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You add an ETS2 or ATS moderator by editing the server’s server_config.sii file, adding the player’s SteamID64 to moderator_list, and restarting the dedicated server. There is no in-game form for promoting a player while the server is running.

The exact file path depends on whether you operate the server yourself or use managed hosting, but the registration method is the same: a SteamID64 in the configuration file, not a display name or an in-game command.

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What the moderator setting does

Euro Truck Simulator 2 and American Truck Simulator dedicated servers read moderator permissions when they start. The server compares joining players with the SteamID64 values in moderator_list. When a listed player joins, the server promotes that account automatically.

This has three practical consequences:

  • You cannot promote someone from the session while the dedicated server is running.
  • The player’s Steam display name is not the identity stored in the file; the server uses SteamID64.
  • Every configuration change requires a server restart before it can take effect.

The setting is part of the same file that contains the session description, connection-port information, password, logon token and other dedicated-server options. Editing the correct file for the correct game is therefore more important than changing a panel label that may not be connected to the active installation.

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Plan the change before touching the server

Prepare these items first:

  • Access to stop and start the dedicated server.
  • Access to the server’s game-user directory or the file manager supplied by your host.
  • The SteamID64 for each person who should be a moderator.
  • A current backup of server_config.sii.
  • The number of moderator IDs you intend to store.

Schedule the edit during a quiet period. Stopping the server disconnects the current session, and a malformed configuration can prevent a successful restart. Do not edit the live file while the process is writing to it; stop the server first, make the change, save it, and then start the server again.

Step 1: Stop the dedicated server

Use the normal stop control in your service manager or hosting panel and wait until the process is fully offline. A panel that shows a stop request as “complete” before the process has exited can still be writing the configuration, so confirm that the server status is stopped before opening the file.

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Do not rely on a live reload. The dedicated server has no moderator-management interface and does not apply this list from an in-game menu. The restart is part of the procedure, not an optional final check.

Step 2: Find server_config.sii

Self-hosted ETS2 servers

On a standard self-hosted installation, the server creates server_config.sii on its first launch. The default home is under the Windows Documents folder in the Euro Truck Simulator 2 directory:

DocumentsEuro Truck Simulator 2

The actual server settings are stored beneath the server’s Game User Path. If you configured a custom home directory, use that directory instead of the default Documents location. The Game User Path is the dedicated server’s home for its settings; it is not necessarily the directory that contains the server executable.

Self-hosted ATS servers

American Truck Simulator uses the matching American Truck Simulator game-user folder rather than the Euro Truck Simulator 2 folder. Apply the same rule: use the configured Game User Path, and check whether a custom home directory was supplied at launch.

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Managed hosting

Managed hosts normally expose the file through a web file manager, configuration editor or an “advanced” server-settings area. The physical path is host-specific. One Linux-hosted layout documented for ETS2 is:

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/home/container/.local/share/Euro Truck Simulator 2/

An ATS installation uses the corresponding American Truck Simulator directory. Treat that path as an example, not a universal location: container images, operating systems and panel designs differ. If your panel has both a basic settings page and an Advanced Mode, the moderator list may only be available in Advanced Mode. Some hosts also regenerate basic settings and overwrite manual changes unless the advanced configuration is enabled.

Confirm that you have the active file

Look at the file’s modification time after a controlled stop or restart. If your edit appears to have no effect, you may have changed a template, backup or inactive game directory rather than the file read by the running service. For a managed server, ask the host which file is bound to the active instance if the panel exposes more than one configuration location.

Step 3: Obtain every moderator’s SteamID64

The list must contain SteamID64 values. Do not enter a display name, nickname, profile title or an ordinary account name. Names can change; the SteamID64 is the account identifier the dedicated server uses for the comparison.

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The available setup guidance requires you to obtain the identifier before editing but does not prescribe one universal lookup procedure. Use the Steam account-identification method supported by your Steam client, community tools or hosting panel, and copy the complete SteamID64 without changing its digits. If a person has several Steam accounts, confirm the identifier with that person before adding it.

Keep a private working list while you edit. Assign a temporary order to the IDs so that the index in the configuration is unambiguous:

{{STEAMID64_1}}  — first moderator
{{STEAMID64_2}} — second moderator
{{STEAMID64_3}} — third moderator

The braces above are variables for your own notes, not text to paste literally into the configuration. Replace them with the real numeric SteamID64 values in the file.

Step 4: Back up and edit moderator_list

Make a copy of server_config.sii before editing. Include the date or a short description in the backup name so you can restore the last known-good version if the server will not start.

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Host guides describe the moderator block as a count followed by indexed entries. For two moderators, the structure is represented like this:

moderator_list: 2
moderator_list[0]: {{STEAMID64_1}}
moderator_list[1]: {{STEAMID64_2}}

For three administrators, the published example uses a count of 3 and indexes 0 through 2:

moderator_list: 3
moderator_list[0]: {{STEAMID64_1}}
moderator_list[1]: {{STEAMID64_2}}
moderator_list[2]: {{STEAMID64_3}}

Use the exact property spelling and punctuation already present in your file. The essential rule is that the number on the first line equals the number of indexed IDs below it. Indexing starts at 0 in the examples: with two entries, the valid indexes are 0 and 1; with three, they are 0, 1 and 2.

Adding one person to an existing list

Read the current count, add one, then add the next unused index. For example, if the file already contains a count of 2 and entries 0 and 1, the new count is 3 and the new entry is index 2. Do not merely append an ID while leaving the count unchanged; the server can ignore an entry outside the declared list.

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Removing a person

Delete the person’s indexed line, reduce the count, and renumber any later entries so the indexes remain consecutive. Before saving, check that there are exactly as many indexed lines as the count specifies.

Preserve unrelated settings

Change only the moderator block unless you deliberately intend to alter another setting. Avoid reformatting the whole file or replacing punctuation copied from the generated configuration. A backup lets you restore the previous file rather than reconstructing session, port or token settings by hand.

The exact serialization syntax is generated by the game and may vary between host editors. The examples above reflect the indexed form shown by host documentation; if your installation already contains a moderator block, follow its existing syntax exactly and use the panel’s save mechanism when required.

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Step 5: Save, restart and test

  1. Save the edited server_config.sii in the same directory and with the same filename.
  2. Close the editor or file-manager tab so the host can access the file without a lock.
  3. Start the dedicated server using the normal service or panel control.
  4. Wait for the server to finish loading and accept connections.
  5. Have the listed player join using the Steam account that owns the recorded SteamID64.
  6. Confirm the moderator behavior in a controlled session before announcing the change to the whole community.

Promotion occurs when the listed player joins after the restart. If that player was already connected during the restart, disconnect and reconnect after the server is available so the join-time check runs again.

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Self-hosted and managed servers: what changes

Consideration Self-hosted server Managed host
File access Direct access to the Game User Path and server_config.sii. Access through a panel, file manager or host support process.
Typical location Under the configured Documents or custom home directory; ETS2 and ATS use separate game folders. Host-specific. A documented Linux example is /home/container/.local/share/Euro Truck Simulator 2/ for ETS2, with the matching ATS folder for ATS.
Restart control Your service manager or startup script. The host’s stop/start or restart controls.
Configuration visibility You can inspect the complete generated file. Some panels hide advanced properties or overwrite manual values unless Advanced Mode is enabled.
Primary risk Editing the wrong Game User Path or leaving a malformed file in place. Changing a template or basic setting that the panel later resets.

The moderator mechanism itself does not change between these models. Only file access, path and restart workflow differ.

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Troubleshooting when the player is not promoted

The server was never restarted

Stop and start the server after saving the file. A live session cannot be used to validate a newly edited moderator list.

The wrong identity was entered

Compare the saved value with the SteamID64 of the account that is actually joining. A changed display name is harmless, but a different Steam account, a copied profile name or a truncated identifier will not match.

The count and indexes do not agree

Count the indexed lines and compare that number with moderator_list. Make sure indexes are consecutive and begin at 0, following the form already generated in the file.

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The wrong configuration file was edited

Check the active Game User Path, the selected game (ETS2 versus ATS), and the file’s modification time. Managed panels may present several instances or a read-only template. Verify the instance name before editing.

The panel reverted the change

Some hosts require Advanced Mode for administrator or moderator values. Enable the host’s advanced configuration workflow, save there, and restart through the panel. If the value still disappears, the host may be regenerating the file; request the supported method from that host rather than repeatedly editing an overwritten copy.

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The player joined too early

Have the player disconnect and join again after the server has fully restarted. The promotion check is tied to joining the session.

Troubleshooting a server that will not start

Restore the backup first

If the server fails immediately after the edit, stop trying variations in the live file. Replace it with the backup you made before editing and start the server. This separates a moderator-list mistake from an unrelated service problem.

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Check the edited block

Verify the declared count, every index, every SteamID64 and the punctuation used by the existing configuration. Do not add quotation marks or separators that are not present in the generated syntax.

Check nearby settings only if you changed them

The same file can contain a password and logon token. If you edited either while adding moderators, restore the previous values and test again. A host guide specifically warns that malformed password quotes can cause a startup error.

Use the host’s support path for generated files

If a managed service rewrites the file at startup, preserve the backup and provide the host with the failed configuration and the service’s startup error. The host can identify whether its panel expects a different representation of the list.

Optional settings in the same file

Server password

The password is stored on a password: line in server_config.sii. Replace the empty quotes with the chosen password inside the quotes. Leave the value as "" when the server should have no password. Keep the quotation marks balanced; malformed quotes have been reported to prevent startup.

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A password does not replace the moderator list. It controls who can connect, while the moderator list controls which connected Steam accounts receive moderator privileges.

Logon token

By default, a dedicated server uses an anonymous account and a non-persistent server ID. A logon token can be obtained from Steam’s game-server management page when the required game ownership condition is met, then placed in server_config.sii. Treat the token as a secret: do not publish it in community posts or paste it into a support request unless the recipient is authorized.

Adding a token is separate from adding moderators. You do not need to change the token merely because you added an ID, and changing the token will not promote a player.

Operational practices for a reliable moderator list

  • Keep a dated backup before every configuration edit.
  • Maintain a private roster mapping each SteamID64 to the person’s current community name, since names can change while the identifier remains the same.
  • Use one authoritative copy of the file; do not edit a downloaded copy and assume it was uploaded.
  • After adding or removing several people, count the entries again before restarting.
  • Test one newly added account after each planned restart, rather than changing the list and other server settings simultaneously.
  • Remove former staff promptly by deleting the ID, reducing the count and renumbering later entries.
  • Protect backups that contain passwords or logon tokens as carefully as the live configuration.

Quick procedure

  1. Stop the ETS2 or ATS dedicated server.
  2. Open the active server_config.sii in the configured Game User Path.
  3. Back up the file.
  4. Collect the complete SteamID64 for each moderator.
  5. Set moderator_list to the number of IDs.
  6. Add consecutive indexed entries beginning with moderator_list[0].
  7. Save without changing unrelated settings.
  8. Restart the server.
  9. Have each listed account reconnect and verify moderator access.

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