How to Add Admin to a Rust Server (ownerid)

Rust's admin system is built into the server, not a plugin. You grant it with two convars. The whole thing takes a minute once you know the SteamID64 and the save-it-properly step. This is step five of the Rust server setup guide— if you're standing a server up from scratch, start there.

Step 1 — get the SteamID64

Admin is tied to a 17-digit SteamID64, not a username. To find it:

If the player is connected, type playerlist in the server console — their ID is listed next to their name.
Otherwise, take their Steam profile URL and run it through any SteamID lookup tool to convert a custom URL to the 64-bit ID.

Step 2 — run ownerid or moderatorid

In the server console (F1 in-game as the host, or via RCON):

# Full admin:
ownerid 7656119xxxxxxxxxx "PlayerName" "reason"

# Reduced moderator powers:
moderatorid 7656119xxxxxxxxxx "PlayerName" "reason"

The name and reason are just labels for your own reference — only the ID matters functionally.

Step 3 — the step everyone forgets: save it

The commands above apply immediatelybut live only in memory. On the next restart they're gone — this is the "admin doesn't stick" problem. Save them to server.cfg with:

server.writecfg

Run that once and the ownerid / moderatorid lines are written into your server.cfg and persist across restarts.

Removing an admin

removeowner 7656119xxxxxxxxxx
removemoderator 7656119xxxxxxxxxx
server.writecfg

Admin vs plugin permissions

ownerid is server-level admin — F1 console, noclip, teleport, entity commands. It is separate from the Oxide/Carbon permission system that plugins use (o.grant / c.grant). A plugin command gated behind a permission still needs that permission granted, even to an owner. If you're writing your own plugin, see how permissions work in how to make a Rust plugin.

Questions & answers

▸What's the difference between ownerid and moderatorid?

ownerid grants full admin — every command, including dangerous ones. moderatorid grants a reduced moderation set. Give ownerid only to people you fully trust; use moderatorid for staff.

▸Why doesn't my admin status stick after a restart?

You ran the command in the console but never ran server.writecfg, so it wasn't saved to server.cfg. Run it once and the ownerid/moderatorid lines persist.

▸How do I find someone's SteamID64?

It's the 17-digit number. A connected player's ID shows in the console player list, or paste their Steam profile URL into any SteamID lookup site to convert a vanity URL to the 64-bit ID.