This guide covers admin and host controls for your Portal Knights dedicated server, including player management, world management, and troubleshooting common issues. For initial server setup, see Portal Knights Server Setup Guide.

1. Admin / Host Privileges

In Portal Knights, the server owner (the account that created the world) has host-level privileges. On a dedicated server, admin controls are managed through:

• Server configuration file: Controls server-wide settings like PvP, difficulty, and max players.
• GPanel console: Start, stop, and restart the server; view logs and output.
• In-game host menu: The host player can kick players and manage basic session settings.

Setting Up Admin Access

The first player to join the server after a fresh world creation is typically assigned host privileges. To ensure you have admin access:

1. Start the server from GPanel.
2. Be the first player to connect to the server.
3. You will have host-level controls in the in-game pause menu.

2. Player Management

Kicking Players

As the host, you can remove disruptive players from your server:

1. Open the in-game pause menu while connected to your server.
2. Navigate to the player list.
3. Select the player you want to remove.
4. Choose Kick to remove them from the session.

Using a Server Password

The most effective way to control who can join your server is through a password. Set it in the GPanel Startup tab or in the server configuration file:

"admins": { "credentials": { "password": "YourSecretPassword" } }

Only players who know the password can connect. Change the password and restart the server to immediately lock out unwanted players.

Max Players

Portal Knights supports up to 4 players in co-op. Control the player count via:

"users": { "credentials": { "password": "user_password" } }

Set this to a lower value if you want a more controlled group size (e.g., 2 for duo play).

3. World Management

Switching Worlds

You can run multiple worlds on the same server by changing the world_name setting:

1. Stop the server from GPanel.
2. Go to the Startup tab and change the WORLD_NAME variable, or edit the config file:

   "basicServerData": { "saveFolderPath": "./my_new_world_saves" }

3. Start the server. If the world does not exist, a new one will be created automatically.

Resetting a World

To completely reset your world and start fresh:

1. Stop the server from GPanel.
2. Connect via SFTP (see How to Upload Files via SFTP).
3. Navigate to the dedicated_server/savedata/ directory.
4. Delete or rename the world folder that matches your world_name setting.
5. Start the server. A new world will be generated automatically.

Backing Up Worlds

1. Stop the server from GPanel.
2. Connect via SFTP and navigate to dedicated_server/savedata/.
3. Download the entire world folder to your local machine.
4. Store the backup in a safe location with a descriptive name (e.g., default_backup_2026-02-26).

Restoring a Backup

1. Stop the server from GPanel.
2. Connect via SFTP and navigate to dedicated_server/savedata/.
3. Upload your backup folder, ensuring the folder name matches the world_name setting.
4. Start the server from GPanel.

4. Difficulty and PvP Settings

Changing Difficulty

World difficulty is set at creation time. To switch difficulty, you must create a new world:

Toggling PvP

The gameplay mode can be changed by updating the GAMEMODE startup variable in GPanel. Options are Adventure and Creative:

"gameplayMode": "Creative"

Set to false to disable player-versus-player damage. Restart the server after making changes.

5. Server Monitoring

Console Output

The GPanel Console tab displays real-time server output including:

• Player connections and disconnections
• World save events
• Error messages and warnings
• Server state changes

Restarting the Server

If the server becomes unresponsive or you need to apply configuration changes:

1. Go to the Console tab in GPanel.
2. Click Stop and wait for the server to fully shut down.
3. Click Start to bring the server back online.

6. Troubleshooting

Players Cannot Connect

• Verify the server is running in GPanel.
• Check that the server password has not been changed unexpectedly.
• Confirm the server IP and port from GPanel's Network tab. See How to Find Your Server IP and Port.
• Ensure the server has not reached the max_players limit.

Server Crashes

• Check the GPanel console for error messages before the crash.
• Try deleting the configuration file and restarting to regenerate defaults.
• If the crash is related to a corrupted world, try loading a different world or restoring from backup.
• If crashes persist, open a support ticket with the error messages from the console.

Lost Host Privileges

• Restart the server and be the first player to connect.
• If the issue persists, stop the server, verify your configuration file is correct, and start the server again.

Related Articles

• Portal Knights Server Setup Guide
• How to Find Your Server IP and Port
• How to Upload Files via SFTP
• Server Startup Guide

Need Help?

If you encounter issues not covered here, open a support ticket and include your server IP, a description of the problem, and any error messages from the GPanel console.