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There are two ways to administer a CS2 server: RCON, the built-in remote console that gives you full control with a password, and plugin-based admin systems built on Metamod:Source and CounterStrikeSharp, which add in-game menus, per-admin permissions, and proper ban management. Most server owners use RCON for quick control and a plugin for day-to-day moderation.

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Using RCON from Your Client Console

RCON lets you run server commands from your own game console while playing.
1

Set an RCON password on the server

In game/csgo/cfg/server.cfg (see Server Configuration):
rcon_password "StrongUniquePassword!"
Restart or change the map to apply.
2

Authenticate from your console

Connect to the server, open your developer console, and enter:
rcon_address 203.0.113.10:27015
rcon_password "StrongUniquePassword!"
When you’re already connected to the server, setting rcon_password alone is usually enough — rcon_address matters when sending commands from outside.
3

Run commands with the rcon prefix

Prefix any server command with rcon:
rcon changelevel de_mirage
rcon mp_restartgame 1
Anyone with your RCON password has full control of the server. Use a long unique password, never post console screenshots containing it, and rotate it when staff leave. You can also run all of these commands directly from the live console in the Game Panel — no RCON needed there.

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Essential Commands

CommandWhat It Does
changelevel de_infernoChange to another map
mp_restartgame 1Restart the match in 1 second (resets scores)
mp_warmup_endEnd the warmup phase immediately
statusList connected players with their userids and Steam IDs
kick playernameKick a player by name
kickid <userid>Kick a player by userid (from status — safer than names)
banid <minutes> <userid>Ban a player by userid for N minutes (0 = permanent)
writeidSave current bans so they persist across restarts
sv_password "scrim"Lock the server mid-session (empty string unlocks)
say Server restarting in 5 minutes!Broadcast a message to all players as the server
Legacy Source ban commands like banid/writeid have been unreliable in some CS2 builds, and CS2 has no built-in admin permission levels at all. For dependable, persistent bans and per-admin rights, use a plugin-based admin system (below) — it’s what nearly every community server runs.

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Plugin-Based Admin: Metamod + CounterStrikeSharp

For real moderation — admin menus, permission tiers, persistent bans, chat commands like !kick — install the community plugin stack:
1

Install Metamod:Source

Download the latest CS2 build of Metamod:Source and upload it into game/csgo via the File Manager or SFTP, following the official installation notes for CS2 (which include a small edit to gameinfo.gi).
2

Install CounterStrikeSharp

Download CounterStrikeSharp (with runtime) and extract it into game/csgo/addons. Restart and confirm both load with meta list in the console.
3

Install an admin plugin

Add an admin plugin such as CS2-SimpleAdmin (or a similar CounterStrikeSharp admin plugin) into the CounterStrikeSharp plugins folder. These provide kick/ban/mute with a database, in-game menus, and chat commands.
4

Configure your admins

Admin frameworks use a config file (for CounterStrikeSharp, configs/admins.json) where each admin is identified by their SteamID64 and granted permission flags, for example:
{
  "YourName": {
    "identity": "76561198012345678",
    "flags": ["@css/generic", "@css/kick", "@css/ban"]
  }
}
Flag names vary by plugin — check its documentation for the exact list.
5

Restart and test

Restart the server, join, and test a gated command (e.g. !admin or css_admin). If nothing responds, check the server console for plugin load errors.
Every CS2 update from Valve can temporarily break Metamod, CounterStrikeSharp, and the plugins on top of them. After a game update, expect your server to need updated plugin builds — keep a backup from before the update, and watch each project’s Discord/GitHub for fixed releases before restarting a plugin-heavy server.

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Finding SteamID64s

  • Run status in the console while the player is online — it lists Steam IDs.
  • Convert a profile URL to SteamID64 with a lookup site such as steamid.io.

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Next Steps

Server Configuration

Set rcon_password, match rules, and game modes.

Custom & Workshop Maps

Change maps and build rotations worth moderating.

Run a server worth administrating

CS2 server hosting from €9.99/month at Wasabi Hosting — with DDoS protection and 24/7 support behind your community.