Project Zomboid Guide
• Updated May 7, 2026
Project Zomboid Console Commands (2026)
Last updated: May 2026 · Verified on Build 42
Quick start: Press T in-game to open chat. Promote yourself with setaccesslevel "YourName" admin from the server console (no slash). Then run /players to list connected users, /additem "Name" Base.Axe to spawn items, and /save before any manual restart.
Project Zomboid's dedicated server exposes a full admin command surface from the zombie.commands.serverCommands package. This page lists every built-in command grouped by purpose, with the exact syntax the server expects.
Permission Levels
| Level | Granted by | Can run |
|---|
admin | Server owner / first admin via setaccesslevel | Every command listed below. |
moderator | An admin promotes them | Kick, teleport, voiceban, see player list — no item spawning or world ops. |
overseer | An admin promotes them | Read-only diagnostics — players, log inspection. |
gm | An admin promotes them | GameMaster: invisibility, godmode, item spawn, teleport — no permanent server-config changes. |
observer | Default for whitelisted players | Spectator-grade: chat and movement only. |
Access & User Management
| Command | Description |
|---|
setaccesslevel "Name" admin|moderator|overseer|gm|observer|none | Set or revoke a player's role. |
grantadmin "Name" | Shortcut for setaccesslevel "Name" admin. |
removeadmin "Name" | Demotes an admin back to none. |
adduser "Name" "Password" | Creates a whitelisted account when Open=false. |
removeuser "Name" | Deletes a whitelisted account from the player database. |
changepwd "OldPwd" "NewPwd" | Player command — change your own account password. |
changepassword "Name" "NewPwd" | Admin command — reset another player's password. |
Player Diagnostics
| Command | Description |
|---|
players | Lists every connected player with username and access level. |
showoptions | Prints the active server settings — useful for confirming Open, PVP, AntiCheat, ResetID etc. |
coordinates | Prints your current world coordinates. Pair with /teleportto. |
connections | Network state for every connected client (latency, packets dropped). |
checkmodsneedupdate | Asks the server to check Steam Workshop for newer mod versions. |
Moderation & Bans
| Command | Description |
|---|
kickuser "Name" -r "reason" | Disconnects a player. They can rejoin unless banned. |
banuser "Name" -r "reason" -ip -s | Account-level ban. -ip also bans the IP, -s also bans the SteamID. |
unbanuser "Name" | Lifts an account ban. |
banid SteamID | SteamID-only ban without needing the player to be online. |
unbanid SteamID | Reverses a SteamID ban. |
banip 1.2.3.4 | IP-level ban. |
unbanip 1.2.3.4 | IP unban. |
voiceban "Name" -true|-false | Mutes or unmutes voice chat for a player. |
setdefaultport NN | Updates DefaultPort in the active server profile (takes effect on next start). |
Item, XP & Vehicle Spawning
| Command | Description |
|---|
additem "Name" Module.Item Count | Spawns into the player's inventory. Example: /additem "YourName" Base.Hammer 1. |
additemall "Name" | Spawns one of every item — debug only, will lag the client. |
lootitem "Name" Module.Item Count | Drops the item on the ground at the player's feet. |
addxp "Name" Perk=Level | Awards XP. Example: /addxp "YourName" Fitness=10. |
addvehicle "Base.SmallCar" "Name" | Spawns a vehicle at the named player. Use vehicle script names from PZ wiki. |
addxpall "Name" | Maxes every skill — debug only. |
addalltraits "Name" | Adds every trait to the player. |
Teleport & GM Tools
| Command | Description |
|---|
teleport "FromName" "ToName" | Moves the first player to the second. |
teleportto X,Y,Z | Jumps you to absolute world coordinates. |
godmode "Name" -true|-false | Toggles invulnerability. |
invisible "Name" -true|-false | Hides player from zombies. |
noclip "Name" -true|-false | Removes collision so the player can phase through walls. |
setlua "Lua statement" | Runs an arbitrary Lua statement on the server. Powerful and dangerous — restrict tightly. |
chopper | Triggers a helicopter event near a random player. |
gunshot | Plays a gunshot meta-sound, attracting nearby zombies. |
alarm | Triggers a building alarm at the admin's location (must be inside a room). |
World, Weather & Horde Control
| Command | Description |
|---|
changeoption OptionName Value | Changes a SandboxVar at runtime, e.g. /changeoption Zombies 3 for normal density. |
reloadoptions | Reloads servername.ini and SandboxVars from disk without a restart. |
reloadlua | Reloads server-side Lua scripts. Use after editing mod scripts. |
servermsg "Message" | Broadcasts a message to all clients (white text in chat). |
sendpulse | Sends a single client-side performance pulse for diagnostics. |
startrain | Begins rainfall on every cell. |
stoprain | Stops active rain. |
startstorm | Triggers a thunderstorm. |
stopstorm | Ends the active storm. |
thunder "Name" | Plays a thunder cue near the named player. |
createhorde N "Name" | Spawns N zombies near a named player. |
createhorde2 N X Y | Spawns N zombies at world coordinates. |
releasesafehouse | Releases the safehouse the admin currently stands in. |
replay "Name" -play|-record|-stop file.bin | Records or plays back a player's input — used to investigate cheating reports. |
Save, Recovery & Lifecycle
| Command | Description |
|---|
save | Force-saves the world. Always run before manual restart. |
quit | Graceful server shutdown. Saves first, then exits. |
chopper -1 | Cancels the active helicopter event mid-flight. |
setdefaultport NN | Persists a new default port for the next start. |
RCON Access
Project Zomboid's dedicated server speaks Source RCON when configured. Edit your server's INI file:
RCONPort=27015
RCONPassword=YourRconPassword
Connect with any Source RCON client (mcrcon, RCON.io, BattleMetrics). Drop the leading /:
mcrcon -H your.server.ip -P 27015 -p YourRconPassword "players"
mcrcon -H your.server.ip -P 27015 -p YourRconPassword "save"
mcrcon -H your.server.ip -P 27015 -p YourRconPassword "servermsg \"Restart in 60s\""
mcrcon -H your.server.ip -P 27015 -p YourRconPassword "quit"
Good Admin Habits
- Always
save before a restart. Hard kills lose the last 10-15 minutes of progress.
- Document destructive commands.
setlua, removeuser, and banip should be logged with timestamp and reason.
- Run risky changes on a staging copy first. A botched
changeoption Zombies or reloadoptions can wipe ongoing population work.
- Prefer least-destructive options. Try
kickuser before banuser, changeoption before editing the INI live.
Need a stable place to test commands before you touch a live world? Launch your Project Zomboid server with Supercraft — the panel ships an integrated console, scheduled saves, and one-click rollback to the last known good snapshot.
