How to kick and ban players on a Valheim server (no RCON, no text files)

Kicking or banning someone on your Valheim server means digging up their SteamID and editing a text file, because Valheim has no RCON, so plain RCON tools can't even connect. RCON Hub fixes it: its Valheim Manager lets you kick, ban, make admins and run the allowlist by player name, with a reason and a time limit.

Why moderation is hard on Valheim

The Valheim dedicated server has no RCON and no remote console. Admins, bans and the allowlist live in three plain text files: adminlist.txt, bannedlist.txt and permittedlist.txt. Each one holds player IDs only. No names, no reasons, no dates.

There's no kick from outside the game either. An admin in the game can use the F5 console, but only while they're playing.

So the manual fix looks like this:

• Search the server's log for the player's name to find their SteamID.
• Open the save folder and paste that ID into bannedlist.txt.
• Note somewhere else why, and remember to remove the line when a temporary ban is over.

Do that for a few griefers and nobody remembers who's on the list or why.

What the game and other tools leave out

• No kick from outside the game. With no RCON, plain RCON tools have nothing to connect to, and a hosting panel only edits files. Valheim Manager kicks by banning the player for a moment, waiting for the server to drop them, then unbanning them. No restart needed.
• IDs, not names. The lists only hold player IDs. Valheim Manager reads the server's log and matches every name to its ID, so you pick players by name.
• No reasons or time limits. The game's ban is a bare ID that stays forever. Valheim Manager adds a reason and a time limit, lifts temporary bans itself, and keeps a moderation history with who did it and why.
• No messages in game. Valheim can't message players, so nobody sees a warning. Valheim Manager posts admin actions, joins and restart countdowns to Discord.
• An easy lock-out. Turn on the allowlist with nobody on it and you lock everyone out. Valheim Manager refuses that, and can allowlist everyone who has played in one click.

How RCON Hub fixes it

Valheim Manager writes the three lists for you:

• Ban for an hour, a day, a week, 30 days, or until unbanned.
• Kick works within seconds, because the server checks the ban list every few seconds.
• Admin and allowlist are one tick each.

Step-by-step setup

1. Install RCON Hub. Download it from rconhub.gg and run the installer. It's free for Windows 10 and 11.
2. Add the Valheim game pack. Open RCON Hub. On Your games, click Add game, pick Valheim and click Install.
3. Set up your server. On the Servers page, click Add a server on this PC. Give it a Server name and a World, then click Create.
4. Install and start. On the Server page, click Install it for me to download the dedicated server with SteamCMD, then click Start server.
5. Kick or ban a player. Open the Players page. Under Online now, click Kick or Ban next to their name. For a ban, add a reason (only admins see it), pick how long, and click Ban.
6. Ban someone who's offline. Find them under Everyone who has played, or type their SteamID in Ban someone by SteamID (17 digits) and click Ban.
7. Make an admin or lock the server. In the same list, tick Admin to give someone the game's F5 console commands. Tick Allowed for your friends, or click Only allow everyone listed here to allowlist everyone who has played. Let anyone join opens it up again.
8. Unban. Untick Banned next to the player.

Renting your server? Add it on the Servers page with Add a rented server, using a Nitrado token or an FTP login. Bans, admins and the allowlist are written into the server's files and apply within seconds. Kicks aren't possible on a rented server, so ban instead.

Is it safe?

Yes.

• It runs locally. RCON Hub and Valheim Manager run on your own Windows PC. They read the server's log and write its lists. No admin port is ever opened.
• No injection. RCON Hub never touches the game client or your players' games. There's nothing for anti-cheat to flag, so it won't get anyone banned.
• Your secrets stay put. Nitrado tokens and FTP passwords are stored encrypted on your PC and never shown again.

It's beta software. Back up your server's settings and data before you change things.

Stop hunting for SteamIDs

Your ban list should have names and reasons, not just numbers. Download RCON Hub, add the Valheim pack, and moderate your world in a few clicks.

Download RCON Hub 0.3.13 More guides