How to Become an Admin on Starbound

Ready to go beyond surviving and become a true architect of your galaxy? As an admin on your Starbound server, you gain the power to shape the universe, moderate your community, spawn items for events, and customize the gameplay experience in real-time.

Becoming an admin is a two-part process: first, you'll create a special admin account in your server settings, and then you'll activate your powers in-game with a simple command. This guide will walk you through both stages and introduce the essential commands you'll need to manage your server effectively.

Step-by-Step Process

1. Open the Basic Settings and find the Server Admin Settings section.
2. Enable Admin Account Permissions and allow Admin Commands.

3. Go to Admin Username and enter a username of your choice (it doesn't have to match your Steam or character's name).
4. Go to Admin User Password and add a password.

5. Update the server and restart it to apply changes.

6. Join the game with that exact username and password to have access to admin commands.

7. In-game, type /admin to enable admin commands and become immortal.

8. Use a / to input commands. For example, /setgrativity X changing the X into the desired gravity number.

Useful Tips and Commands

If multiple accounts are needed, the users block allows as many admin accounts as desired on a config template:

"serverUsers": {
 "USER1": {
   "password": "PASSWORD1",
   "admin": true
 },
 "USER2": {
   "password": "PASSWORD2",
   "admin": true
 },
 "USER3": {
   "password": "PASSWORD3",
   "admin": true
 }

Repeat as many times as needed for as many users as desired. Don't forget that the closing } doesn't have a comma (,)at the end.

Here are some useful commands you can use as an admin:

• /spawnitem [item name] - Spawn any item you need.
• /kick [player name] - Remove an unwanted player from your server.
• /ban [player name] - Prevent a player from joining your server.

To manage your Starbound server effectively, consider allowing anonymous connections. By making all anonymous players admins, you eliminate the need for an admin account to issue admin commands, streamlining your management process.

Troubleshooting

Having trouble with your new powers? Here are the most common permission-related issues and how to solve them.

• Server Not Starting After Disabling Admin Accounts? This is a common config conflict. If you disable the "Admin Account Permissions" toggle in your Basic Settings, you must also clear out the Admin Username and Admin Password fields. Leaving a username and password in those fields while the feature is disabled will prevent the server from starting.
• Commands Aren't Working or Everyone is an Admin? Starbound has several permission toggles that work together. In your Basic Settings, check the following:
  • Allow Admin Commands: This must be ON for any admin commands to work.
  • Anonymous Are Admins: This is a powerful setting intended for private servers among trusted friends. When set to ON, it automatically grants full admin privileges to every single player who joins your server, no password required. 
    Warning: For any public server, we strongly advise keeping this setting OFF to prevent unauthorized use of powerful and potentially destructive commands.

Conclusion

You are now a Protector of the universe—or at least, your corner of it! By activating your admin status, you've unlocked the ultimate creative and moderation toolkit for your server. You're ready to build magnificent colonies, host unique events by spawning items, and keep your community safe and fun. The power to craft the perfect Starbound experience is now in your hands.

If you have any questions or need assistance, feel free to reach out to our customer care agents through our live chat or email at [email protected]. 

Happy gaming!