Valheim 1.0 Dedicated Server Whitelist Guide (2026 Update)

If you are running a Valheim dedicated server in 2026, a password alone is not the kind of security I would trust with a world that has taken dozens or hundreds of hours to build.

Valheim is one of those games where a server can slowly turn into something much bigger than a simple survival save. You build a home, establish portals, stockpile materials, tame animals, create elaborate defenses, and eventually end up with a world that feels genuinely yours. That also makes it incredibly frustrating when somebody gets access who should not be there.

The good news is that vanilla Valheim already includes a straightforward whitelist system. You do not need to install a collection of server mods just to decide who is allowed through the front door.

The key file is permittedlist.txt.

Once you understand where the file lives, how player IDs work, and how the server handles permissions, setting up a Valheim whitelist is surprisingly painless.

Why Use a Valheim Whitelist Instead of Only a Password?

A server password is useful, but it is not perfect.

Passwords get shared. Friends copy them into Discord. Screenshots end up in the wrong channel. Someone eventually joins the wrong server and remembers the password. If your community grows, keeping a password secret becomes increasingly difficult.

A whitelist adds another layer.

Think of it this way:

For a private server, I strongly prefer using both a password and a whitelist. The password keeps casual strangers away, while the whitelist gives you the final say over who can actually enter.

That combination is especially useful for long-running worlds where losing progress would be painful.

What Is permittedlist.txt in Valheim?

The permittedlist.txt file is Valheim’s native whitelist.

The concept is simple: instead of telling the server who is banned, you tell it who is allowed.

If the file contains the correct player identifiers, anyone who is not listed can be rejected by the server.

This is one of those features I appreciate about Valheim because it does not require a complicated permissions plugin. For a vanilla dedicated server, a basic text file is enough to establish an access list.

There are three files worth knowing:

• permittedlist.txt — players who are allowed to join.
• adminlist.txt — players who can use server administration commands.
• bannedlist.txt — players who are specifically blocked.

Do not confuse these files.

Putting someone in adminlist.txt does not automatically mean you are configuring your whitelist. Likewise, banning someone is not the same thing as running a private server with a controlled access list.

How to Find Your Valheim Player ID

This is the part that can become confusing, particularly if your server supports players from different platforms.

For traditional Steam installations, administrators commonly work with a SteamID64, which is a 17-digit numerical identifier.

For example:

76561198000000001

The important thing is that you use the identifier Valheim actually expects for your server configuration rather than simply guessing from a username.

The Easiest Approach: Check Your Server Information

If you have access to the server and the player is online, checking the information available through Valheim’s player/server tools is generally safer than manually converting account information from a third-party website.

I recommend this method whenever possible because one incorrect digit can be enough to make a perfectly legitimate player look unauthorized.

If you are managing several players, make a small private administrator list containing:

• Player name
• Platform
• Player ID
• Date added
• Admin status, if applicable

That sounds overly organized until you have 15 or 20 people asking why they suddenly cannot join.

Finding a SteamID64 for an Offline Player

Steam players can also identify their account through their Steam profile.

Open the player’s Steam profile and obtain their profile URL. If necessary, a Steam ID lookup service can convert the profile information into a SteamID64.

A typical SteamID64 looks like this:

76561198000000001

The exact value is unique to the account.

Do not copy the player’s display name into permittedlist.txt. Steam usernames are not a reliable substitute for an account identifier because players can change their names.

Where Is permittedlist.txt Located?

This depends on how you are running your Valheim server.

For a Windows installation using the standard save location, the relevant Valheim data is normally associated with:

%USERPROFILE%\AppData\LocalLow\IronGate\Valheim

You can press Windows + R, paste the path, and press Enter.

If you cannot see AppData while browsing manually, remember that it is normally hidden by Windows.

Linux servers can use a different configuration location, commonly under:

~/.config/unity3d/IronGate/Valheim/

The exact directory can change depending on how the server was installed.

This is particularly important with dedicated-server managers, Docker installations, LinuxGSM configurations, and custom launch scripts.

Using a Custom -savedir

If your server starts with a custom -savedir argument, do not blindly use the default directory.

The server may be reading its configuration and permission files from that custom location instead.

This is probably the most common source of confusion when an administrator edits permittedlist.txt, restarts the server, and discovers that absolutely nothing changed.

The server is not necessarily ignoring you. You may simply be editing the wrong copy of the file.

How to Create the Valheim Whitelist

Once you have found the correct Valheim save/configuration directory, setting up the whitelist is straightforward.

1. Stop the Server First

Always stop your dedicated server before editing its permission files.

This is particularly important on rented servers. If you edit a file while the server is running, the server process may later overwrite or reload its own configuration.

A clean shutdown is the safest approach.

2. Find permittedlist.txt

Look for:

permittedlist.txt

If it does not exist, create a new plain-text file with exactly that name.

Be careful with Windows extensions. If Notepad creates:

permittedlist.txt.txt

Valheim will not treat that as the intended file.

Turning on File name extensions in Windows Explorer makes this problem much easier to spot.

3. Add Players One Per Line

The file should contain the identifiers of permitted players, with one entry on each line.

For example:

76561198000000001
76561198000000002

Keep the file extremely simple.

Do not add comments, usernames, punctuation, or explanations to the same line.

Avoid something like:

76561198000000001 - John

Even though it is easy for a human to understand, configuration files are not written for humans. Valheim expects the appropriate identifier format.

4. Save and Restart

Save the file, upload it if you are managing a rented server through FTP, and then restart the dedicated server.

After startup, test the whitelist with one account that is definitely authorized and, if possible, another account that is deliberately not listed.

That gives you a much better confirmation than simply assuming the configuration worked.

What About Crossplay Players?

This is where things become considerably more complicated.

A modern Valheim server can involve players who are not all using the same platform. That means you should not automatically assume that every person joining your world will provide a SteamID64.

Steam, Xbox/Microsoft accounts, and other supported platforms can expose different account/network identifiers depending on how the player is connecting and how the server is configured.

This is why I would not recommend blindly copying random examples from old Valheim server guides.

You may encounter identifiers or prefixes associated with the crossplay/account system, and the exact value expected by the server should be taken from the information Valheim provides for that player.

In other words, if a console player cannot connect even though you believe you added them correctly, do not start randomly changing the ID format.

First verify the exact identifier shown by your server.

That is much safer than assuming an ID should have a particular prefix because somebody on a forum used it several months ago.

Common Valheim Whitelist Problems

Even a tiny text file can create some surprisingly annoying problems.

The Player Still Gets Asked for a Password

This is not necessarily an error.

A whitelist and a password serve different purposes. If your server is configured to require a password, authorized players may still need to enter it before the server allows them into the world.

I actually recommend keeping the password enabled.

The whitelist should be treated as an additional security layer, not necessarily a replacement for authentication.

A Non-Whitelisted Player Can Still Join

Start with the basics.

Check whether the file is actually named:

permittedlist.txt

and not:

permittedlist.txt.txt

Then check whether your server uses a custom -savedir.

If it does, make sure you are editing the permission file inside the directory the running server actually uses.

Finally, restart the server.

A configuration file sitting untouched on your hard drive does nothing if the server is reading another directory.

The Whitelist Locks Everyone Out

This is the nightmare scenario because it looks as though the entire server has broken.

First, check the IDs.

A single incorrect character can make an account fail authorization.

Then check formatting. Keep each identifier on its own line and remove accidental text, spaces, or comments.

If you are dealing with a crossplay account, verify the exact identifier reported by the server rather than trying to construct one manually.

Do not assume that every player should have a 17-digit Steam-style ID.

That assumption is particularly dangerous when your server is being used by people across multiple platforms.

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My Recommended Security Setup for a Private Valheim Server

If I were setting up a serious long-term Valheim world for a group of friends, I would keep the configuration simple.

Use a strong server password.

Then enable the whitelist and add only the people who actually need access.

After that, keep administrative permissions limited to a very small number of trusted players.

I would also avoid giving admin privileges to somebody simply because they are an active member of the community. Being able to build an enormous castle does not automatically make someone qualified to run server commands.

The fewer people with administrative access, the fewer opportunities there are for accidental damage.

And yes, I would keep backups too.

A whitelist protects the front door. It does not protect you from a corrupted save, an administrator making a mistake, a bad update, or somebody with legitimate access deciding to turn your main hall into a crater.

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Final Thoughts

Valheim’s dedicated-server security is not complicated, and that is part of its appeal.

You do not need to build some enormous moderation infrastructure just to host a private survival world. A password + permittedlist.txt + carefully managed adminlist.txt setup is already a solid foundation for a small community.

The biggest mistake is assuming that the whitelist is simply a list of usernames. It is not. You are dealing with platform/account identifiers, server directories, startup parameters, and potentially different identity systems when crossplay is involved.

Once you understand those pieces, the process becomes routine.

My biggest recommendation is to test your configuration before inviting the entire community back onto the server. Add one trusted player, restart the server, confirm that they can connect, and then test an account that is not permitted if you have a safe way to do so.

It takes a few extra minutes.

That is a much better investment than discovering later that your supposedly private Viking settlement has become an open house.

For a world that you have spent weeks building, server security is worth treating as part of the game rather than an afterthought.

How to Set Up Whitelist on Your Valheim Server