# How to Ban and Unban Players on Your Project Zomboid Server (/docs/project-zomboid/ban-players)



Managing disruptive players is essential for maintaining a healthy server community. This guide covers all methods to ban, unban, and kick players.

Kick a Player [#kick-a-player]

Kicking removes a player from the server immediately, but they can rejoin.

```
/kickuser "PlayerName"
```

Kick with a reason:

```
/kickuser "PlayerName" -r "Breaking server rules"
```

Ban a Player [#ban-a-player]

Ban by Username [#ban-by-username]

```
/banuser "PlayerName"
```

With a reason:

```
/banuser "PlayerName" -r "Griefing and teamkilling"
```

Ban by Steam ID [#ban-by-steam-id]

For players who change their name or aren't currently online:

```
/banid 76561198012345678
```

> 💡 **Tip:** Use [SteamID Finder](https://www.steamidfinder.com/) to find a player's Steam ID64 from their profile URL.

Unban a Player [#unban-a-player]

Unban by Username [#unban-by-username]

```
/unbanuser "PlayerName"
```

Unban by Steam ID [#unban-by-steam-id]

```
/unbanid 76561198012345678
```

View the Ban List [#view-the-ban-list]

You can check the ban list by viewing the server files:

<div className="fd-steps">
  <div className="fd-step">
    Navigate to the ban list [#1-navigate-to-the-ban-list]

    On XGamingServer, go to **Files** and open:

    ```
    Zomboid/Server/[servername]_bans.txt
    ```
  </div>

  <div className="fd-step">
    Review or edit manually [#2-review-or-edit-manually]

    The file contains entries of banned players. You can remove entries manually to unban players, then restart the server.
  </div>
</div>

Using RCON for Bans [#using-rcon-for-bans]

If you use [RCON](/docs/project-zomboid/rcon), the same commands work without the `/` prefix:

```
banuser "PlayerName" -r "Cheating"
unbanuser "PlayerName"
banid 76561198012345678
```

Best Practices [#best-practices]

* **Always include a reason** — it helps other admins understand why someone was banned
* **Use Steam ID bans** for serious offenders — username bans can be bypassed by changing names
* **Keep a ban log** — document who was banned, when, and why
* **Give warnings first** — for minor offenses, a kick with a reason is often enough

Related Guides [#related-guides]

See also: [Become a Server Admin](/docs/project-zomboid/become-admin) | [Admin Commands](/docs/project-zomboid/admin-commands) | [RCON](/docs/project-zomboid/rcon)

If you need help, join our [Discord](https://discord.xgamingserver.com/).