iTechGuides is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Learn more
Prefer not to run the server on your own PC? Godlike.Host offers hosted Core Keeper servers with free DDoS protection and up to three free backups a day.
On a live Core Keeper server, use the pause menu: press Esc, choose Manage Players, select the player, click the red action icon, and confirm Yes. To reverse the action, open the same menu, switch to Banned Players, select the name, click the red icon, and confirm. A dedicated server can also be managed while offline by editing PlayerBans.json with the server stopped. That file uses Steam IDs rather than character names, and invalid JSON can prevent the ban list from loading after a restart.
Which ban method should you use?
The correct method depends on whether the server is running and whether you can access its files. The in-game menu is the safest choice for an immediate moderation decision. The JSON method is useful when nobody can join, when you are cleaning up a list while the server is offline, or when your host gives you file-manager access but no usable in-game session.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute| Method | Use it when | What you need | Main risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| In-game player menu | The server is online and you can join as an administrator | Admin permission and the player’s visible name | Menu wording can differ slightly between versions |
PlayerBans.json |
The server is stopped or the player cannot be handled from the live menu | File access, the player’s SteamID, and a JSON-capable editor | A syntax error can make changes unreadable after restart |
| Slash commands | Only if your exact server build and documentation explicitly confirm them | A supported command console, if one exists | Community instructions conflict; command support is not established |
Do not use banlist.txt instructions written for Palworld. That file and its SteamID-removal procedure belong to a different game and do not apply to Core Keeper.
Check administrator access first
Only an administrator can moderate players. On a dedicated server, administrator status is tied to your Steam ID in Admins.json. If the server does not recognize you as an admin, the player-management controls may be missing or unavailable.
#1 Best Overall
- Powerful Turbo Fan:CAGIWIRU Electric Air Duster have reached speed up to 130000RPM,Can efficient remove dust and debris.With LED light and Three Adjustable Speed to meet with different cleaning tasks.
- With Attached USB C Fasting Charging cable.Charing 3 hours,Enjoy up to 240 minutes of use on the lowest setting, For third speed can use for 25mins.with four charging options to meet with your needs.
- Wide Application:Upgraded attached 5 different nozzles,making it suitable for a variety of scenes, such as car,pet, pc, keyboards, and other electronic devices. It also serves for office and home clean duster.
- Handy Design & Portable:Cordless air duster electric nozzle is Light weight and small size, design and comfortable to hold and space saving, convenient to carry around. You can put it in your room or inside the car without taking up space.
- Warranty & Support: Our Electric air duster comes with 5 years warranty and 24/7 customer service. During this period, if you have any questions,pls kindly feel free to contact us.
How admin status is represented
Hosting guides describe an adminList section in Admins.json. Entries include an index, privileges, a name, and a Steam ID. The exact surrounding formatting can vary, so preserve the structure already present in your file rather than replacing it with a copied example.
Several independent guides report that the first player to log in can receive administrator access automatically. Treat that as a reported server behavior, not a guaranteed rule for every version or host. Additional administrators may be added from the game or through the server configuration, provided their Steam IDs are entered correctly.
The Tool Desk
Outbyte Driver Updater FREEFix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →What to verify before troubleshooting the ban menu
- Join the intended server, not a local or test world.
- Confirm that the Steam account you are using is the one listed in
Admins.json. - Ask other players to leave the server while you test permissions, so you can identify the correct session and player entry.
- Keep a backup of
Admins.jsonbefore changing administrator entries.
Ban a player from the live game
This procedure removes a connected player through the in-game interface. It does not require opening the server’s file system.
- Join the server with an account that has administrator rights.
- Press Esc to open the pause menu.
- Select Manage Players. Some builds capitalize the second word differently, such as Manage players.
- Find the player in the player list. Check the name carefully if several players have similar names.
- Click the red action icon beside that player’s name.
- When the confirmation prompt appears, choose Yes.
The player should be removed from the active session and added to the server’s banned-player list. If the red icon or confirmation prompt is not present, check your administrator status before attempting file edits.
Rank #2
- Screen Cleaner is Your Screen’s New Bestfriend! - EVEO is proud to present a screen cleaner that’s perfectly suited for your TV. Meet your new screen cleaner, computer screen cleaner, laptop cleaner, iPad cleaner, Macbook,tv cleaner or any other electronic device. Our screen cleaner spray and wipe along with the included plush microfiber cloth, easily removes dust, fingerprints & other smudges on the screen’s surface. Clean effectively for a streak-free screen
- Gentle on your Screens - Our screen cleaner spray and wipes is compatible to be used even for the most sensitive LCD, LED, CRT, and OLED screens in proper use. Be at ease knowing that this product is compatible with all the major brands: LG, SONY, Samsung, Sharp, iPad, iPhone, Android screens, Kindle, PC monitors - we’ve got you covered! Can be used as LCD screen cleaner, tv cleaner, smart tv screen cleaner, and more
- Premium Super Soft Plush Microfiber Cloth - Included in this efficient screen cleaning kit. This screen cleaner spray and wipe has our signature plush microfiber cloth specially designed to comply with screens and monitors and leave them streak-free. Has been shown to effectively absorbs stubborn stains, zero streaks, and no fiber shedding. Always use this together with our screen cleaner for the best results
- Easy-to-Use Screen Cleaner Kit + microfiber cleaning cloth - The EVEO Screen Cleaning Kit will easily be your new favorite tool when it comes to taking care of the things you love most, quick and easy solution for a streak-free screen. Simply screw on the sprayer gun on the screen cleaner bottle. Spray the cleaning liquid onto the microfiber cloth, then wipe the screen until desired cleanliness & shine is achieved.
- Quality Screen Care Kit Worth Purchasing - Enjoy a convenient Screen Cleaner anytime, anywhere you need it. Your satisfaction is our top priority. We stand behind the quality of our products and that’s why, you shouldn’t be worrying at all. We manufacture the Best Screen Cleaner. and can be used for laptop cleaning kit, laptop screen cleaner, tv screen cleaner for smart tv. MacBook screen cleaner, monitor cleaner or screen cleaner spray for electronic devices with microfiber cleaning cloth
Preventing an accidental ban
- Match the displayed name to the person you intend to remove; do not rely on position in the list alone.
- Warn other administrators before taking action so two people do not moderate different players at the same time.
- Record the player’s SteamID after the action if you expect to manage the ban later through a file.
Unban a player from the live game
An unban is performed from the same management screen, but the player is selected from the banned list rather than the active-player list.
- Press Esc while connected as an administrator.
- Open Manage Players.
- Open the Banned Players list.
- Locate the player’s name.
- Click the red action icon beside the name.
- Confirm with Yes.
Have the player reconnect only after the confirmation has completed. If the name is not listed, the ban may have been created in another server instance, written under a different account, or edited directly in a file that has not yet been loaded by a restart.
Manage bans through PlayerBans.json
The file method is for a dedicated server that you can stop and access through a control panel, file manager, FTP connection, or equivalent host tool. Never edit the live file while the server is writing to it.
1. Stop the server cleanly
- Tell connected players that maintenance is starting.
- Use the host’s Stop control and wait until the process is fully offline.
- Do not edit the file while a restart, save, or update is still in progress.
Stopping first prevents the running process from overwriting your changes and ensures the next startup reads the edited file.
Rank #3
- 【Large size】：Measuring 800 x 300 mm/ 31. 5×12 inches, which is wider and taller than others. Large mouse pad can perfectly fit your keyboard and mouse of any size, and there is also ample space for peripherals such as phones, tablets, etc.
- 【LED backlight mouse pad】：Blade Hawks RGB mouse pad provides 7 static modes and 7 dynamic modes will give you the options you are looking for. Power-off memory function remembers the last lighting mode you selected. The super glow fiber Chroma will give you a colorful gaming setup that you want.
- 【Anti-slip rubber base】：Made from Natural rubber, this gaming mousepad will firmly grip your desktop, allowing you to enjoy the ultimate precision in the games you are most passionate about. It also comes with a texture that enhances this ability even further.
- 【Smooth and waterproof surface】: Micro-textured cloth surface, for extremely precise mouse control and a smooth movement. When liquid splashes on the gaming mouse pad, it forms water droplets and slides down. Will not delay your work or gameplay.
- 【Plug and play】: This mouse and keyboard pad is powered by USB, plug and play, no driver required. One button control light modes. Press one time to change the lighting mode, press twice to change the brightness, press and hold about 3 seconds turn ON/OFF.
2. Locate the DedicatedServer folder
Common host layouts place PlayerBans.json and Admins.json inside a folder named DedicatedServer. One documented layout uses /core-keeper/DedicatedServer/; another places the files in a save-related folder. The exact path is host-dependent, so search the server’s files for the filename rather than assuming a particular directory.
3. Back up the original file
Download or copy PlayerBans.json before editing it. Give the backup a date-and-time name and keep it outside the live server directory. If the server refuses to load the list afterward, restoring the untouched copy is faster than reconstructing entries from memory.
PC Slower Than It Used to Be?
A free scan shows the junk files, broken settings and background clutter dragging Windows down - then fixes them in one click.Free scan · Windows 10 & 11Outdated Drivers Are Slowing You Down
One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware match4. Identify the correct SteamID
The ban list is keyed by SteamID, not merely by the character name shown in the player list. A name can change or be duplicated, while the account identifier is the value the server uses to recognize the player. Obtain the ID from a trusted server record or from the player-management information available to your host. Do not guess digits or substitute a display name.
5. Edit the existing JSON structure
Open the file in an editor that preserves plain text and JSON punctuation. Hosting examples describe a top-level banList array. Individual examples have shown fields such as name, steamId, and an index; another example includes crossPlatformId instead. Because the complete field set has not been confirmed against every current build, retain the fields and ordering already present in your own file.
Rank #4
- 【Softer and More Comfortable】Vaydeer wrist rest has unique diamond pattern, which is the combination of softness and aesthetics. The materials of wrist rest are improved into higher quality memory foam and covered with silky smooth lycra. The computer wrist rest makes you as comfortable and cushiony as like rest your wrists on clouds.
- 【Ergonomic Wrist Saver】The wrist rests for keyboard and mouse comes with a 17.32×3.15×0.83 inch keyboard wrist pad and a 5.94×3.15×0.83 inch mouse wrist support. Based on ergonomic design, the unique concave shape is the perfect fit for your wrist joints. The wrist rest pad fits most computer keyboards and laptops, improve hand and wrist posture, release your wrist and arm stress.
- 【Non-Slip Rubber Bottom】Featuring an anti-skid silicone base on the bottom, this wrist keyboard support stays firmly in place on your desk, preventing the padding from sliding around, ensuring stable and consistent wrist support during extended computer sessions.
- 【Better Experience & Pain Relief】Our keyboard arm rest is beneficial to alleviate the soreness caused by direct contact and friction between your arm and a hard desk surface, reducing the risk of wrist fatigue or carpal tunnel. The soft texture of memory foam can evenly distribute the pressure around your wrists and provide good support with just enough give.
- 【Helpful in Multiple Scenarios】Whether you're working, studying, writing, typing, gaming, this keyboard and mouse rest combo is an essential accessory to add comfort and support to your hands and wrists. It’s also a great gift for men, women, family, friend, coworker, gamer, teacher, etc.
- Add a new object to the existing
banListarray for a ban. - Remove the matching object for an unban.
- Preserve quotation marks around text values, commas between objects, square brackets around the array, and braces around each object.
- Do not leave a trailing comma after the final object.
- Keep the SteamID exactly as supplied by the server or host record.
Do not replace the entire file with an example copied from a forum. The examples circulating online do not establish one universal schema for every version.
6. Validate and save
Use your editor’s JSON validation feature if it has one. A validator should report a syntax error if a brace, quote, comma, or bracket is missing. Save as plain UTF-8 text with the original filename, PlayerBans.json. Do not save a second extension such as .json.txt.
7. Restart and test
- Upload or save the corrected file in the original directory.
- Start the dedicated server.
- Wait for the server to finish loading before reconnecting.
- Have the affected account test access, or check the in-game Banned Players list as an administrator.
- If the list is missing or the server logs a parse error, stop the server and restore the backup.
Unban by editing the file
Use the same offline workflow when the live menu cannot be reached. Stop the server, back up PlayerBans.json, remove only the object whose steamId matches the intended account, validate the JSON, save it, and restart. Removing an object with a similar name but a different SteamID will not unban the correct player.
Why a ban may appear not to work
The Manage Players option is missing
Your account may not have administrator permission. Check that your SteamID is present in the server’s Admins.json and that you edited the file belonging to this server instance. A client restart alone does not grant server administrator rights.
Best Value
- 【No Drill Mounted】Cable management tray can be assembled in as little as 3 minutes or less-simply. Side clips easily clampe the edge of desk, pass through the holes on the sides, and secure excess cables with baskets. Desk cable management supports inward or outward installation to meet your needs in different scenarios, and provides you with great convenience when collecting and organizing wires.
- 【Rubber Pad Protects Desk】Wire organizer under desk built-in soft rubber pads on the clamp protect your desk from scratches, so you will not damage your furniture or office.
- 【Sturdy and Beautiful】Cord management under desk is made of high-quality carbon steel and holds about 15 lbs. The wire basket has 2 holes on each side of the tray to enable your cables to pass freely. Cable baskets are suitable for desk thickness use from 0.4" to 2.4".
- 【Space Saving & Keep Organized】Desk cable management tray holds all your power cords, outlet strips, USB hubs and computer transformers hidden from your feet, and the data cables will not enter the vacuum cleaner to keep your desk clean and tidy. Desk wire organizer is also suitable for use in the kitchen and outdoors.
- 【Reduce Safety Risks】Cable tray under desk keeps all plugs away from your kids, no more worry about tripping. Using 2 holes wire tray saves extra space, helps you easily cabling and wire protection. The mesh design is not easy to accumulate dust, but avoids safety accidents caused by messy wires.
The player reconnects immediately
Confirm that the ban was made on the correct server and that the player’s account, not just a similarly named character, was selected. For file edits, verify that the server was stopped before saving and restarted afterward. If a host uses multiple save or instance folders, you may have changed an unused copy of the file.
The ban list disappears after restart
This usually indicates invalid JSON, a wrong path, or a host process that rewrote the file. Stop the server, restore the last valid backup, and compare the edited file character by character. Check for unmatched braces, missing commas, smart quotation marks, and an accidental second filename extension.
Recommended Free Tools
The player is not shown under Banned Players
The entry may have been removed from the wrong list, written with the wrong SteamID, or created on a different instance. Inspect the actual PlayerBans.json loaded by that instance while it is offline. Do not infer identity from a character name alone.
The file is not where a guide says it should be
Directory layouts vary among managed hosts and installations. Search by filename, inspect the server’s documented save directory, or ask the host which directory is mounted for the running instance. A path that is correct for one provider can be wrong for another.
Are /ban, /unban, and /kick commands supported?
Community instructions conflict. Some guides list /kick, /ban, and /unban, and one description says /ban accepts a Galaxy ID. Other guides state that Core Keeper has no command console, no RCON interface, and no kick or ban command, with moderation handled from the pause menu.
Because these claims cannot be reconciled and no official developer documentation was located confirming the commands, do not build your moderation process around slash commands. Use Esc → Manage Players for a live server or the stopped-server JSON method. Treat a command as usable only when your exact game build and host documentation explicitly confirm it and you can test it on a non-production server.
Choosing between the menu and the JSON file
| Question | Choose the in-game menu when… | Choose the JSON method when… |
|---|---|---|
| Can the server remain online? | Yes; you need an immediate action. | No; a maintenance stop is acceptable. |
| Do you have file access? | It is unnecessary. | It is required. |
| Do you know the SteamID? | The live player list is usually sufficient, but record the ID for later administration. | It is essential because the file is keyed by SteamID. |
| What is the main failure mode? | Selecting the wrong player or lacking admin rights. | Editing the wrong file or creating invalid JSON. |
| When is it most useful? | Routine moderation during an active session. | Offline cleanup, recovery, or host-panel administration. |
Safe administration practices
- Keep dated backups of
PlayerBans.jsonandAdmins.jsonbefore every manual edit. - Limit administrator access to people who need it; an admin can remove players and alter the server’s access controls.
- Maintain a private moderation log with the date, account SteamID, action, and reason. Do not publish personal account details in a public chat.
- After a server migration, verify that the ban and admin files were copied into the active instance rather than left in an old save directory.
- After a game or host update, recheck the menu labels and file layout before applying an old procedure.
Version and documentation limits in 2026
No reliable source confirms a 2026 change to the ban workflow, administrator files, or the structure of PlayerBans.json and Admins.json. One community excerpt mentions version 1.3.0.3 in connection with console commands, but it is unattributed and does not establish a ban-system change. Before a production edit, compare the labels shown by your installed build with the current official patch notes and your host’s documentation. If those sources disagree with an older guide, follow the behavior you can verify on the actual server and keep a backup so you can roll back.
Quick Recap
Quick reference
- Live ban: Esc → Manage Players → player → red icon → Yes.
- Live unban: Esc → Manage Players → Banned Players → player → red icon → Yes.
- Offline ban or unban: stop the server, edit
PlayerBans.jsonby SteamID, validate JSON, then restart. - Admin verification: check your SteamID in
Admins.json. - Do not substitute:
banlist.txtis a Palworld method, not a Core Keeper method.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
