Counter-Strike: Source
Counter-Strike: Source (CS:S) does not have a built-in admin menu, but SourceMod adds a complete admin system to your server. With it you can kick and ban players, change maps, run votes and give other trusted players their own permissions. This guide shows you how to make yourself an admin and add other admins.
The admin system is part of SourceMod, so it has to be installed first. If you have not done this yet, follow the SourceMod install guide in Related Guides below. To check that it is working, type
sm version into the Console tab of your panel.
Step 1: Find Your Steam ID
Your Steam ID is how SourceMod recognises you. It looks like STEAM_0:1:12345678.
~) to open the developer console.status and press Enter.Step 2: Open the Admin File
📁 cstrike (your Counter-Strike: Source game directory)
📁 addons
📁 sourcemod
📁 configs
admins_simple.ini to open the text editor.The file ends in
.ini, not .cfg. If you cannot find a file called admins_simple.cfg, this is why.
Step 3: Add Yourself as an Admin
[SM] Admin cache has been refreshed.In "99:z", the 99 is your immunity level and the z is the root flag, which gives you every permission. This is the right choice for the server owner.
The
z flag bypasses every permission check and ignores immunity. Only give it to yourself. Other admins should get just the flags they need, as shown below.
Step 4: Test Your Admin Access
sm_admin, then return to the game. The admin menu should appear. You can also type !admin in chat.
Add More Admins
Every admin gets their own line in admins_simple.ini, in this format:
The second line above gives a moderator immunity level 10 and the flags b, c, d, f, g and k. After editing the file, save it and run sm_reloadadmins again.
Admin Flags
Each permission is a single letter. Add the letters you want an admin to have:
aReserved slot access.
bGeneric admin. This flag is required for admins, so always include it.
cKick players.
dBan players.
eRemove bans.
fSlay and harm players.
gChange the map and major gameplay features.
hChange most settings.
iExecute config files.
jSpecial chat privileges.
kStart votes.
lSet a password on the server.
mUse RCON commands.
nChange
sv_cheats and use cheat commands.zRoot. Enables every flag and ignores immunity.
Immunity Levels
The number before the flags is the admin's immunity level. An admin can only target admins with a lower immunity number than their own, and 0 means no immunity. For example, an admin with immunity 10 can kick an admin with immunity 3, but not the other way around. By default, admins with the same number can target each other. Admins with the z flag are never subject to immunity checks.
Useful Admin Commands
You can type these in the developer console, or in chat by putting ! in front instead of sm_. For example, !kick PlayerName. Using / instead of ! hides your message from other players.
sm_adminOpens the admin menu.
sm_kick <name> [reason]Kicks a player.
sm_ban <name> <minutes> [reason]Bans a player. Use
0 minutes for a permanent ban.sm_unban <steamid>Removes a ban.
sm_slay <name>Kills a player.
sm_gag <name> and sm_mute <name>Blocks a player's text chat or voice chat. Use
sm_ungag and sm_unmute to undo.sm_map <map>Changes the map.
sm_cvar <setting> [value]Shows or changes a server setting.
sm_whoLists players and their admin access.
sm_helpLists all the admin commands you can use.
Instead of typing a full name, you can target players in several ways:
PlayerNameA full or unique partial name.
#12The player's user ID from the
status command. This is the most reliable option when names contain spaces or symbols.@all, @ct, @tEveryone, all Counter-Terrorists, or all Terrorists.
@alive, @dead, @meAll living players, all dead players, or yourself.
SourceMod gives every admin their own identity and permissions. This is safer than sharing your
rcon_password, which gives full control to anyone who has it. For more admin options such as groups and passwords, see the SourceMod Adding Admins guide.
Related Guides
Install Metamod:Source and SourceMod first, since the admin system is part of SourceMod.
Help getting into your server so you can find your Steam ID.
🛠️ Troubleshooting Admin Issues
sm_admin does nothing
Check that SourceMod is loaded by typing meta list in the Console tab. If SourceMod is not listed, follow our plugins guide first.
The admin menu does not appear
Make sure you ran sm_reloadadmins and saw [SM] Admin cache has been refreshed. Then reconnect to the server.
Wrong Steam ID
The ID in admins_simple.ini must be exactly what the status command showed, in the format STEAM_n:o:p and inside quotation marks.
Typed in the wrong console
Type sm_admin in the in-game developer console, not in your panel's Console tab.
Admin with no access
An admin who has only some flags, such as c for kick, also needs the b (generic) flag.
Still stuck?
Our team is happy to help. Open a ticket through the live chat button in the bottom-right corner of our website, or join our Discord and open a ticket there.
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