prefix needed when typing in the console — slashes are only for in-game chat):

grantadmin YourSteamUsername

Replace YourSteamUsername with your in-game player name (case-sensitive). You should see:

User YourSteamUsername has been added as admin.

If the user doesn't exist yet, you need to log in to the server at least once. The system creates an account record on first login.

Step 3 — Verify in-game

Connect to the server and type /help in chat. If you see the full admin command list (50+ commands), you're admin. If you only see basic player commands (8–10 commands), the grant didn't take.

Access levels (not just "admin")

Project Zomboid supports five access tiers via setaccesslevel:

Set them with:

setaccesslevel "PlayerName" "moderator"

The 10 commands you'll actually use

Out of 50+ commands, these are the ones you'll reach for weekly:

For the full command reference, see our Project Zomboid Server Commands Guide.

Console vs in-game chat — the syntax difference

Both work identically — the only difference is the slash. New admins often paste console syntax into chat and wonder why nothing happens.

Where admin permissions are stored

Admin status lives in the SQLite database at:

/home/container/Zomboid/db/servertest.db

You can inspect it with any SQLite browser if you need to bulk-edit. The whitelist table holds username → access level. Modify the accesslevel column directly to promote/demote outside of the console.

Setting an admin password (security)

By default, the dedicated server prompts for an admin password on first run, used when you log in as the special admin account. To reset it from the console:

changepwd "current_password" "new_password"

Or for the admin user specifically while logged in as them:

changepwd "admin" "newPassword"

Use a long random password — admin has full server control and the account name is well-known.

Common problems

"User does not exist" The player has never logged in. Have them connect once first, then re-run grantadmin.

"Permission denied" running commands as admin You used in-game chat without the /. Slash is required in chat.

Lost admin password Stop the server, open /home/container/Zomboid/db/servertest.db in DB Browser for SQLite, find the admin row in whitelist, replace the password field with a known bcrypt hash (or delete the row and recreate via console after restart).

Console keeps saying "Type 'help' for commands" The server hasn't finished starting. Wait for SERVER STARTED before typing.

FAQ

Can multiple players be admin at once? Yes — there's no limit. Run grantadmin for each.

Is there an admin GUI? Project Zomboid has no admin GUI. Everything happens through console commands or by editing the SQLite database directly.

Can I demote myself by accident? Yes — /removeadmin "YourName" strips your own admin. If you do this and have no other admin accounts, log in as the admin user with the password you set on first run.

What's the difference between admin and the special admin user account? admin is a built-in account with hardcoded admin privileges, used when you can't log in via Steam (e.g. for password recovery). Regular admin status is granted to your normal Steam-linked account.