--- title: "SCUM Whitelist, Priority Slots and Bans" description: "ExclusiveUsers.ini is SCUM's whitelist; WhitelistedUsers.ini is priority slots. The difference, plus bans and admin access." url: "https://www.gameserverkings.com/knowledge-base/scum/scum-whitelist-and-admin-access/" category: "SCUM" category_url: "https://www.gameserverkings.com/knowledge-base/scum/" published: "2026-09-12T06:30:39.817Z" updated: "2026-09-12T06:32:35.847Z" source_format: "markdown" site: "GameServerKings" --- # SCUM Whitelist, Priority Slots and Bans Who can join a SCUM server, who gets priority when it is full, and who is locked out are decided by a handful of plain text files sitting next to `ServerSettings.ini`. They are all lists of Steam64 IDs, one per line, and they are all read when the server starts — so an edit does nothing until you restart. The one that catches people out is the naming. **`ExclusiveUsers.ini` is the whitelist. `WhitelistedUsers.ini` is not.** > [!NOTE] Checked against SCUM **1.3.3.4.149664** (11 September 2026) > Descriptions quoted below are Gamepires' own, from the server tutorial they publish for SCUM server owners. File names are confirmed against the folder a running SCUM server generates. ## The access files All of these live in `SCUM/Saved/Config/WindowsServer/`, reachable from the File Manager on your [SCUM game server](/games/scum/) or over [SFTP](/knowledge-base/general/how-to-upload-files-via-sftp/). | File | What it does | |---|---| | `ExclusiveUsers.ini` | Whitelist. "any player that is not on this list will not have access to your server" | | `WhitelistedUsers.ini` | Priority slots. Listed players "will have priority access to the server, even if the server is full" | | `BannedUsers.ini` | Bans. Populated by `#Ban`, and editable by hand | | `SilencedUsers.ini` | Chat silences, with their durations | | `AdminUsers.ini` | Admin rights and permission suffixes | | `ServerSettingsAdminUsers.ini` | Access to the in-game Server Settings panel | ### ExclusiveUsers.ini — the actual whitelist Add a Steam64 ID here and the server becomes invitation-only. Gamepires are specific about the switch-on condition: "This will become active only after you enter the first SteamID into the file." That is the behaviour you want to be sure of before you touch it. An empty file means an open server. One ID in the file means a server that only that one person can join — including you, if you forgot to add yourself. ```text title="ExclusiveUsers.ini" 76561198000000001 76561198000000002 76561198000000003 ``` > [!CAUTION] Add yourself first, then restart once > Being in `AdminUsers.ini` does not exempt you from `ExclusiveUsers.ini`. Put every admin's Steam64 ID in the exclusive list as well, or your next restart locks the whole staff out of the server. ### WhitelistedUsers.ini — priority, not permission This one is a queue-jumping list, not an access list. Gamepires: "any player which is on this list will have priority access to the server, even if the server is full (if the server is full one player will be kicked out from the server)." So it is the VIP list — donors, staff, regulars — and it costs somebody else their session every time it fires. On a server that regularly fills, keep it short and tell your players it exists. ### BannedUsers.ini and SilencedUsers.ini Both are written by the game as well as by you. `#Ban ` appends to `BannedUsers.ini`; `#Silence [Hours]` records into `SilencedUsers.ini` along with the duration. Editing them by hand works, which is the practical way to lift a ban for someone who is not connected and to bulk-import a ban list from another server. `#Unban ` is the in-game equivalent. Both routes need a restart to take effect if you edited the file rather than running the command. ## Two kinds of admin `AdminUsers.ini` grants the `#` chat commands, with optional bracketed permissions after the ID. That file, its permission suffixes and the full command list are covered in [SCUM admin commands and AdminUsers.ini setup](/knowledge-base/scum/scum-admin-commands/). `ServerSettingsAdminUsers.ini` is separate and does something different. Gamepires: "In this file, you are able to give access to the in-game server settings configuration. All you will need to do is enter the SteamID into the file, after that, the specified player should have access to the in-game server settings." That is the in-game Server Settings menu — the same settings as `ServerSettings.ini`, and the panel where SCUM's Custom Zones are drawn. It is a genuinely powerful permission and it is not implied by being in `AdminUsers.ini`, so grant it deliberately. > [!WARNING] Gamepires' own tutorial is out of date in one place > It still documents `#RestartServer pretty please` and a `[RestartServer]` permission suffix. That command was renamed to `#ShutdownServer` in update 1.0.2.0 in August 2025, and the permission keyword changed with it. Use `ShutdownServer` — or better, use the panel's Restart button and grant nobody the permission. ## The other ways to close a server A whitelist is not always the right tool. | Method | Where | Good for | |---|---|---| | Server password | Server Password field on the Startup tab | A private server for friends, with no ID collecting | | Whitelist | `ExclusiveUsers.ini` | A community that vets applicants | | Max players | Max Players field on the Startup tab | Capacity, not access | Password and player count are both panel fields rather than file edits. Gamepires document the reason for the second one: "When the -MaxPlayers argument is added to the server startup command, it will override the value set in ServerSettings.ini" — and the panel always passes that argument, so `scum.MaxPlayers` in the file is not the number that counts. ## Finding a Steam64 ID Every one of these files wants the 17-digit Steam64 ID, not a display name and not a vanity URL. The quickest source is the server itself: run `#ListPlayers` in-game and it prints connected players with their IDs. For someone who is not connected, any Steam ID lookup service will convert a profile URL. ## Reading the logs Access decisions and moderation actions are all logged, in `SCUM/Saved/SaveFiles/Logs/`. A running server keeps a rotating set of files by category, including: `login` · `admin` · `chat` · `kill` · `violations` · `economy` · `famepoints` · `loot` · `quests` · `raid_protection` · `vehicle_destruction` · `chest_ownership` · `base_building_destruction` `login` is the one to check when somebody says they cannot connect, and `admin` records which admin ran which command — worth reading occasionally even on a server you trust. The engine log is separate, in `SCUM/Saved/Logs/SCUM.log`. For the policy side of moderating a server rather than the file side, see [game server moderation best practices](/blog/game-server-moderation-tips/). ## Common Questions ### How do I whitelist a SCUM server? Add Steam64 IDs to `ExclusiveUsers.ini` in `SCUM/Saved/Config/WindowsServer/`, one per line, then restart. The file only becomes active once it contains at least one ID. ### What is the difference between WhitelistedUsers.ini and ExclusiveUsers.ini? `ExclusiveUsers.ini` controls who may join at all. `WhitelistedUsers.ini` controls who gets in when the server is full, by kicking somebody else. The names are misleading and it is worth checking which file you are editing. ### Do I need to restart after editing these files? Yes. All of them are read at startup. In-game commands such as `#Ban` and `#Silence` apply immediately, because they change live state as well as the file. ### Can an admin bypass the whitelist? No. `AdminUsers.ini` grants commands, not access. Add every admin to `ExclusiveUsers.ini` too. ### How do I unban a player who is not online? Remove their Steam64 ID from `BannedUsers.ini` and restart, or run `#Unban ` from in-game if you would rather not restart. ### Where do I find a player's Steam64 ID? `#ListPlayers` in-game prints it for anyone connected. It is the 17-digit number beginning `7656`. ## What to Read Next - [SCUM Admin Commands and AdminUsers.ini Setup](/knowledge-base/scum/scum-admin-commands/) — the `#` commands, permission suffixes and who may run what. - [SCUM Server Settings: How ServerSettings.ini Works](/knowledge-base/scum/scum-server-settings-ini/) — the file these list files sit beside. - [SCUM Trader Economy: EconomyOverride.json Explained](/knowledge-base/scum/scum-trader-economy/) — prices, stock and the fame gate on buying. - [SCUM Loot Configuration: How to Change What Spawns](/knowledge-base/scum/scum-loot-configuration/) — what your whitelisted players will actually find. - [Game Server Moderation Best Practices](/blog/game-server-moderation-tips/) — the policy that should sit behind the ban list. - [How to upload files via SFTP](/knowledge-base/general/how-to-upload-files-via-sftp/) — for bulk-importing a list. --- Made with 💜 by GameServerKings