How to Become Admin on a DayZ Server with VPPAdminTools

Vanilla DayZ gives server owners almost no in-game admin tools — there’s no built-in menu to teleport, heal, spawn items, or change the weather. The community solution that nearly every server uses is VPPAdminTools. This guide shows how to install it and become an admin on your own server.

What VPPAdminTools adds

It’s a Workshop mod that bolts a full admin menu onto DayZ: teleport, godmode, heal, refuel, spawn items and vehicles, free cam, kill, and live control of time and weather — all from an in-game interface rather than typed console commands.

Step 1: Install the mods

VPPAdminTools depends on Community Framework, so install both. Add them to your launch parameter (CF first):

-mod=@CF;@VPPAdminTools

Don’t forget to copy each mod’s .bikey into the server /keys folder — see our guide to installing DayZ mods for the full process. Start the server once so it generates its config folders.

Step 2: Add yourself as a Super Admin

After the first start, navigate to:

/profiles/VPPAdminTools/Permissions/SuperAdmins/SuperAdmins.txt

Open it and add the Steam64 ID of each player who should be an admin, one per line. You can look an ID up from a Steam profile URL or a SteamID lookup site.

Step 3: Set the admin password

Open:

/profiles/VPPAdminTools/Permissions/credentials.txt

Remove the placeholder first line and enter a strong admin password. Save the file and restart the server so the permissions load.

Step 4: Open the admin menu in-game

Join your server, then:

• Press END to toggle admin mode on.
• Press HOME to open the VPPAdminTools menu.
• Enter your admin password if prompted.

You now have the full admin toolset. From here you can teleport to players, spawn loot for events, repair vehicles, or freeze the time of day.

The vanilla alternative: #login

Without mods, the only built-in admin access is the BattlEye RCon / server console. Set passwordAdmin in serverDZ.cfg, then connect with an RCon tool and authenticate — but this only gives you basic kick/ban and messaging, not the in-world tools VPPAdminTools provides.

Run it on a stable host

Admin mods only shine on a server that stays online. XGamingServer DayZ hosting gives you file access to edit the VPP permission files, plus easy restarts. See our DayZ documentation for the config side and the loot editor for tuning what you spawn.

FAQ

Where do I find my Steam64 ID? It’s the 17-digit number in your Steam profile URL, or use any SteamID lookup tool.

The menu won’t open. Confirm your Steam64 ID is in SuperAdmins.txt, the mod loaded without key errors, and you pressed END before HOME.

Is VPPAdminTools safe to use on a public server? Yes — it’s the most widely used DayZ admin mod, and permissions are restricted to the Steam64 IDs you list.

Sources: VPPAdminTools (official repository).