Two command systems, not one
Terraria servers can answer to two different sets of commands. The vanilla dedicated server has a console with a short list of words, typed without a slash. TShock, the popular server toolbox, adds a much larger set of chat commands that start with a slash and are controlled by groups and permissions.
Knowing which one your server runs saves a lot of confusion. If you are only here to play, jump to the player commands; if you run a world, the console and admin tables below are for you. Community worlds in the Terraria directory are mostly TShock-based, and the glossary defines terms like SSC, region and group.
Where each command type lives
Vanilla console
- Typed in the server window, no leading slash
- Short fixed list: help, save, exit, kick, ban
- No groups or per-player permissions
- Included with the game
TShock commands
- Typed in in-game chat with a leading slash
- Groups, permissions, regions, warps, accounts
- Needs TShock installed on the server
- Separate from tModLoader
Vanilla console commands
The Terraria Wiki lists the dedicated server's console commands and notes that a forward slash is not needed. Use them for basic upkeep, especially saving and shutting down.
| Command | What it does |
|---|---|
| help | Shows the list of commands |
| playing | Lists connected players |
| save | Saves the game world |
| exit | Shuts down the server and saves first |
| exit-nosave | Shuts down without saving |
| kick <player name> | Kicks a player |
| ban <player name> | Bans a player; remove entries from banlist.txt to unban |
| password / password <pass> | Shows or changes the join password |
| motd / motd <message> | Shows or changes the message of the day |
| say <message> | Sends a message to all players |
| dawn, noon, dusk, midnight | Sets the time to 4:30 AM, 12:00 PM, 7:30 PM or 12:00 AM |
| settle | Settles all water |
| version, port, maxplayers, time | Prints the version, port, player cap and game time |
Becoming admin on a TShock server
TShock describes itself as "a toolbox for Terraria servers and communities", and its first run is where most owners get stuck. Hosting-provider guides describe the same flow: TShock prints a one-time setup code in the console and also writes it to tshock/setup-code.txt. You then join the server and enter the code in game.
- 1
Read the setup code
Look at the server console on first boot, or open the setup-code.txt file in the tshock folder.
- 2
Run /setup with the code
Join the server and type /setup followed by the code. This gives you temporary superadmin.
- 3
Create a permanent owner account
Type /user add <name> <password> owner, then /login. Use a unique password.
- 4
Close setup mode
Run /setup again so nobody else can use the code to grant themselves access.
TShock commands you will actually use
| Command | Used by | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| /register <password> | Players | Create an account, if the server allows self-registration |
| /login <name> <password> | Players | Log in to your account |
| /who | Everyone | List connected players |
| /spawn, /home | Players | Teleport to world spawn or your spawn point |
| /tp <player> | Players with permission | Teleport to another player |
| /warp <name> | Players | Teleport to a saved warp; /warp list shows them |
| /kick, /ban add, /mute | Moderators | Remove, ban or silence a player |
| /user add, /user group | Admins | Create accounts and move players between groups |
| /region define, allow | Admins | Protect an area and choose who can build in it |
| /group add | Admins | Create a group with comma-separated permissions |
| /save, /reload | Admins | Force a save or reload config changes |
Permissions decide who can run each of these. One host guide lists nodes such as tshock.admin.kick, tshock.admin.ban and tshock.admin.region and says you can deny an inherited permission by prefixing it with an exclamation mark; other guides use shorter names such as kick or manageregion, so check what your version shows. Give regular players only what they need; the same guide advises against putting everyone in the owner group.
- Vanilla console
- No slash
- TShock chat commands
- Slash
- Latest TShock listed
- 6.2.1
Typed in the server window
Typed in game chat
Supports Terraria 1.4.5.8 per GitHub releases
Which commands matter on each server style
| Server style | Commands players meet | Commands staff lean on |
|---|---|---|
| Free items and building | /give or item spawning where allowed, /spawn, /home | /region define and allow to protect builds, /butcher-style cleanup |
| Survival and progression | /register, /login, /home, /warp | /region, /ban add, group changes as players earn ranks |
| RPG and economy (for example TerraShine) | Bank and shop commands, quest and warp commands, house claims | Whitelist, economy balancing, seasonal world resets |
| Minigames and PvP | Team and arena commands set by the server | Mute, kick and event commands |
The RPG row draws on the research behind our listing of TerraShine, an Indonesian TShock-based server whose documentation covers registration, a server-money economy, a rank system, house claiming, factions and quests, and which uses a whitelist. Every server names its own commands, so the pattern is more useful than the exact words. The free items and survival pages show how those two styles are used.
“TShock provides Terraria servers with server-side characters, anti-cheat, and community management tools.”
Moderation habits that keep a public world healthy
- Save before risky events such as boss summons or large cleanups, and again before restarting.
- Give moderators only kick, mute and ban permissions, and keep the owner account for you alone.
- Protect spawn and shared builds with regions before opening the world to strangers.
- Write the rules where players see them on join, and apply bans consistently.
- Announce wipes and version updates in advance so nobody loses progress unexpectedly.
Good rules and clear staff roles matter as much as the commands themselves. Building a server community goes through staffing and communication, and understanding server wipes explains how to announce resets. If you plan to open your world to the public, list your server once the rules and Discord are ready, and weigh the trade-offs in private vs official servers if you are unsure which route suits your group.
Player commands and common problems
On a server with server-side characters, your inventory and stats are stored by the server, so a new player usually has to /register and /login before building. If a command does nothing, you probably lack the permission or the server does not run TShock. Ask staff or read the rules channel instead of guessing.
| Symptom | Likely cause | Try |
|---|---|---|
| Console command is ignored | A slash was typed; the wiki says none is needed | Type it without a slash in the server window |
| Chat command is refused | Your group lacks that permission | Ask an admin or check the server rules |
| Command not found in chat | The server may be vanilla, not TShock | Ask staff which software the server runs, or try /help |
| Wrong player gets banned | Names can be similar | Use /who to confirm names before /ban add |
Server rules and punishment systems differ, so read the server's own pages before testing admin tools, and see how to choose a private server for what to look for in staff and rules. Protect any admin account with a unique password, as the safety guide explains.
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