# Squad Admin Permissions & Groups (Admins.cfg) (/docs/squad/admin-permissions)



Squad admins are defined in `SquadGame/ServerConfig/Admins.cfg`. You create **groups** (bundles of permissions), then assign players to a group by their Steam ID. This page is the full reference for the access levels; for a quick "how do I add my first admin" walkthrough see [Adding Admins](/docs/squad/adding-admins).

How Admins.cfg Works [#how-adminscfg-works]

There are two kinds of lines:

```ini
// 1) Define a group and its permissions
Group=Admin:kick,ban,changemap,cheat,cameraman
Group=Moderator:kick,ban

// 2) Assign a player (by SteamID64) to a group
Admin=76561198000000000:Admin       // Adam the admin
Admin=76561198111111111:Moderator   // Molly the moderator
```

* Group format: `Group=<Name>:<perm1>,<perm2>,...`
* Admin format: `Admin=<SteamID64>:<GroupName>`
* Anything after `//` on a line is an in-line comment.
* The two default groups are `Admin` and `Moderator` — edit or add your own.

> Use the player's **SteamID64** (the 17-digit number), not their profile name. Look it up at [steamid.io](https://steamid.io) or [steamdb.info/calculator](https://steamdb.info/calculator/).

Access Levels [#access-levels]

| Permission        | What it grants                                                                        |
| ----------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `changemap`       | Change the current map/layer.                                                         |
| `pause`           | Pause and unpause server gameplay.                                                    |
| `cheat`           | Use server cheat commands.                                                            |
| `private`         | Password-protect the server.                                                          |
| `balance`         | Ignore server team balance (bypass switch limits).                                    |
| `chat`            | Use admin chat and server broadcast.                                                  |
| `kick`            | Kick players.                                                                         |
| `ban`             | Ban players.                                                                          |
| `config`          | Change server config.                                                                 |
| `cameraman`       | Admin spectate / free-cam mode.                                                       |
| `immune`          | Cannot be kicked or banned.                                                           |
| `manageserver`    | Shut down the server.                                                                 |
| `featuretest`     | Access dev feature-test tools.                                                        |
| `reserve`         | Occupy a [reserved slot](/docs/squad/reserved-slots).                                 |
| `demos`           | Record **server-side** demos via admin commands *(noted as currently broken by OWI)*. |
| `clientdemos`     | Record **client-side** demos via commands or the replay UI.                           |
| `debug`           | Show admin stats and debugging info.                                                  |
| `teamchange`      | No timer limits on changing teams.                                                    |
| `forceteamchange` | Use the `ForceTeamChange` command.                                                    |
| `canseeadminchat` | See admin chat and teamkill / admin-join notifications.                               |
| `startvote`       | *(reserved — not currently used)*                                                     |

Example: a Full Admin Setup [#example-a-full-admin-setup]

```ini
// Owners — everything
Group=SuperAdmin:changemap,pause,cheat,private,balance,chat,kick,ban,config,cameraman,immune,manageserver,reserve,demos,clientdemos,debug,teamchange,forceteamchange,canseeadminchat

// Trusted staff — moderation without server control
Group=Admin:changemap,chat,kick,ban,cameraman,reserve,canseeadminchat,teamchange

// Light moderation
Group=Moderator:chat,kick,canseeadminchat

// Members — reserved slot only
Group=Member:reserve

Admin=76561198000000000:SuperAdmin
Admin=76561198111111111:Admin
Admin=76561198222222222:Moderator
Admin=76561198333333333:Member
```

Applying Changes [#applying-changes]

Save `Admins.cfg`, then **restart the server** from the Console to apply the changes. See [RCON](/docs/squad/rcon) for managing the server remotely once it's running.

Related Guides [#related-guides]

* [Adding Admins](/docs/squad/adding-admins)
* [Reserved Slots](/docs/squad/reserved-slots)
* [RCON](/docs/squad/rcon)
* [Ban Players](/docs/squad/ban-players)