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On an Enshrouded dedicated server you become admin by joining with the password of a player group that has admin permissions. Each group in userGroups in enshrouded_server.json has its own password and permissions. Your server starts with one group, “Default”, edited in Game settings. To add an Admin group, add a second group to the file with Can kick and ban set to true and a different password.

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What each permission does

Everyone can fight, loot and do quests in the open world whatever their group. The permissions above limit bases, chests, terrain and moderation.

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How to change what the Default group can do

1

Open Game settings

Open your server and click Game settings under GAME SETTINGS.
2

Change the permissions

Go to Player group “Default” and switch the toggles, for example turn off Can open chests and inventories for a public server.
3

Save and restart

Click Review and save, Save changes, then Restart now.

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How to add an Admin group

Game settings shows only the first group (“Other groups are in the file.”). Add more groups in enshrouded_server.json.
1

Back up and stop the server

Make a backup, then stop the server.
2

Open the file

In Game settings, click “enshrouded_server.json: open the raw file”, or open enshrouded_server.json in Files.
3

Add the group

Inside "userGroups": [ ... ], put a comma after the “Default” group and add a new group with its own password:
4

Save and start

Save the file and start the server. Join with the Admin password to get admin rights.
Each group needs a different password. Players who type the Admin password become admins, so only share it with people you trust.

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Which roles does Keen Games suggest?

Keen Games describes these groups for dedicated servers: To make a Guest or Visitor group, add a group with the matching keys set to false. A Visitor group has "canEditWorld": false.

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How do reserved slots work?

Reserved slots keeps slots free for one group. If an Admin group has 1 reserved slot, the server can look full to other players while an admin can still join. Reserved slots come out of your Player slots.

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Frequently asked questions

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How do admins kick or ban players?

Players in a group with Can kick and ban can remove other players in game. A kick lets the player come back later. A ban puts the player on a lasting ban list, and they stay blocked until an admin removes them from it. Your server’s file keeps this list as bannedAccounts.

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Can I promote a player in game?

Enshrouded 1.0 lets hosts set roles in the social menu, but Keen Games says dedicated servers keep their password-based groups. On your server, roles come from the passwords.

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What happens if I break the JSON?

The server may not start or may ignore your groups. Restore enshrouded_server.json.bak or your backup. See the settings file explained.

Enshrouded server guide

Every Enshrouded page in one place.

Who can join

Passwords instead of a whitelist.

Set a server password

The Default group’s password.

Settings file explained

Every key in enshrouded_server.json.

File Manager

Edit files in the panel.
Tested by the FREAKHOSTING team on our Game Panel on 30 October 2026 (Enshrouded 1.0 dedicated server). Roles checked against Keen Games’ Server Roles Configuration, the Wake of the Water update notes and the Enshrouded 1.0 changelog. Steps may differ slightly if the game changes.

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Need Extra Help?

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Last Updated: October 2026