---
title: "Starbound Admin Commands and Console Commands"
description: "Every Starbound command with exact syntax: admin mode, spawning items, moderation, world and debug commands, plus the ones that were removed from the game."
url: "https://www.gameserverkings.com/knowledge-base/starbound/admins-and-commands/"
category: "Starbound"
category_url: "https://www.gameserverkings.com/knowledge-base/starbound/"
published: "2026-07-03T00:12:26.358Z"
updated: "2026-08-07T20:33:26.670Z"
source_format: "markdown"
site: "GameServerKings"
---

# Starbound Admin Commands and Console Commands

Starbound's commands split into four groups with different requirements: basic commands anyone can use, admin commands that need admin mode, debug commands that need admin mode *and* `/debug`, and a handful of macro shortcuts. This guide covers all of them, how to actually get admin on a hosted server, and the commands that older guides still list even though they were removed from the game years ago.

## How commands work

Every command is typed into normal chat, prefixed with `/`. There is no separate console window on the client.

Admin-only commands do nothing until you enable **admin mode**:

```text
/admin
```

Admin mode does three things at once: it unlocks every crafting recipe, it stops you taking damage or losing energy, and it grants access to admin commands. Toggle it off with `/admin` again — leaving it on while playing normally makes you invincible, which is rarely what you want on a survival server.

> [!IMPORTANT] `/admin` only works if the server lets you use it
> The command is not self-service. Your account must be flagged as an admin in the server config, or admin commands must be open to everyone — which you should not do. Getting that flag is covered next.

`/help` lists every command the build you are running actually has, and `/help <command>` explains one of them. That is worth knowing because it is always accurate for your version, in a way no web page can guarantee.

## Getting admin on your server

Admin status is set per account in `storage/starbound_server.config`, not in-game.

```json title="storage/starbound_server.config"
"serverUsers" : {
  "alice" : { "admin" : true,  "password" : "alicepw" },
  "bob"   : { "admin" : false, "password" : "bobpw" }
}
```

Restart after editing, then log in with that username and password. Once connected, `/admin` will work.

> [!WARNING] Do not use `allowAdminCommandsFromAnyone`
> Setting it to `true` grants every connected player full admin — including `/spawnitem`, `/ban` and world-editing commands. It exists for local testing. On anything reachable from the internet it is a griefing incident waiting to happen.

Two commands tell you where you stand:

- `/whoami` — your local username and admin status
- `/serverwhoami` — your **server** username and admin status

Those are different values, and the second is the one that determines whether admin commands work. See [Configuring your Starbound server](/knowledge-base/starbound/configuration-overview/) for the full account setup.

## Basic commands

No admin required. Every player can use these.

| Command | Syntax | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| `/help` | `/help [command]` | Lists commands, or documents one |
| `/whoami` | `/whoami` | Your local username and admin status |
| `/serverwhoami` | `/serverwhoami` | Your server username and admin status |
| `/whereami` | `/whereami` | Celestial coordinate of your current location |
| `/w` | `/w <name> <message>` | Private message a player by nickname |
| `/pvp` | `/pvp` | Toggle your own PvP flag |
| `/played` | `/played` | Total play time for this character |
| `/deaths` | `/deaths` | Total death count for this character |
| `/naked` | `/naked` | Remove all equipped gear |
| `/reload` | `/reload` | Reload your own client-side assets |
| `/monochromelighting` | `/monochromelighting` | Toggle monochrome lighting |
| `/suicide` | `/suicide` | Kill your character, with full death penalties |

> [!CAUTION] `/suicide` respects permadeath
> On a character created in a permadeath mode, this deletes them. It exists as a last resort for getting irreversibly stuck, not as a fast travel option.

## Moderation commands

Admin mode required.

| Command | Syntax | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| `/list` | `/list` | Lists connected clients as `$clientId : nickname : $$uuid` |
| `/kick` | `/kick <playerSpecifier> [reason]` | Reason defaults to the player's nickname |
| `/ban` | `/ban <playerSpecifier> [reason] [kind] [timeInSeconds]` | Kicks and bans |
| `/unbanip` | `/unbanip <address>` | Removes an address from the ban lists |
| `/whereis` | `/whereis <playerSpecifier>` | Celestial coordinate of another player |
| `/serverreload` | `/serverreload` | Reloads server-side assets. Causes lag while reparsing |

**`playerSpecifier` accepts more than a name.** Run `/list` first and you can target a player by their client ID, which is the reliable option when someone is using characters you cannot type.

`/ban` takes a duration in **seconds**, so a one-day ban is `86400`. Omitting it applies the server's default.

## Spawning items and creatures

Admin mode required. This is the group people mean by "cheats".

| Command | Syntax | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| `/spawnitem` | `/spawnitem <itemName> [count] [parameters]` | Spawns at the mouse cursor |
| `/spawntreasure` | `/spawntreasure <poolName> [level]` | Rolls a whole treasure pool |
| `/spawnmonster` | `/spawnmonster <type> [level] [parameters]` | Level defaults to 1 |
| `/spawnnpc` | `/spawnnpc <species> <type> [level] [seed] [overrides]` | |
| `/spawnvehicle` | `/spawnvehicle <type> [parameters]` | |
| `/spawnliquid` | `/spawnliquid <liquidName> [quantity]` | |
| `/giveessentialitem` | `/giveessentialitem <item> <slotName>` | Slots: `beamaxe`, `wiretool`, `painttool`, `inspectiontool` |

> [!IMPORTANT] There is no `/give` command in Starbound
> A lot of guides — including an older version of this page — list `/give <player> <item>`. It does not exist. Items spawn at **your own cursor** with `/spawnitem`; there is no built-in command to put an item directly into another player's inventory. If you want to hand something over, spawn it and drop it.

Items spawn where your cursor is, not in your inventory. If `/spawnitem` produces a "perfectly generic item", the item name was wrong — that placeholder is what the game substitutes when it cannot resolve the name.

Parameters are JSON wrapped in single quotes:

```text
/spawnitem commonsword 1 '{"level":6}'
/spawnmonster poptop 3
```

## World and universe commands

Admin mode required.

| Command | Syntax | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| `/warp` | `/warp <warpAction>` | See the warp formats below |
| `/warprandom` | `/warprandom <planetType>` | e.g. `/warprandom forest` |
| `/timewarp` | `/timewarp <seconds>` | Advances universe time, moving day/night on |
| `/setspawnpoint` | `/setspawnpoint` | Sets this world's default spawn to your position |
| `/settileprotection` | `/settileprotection <dungeonId> <true\|false>` | Makes blocks unbreakable |
| `/setdungeonid` | `/setdungeonid <dungeonId>` | Sets the dungeon ID of the tile at your cursor |
| `/placedungeon` | `/placedungeon <dungeonName> [position]` | |
| `/enablespawning` | `/enablespawning` | Re-enable monster spawning on this world |
| `/disablespawning` | `/disablespawning` | Disable monster spawning on this world |
| `/setuniverseflag` | `/setuniverseflag <flagName>` | Triggers associated world changes |
| `/resetuniverseflags` | `/resetuniverseflags` | Clears flags without reverting their effects |
| `/addbiomeregion` | `/addbiomeregion <biome> <width>` | Terrestrial worlds only |
| `/expandbiomeregion` | `/expandbiomeregion <width>` | Terrestrial worlds only |
| `/updateplanettype` | `/updateplanettype <coordinate> <type> <weatherBiome>` | |

`/warp` does not simply take a world name. Valid forms include:

```text
/warp OwnShip
/warp OrbitedWorld
/warp CelestialWorld:<celestial coordinates>
/warp InstanceWorld:<worldId>
```

> [!NOTE] Spawning toggles reset when a world unloads
> `/enablespawning` and `/disablespawning` apply to the world you are standing on, and revert to default once that world is unloaded from memory. They are not persistent server settings.

## Debug commands

These need admin mode **and** `/debug` toggled on. They are development tools — useful for diagnosing a broken world, not for everyday administration.

| Command | What it does |
|---|---|
| `/debug` | Enables everything below |
| `/boxes` | Draws collision boxes: red is solid, green is background |
| `/clearboxes` | Stop clearing boxes each frame — traces movement paths |
| `/fullbright` | Disables the lighting engine |
| `/fixedcamera` | Locks the camera in place |
| `/gravity` | Prints gravity at your position |
| `/setgravity <level>` / `/resetgravity` | Override local gravity, then restore it |
| `/eval <lua>` | Runs Lua in the script processor. Local only |
| `/entityeval <lua>` | Runs Lua against the entity nearest your cursor |
| `/startquest`, `/completequest`, `/failquest` | Force quest state |
| `/enabletech`, `/maketechavailable` | Unlock or reveal a tech |
| `/upgradeship <json>` | Apply ship upgrades |
| `/statistic <name>`, `/resetachievements` | Achievement statistics |
| `/radiomessage`, `/clearradiomessages`, `/clearcinematics`, `/cinema` | Replay one-time messages and cinematics |
| `/clearscannedobjects` | Reset scanned-object history |

`/setgravity` is local to you and looks wrong to everyone else, so it is a debugging aid rather than a way to change how a world plays.

## Macro commands

Convenience shortcuts that bundle several actions. Admin mode required.

| Command | What it does |
|---|---|
| `/outpost` | Warps you to the Outpost |
| `/bountyhunter` | Skips the early quest chain and sets you up for bounty hunting |
| `/tier6kit` | Equips a full tier 6 loadout |
| `/fuel` | Spawns 1000 Crystal Erchius Fuel |

These are blunt instruments. `/bountyhunter` completes real quests on the character that runs it and cannot be undone.

## Commands that no longer exist

Several commands are still listed on guides across the web but were removed from the game. If one of these does nothing, it is not your server:

| Removed command | What to use instead |
|---|---|
| `/spawngun` | `/spawnitem` with a weapon name |
| `/spawnsword` | `/spawnitem` with a weapon name |
| `/spawnshield` | `/spawnitem` with a shield name |
| `/itemid` | — |
| `/coordinate` | `/whereami` |
| `/showhunger` | — |
| `/togglelayer` | — |

## On a hosted server

Two things differ from a self-hosted setup:

- **Admin is set in the config file, not the panel.** Edit `storage/starbound_server.config` in the **File Manager** and restart. There is no admin checkbox.
- **The server console is not a command console.** The Console tab on [your hosted Starbound server](/games/starbound-server-hosting/) shows server output and accepts the server's own commands, but Starbound's `/` commands are client-side chat commands — you run them in game, as an admin, not from the panel.

For where those tabs live, see [How to use your server panel](/knowledge-base/general/how-to-use-your-server-panel/). For the config file itself, see [Configuring your Starbound server](/knowledge-base/starbound/configuration-overview/).

## What to read next

- [Configuring your Starbound server](/knowledge-base/starbound/configuration-overview/) — accounts, the admin flag, RCON and the port allocation
- [Getting started with your Starbound server](/knowledge-base/starbound/getting-started-with-your-server/) — first boot and connecting
- [How to install mods for Starbound](/knowledge-base/starbound/how-to-install-mods-starbound/) — mods change which items exist, and so which names `/spawnitem` accepts
- [Maintaining your Starbound server](/knowledge-base/starbound/maintaining-your-server/) — universe resets and backups before you start spawning things

## FAQ

### How do I become admin on a Starbound server?

Add your account to `serverUsers` in `storage/starbound_server.config` with `"admin" : true`, restart the server, log in with that username and password, then type `/admin` in chat.

### Why does /admin say I do not have permission?

Your server account is not flagged as admin. `/whoami` shows your local status and `/serverwhoami` shows your server status — it is the server one that governs admin commands.

### How do I spawn items in Starbound?

`/spawnitem <itemName> [count]` while in admin mode. The item appears at your mouse cursor. There is no `/give` command.

### Why did /spawnitem give me a "perfectly generic item"?

The item name did not resolve. That placeholder is what the game substitutes for an unknown item — check the spelling against the item's internal name rather than its display name.

### Can players use commands without admin?

Yes, the basic group — `/help`, `/whoami`, `/whereami`, `/w`, `/pvp`, `/played`, `/deaths`, `/naked`, `/suicide`. Everything that spawns, warps or moderates needs admin mode.

### How do I ban someone for a set time?

`/ban <player> <reason> <kind> <timeInSeconds>` — durations are in seconds, so a day is `86400`. `/unbanip <address>` removes a ban.

### Why do my commands work in singleplayer but not on the server?

Singleplayer grants admin freely. On a server you need the account flag, and `allowAdminCommandsFromAnyone` should stay `false`.

---

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