amxx.cfg: Every Setting Explained

addons/amxmodx/configs/amxx.cfg is the core config AMX Mod X executes as it loads, before your plugins settle in. It controls who has access, how much of admin activity players see, flood protection, and the built-in message plugins. Most admins skim it once and never touch it again — but a handful of these cvars decide whether your server feels tight or chaotic, so they are worth understanding line by line.

1. When and where it runs

The file lives at cstrike/addons/amxmodx/configs/amxx.cfg and is executed by the AMXX core at startup, after server.cfg in practice. Because it runs late, a cvar set here overrides the same cvar set in server.cfg. Keep AMXX-specific settings here and engine/gameplay settings in server.cfg so you always know which file owns which value.

2. Access control cvars

amx_default_access ""        // flags given to EVERY player; keep empty
amx_mode 1                  // 1 = admins only load from users.ini
amx_password_field "_pw"    // setinfo field clients use for password auth
amx_vote_ratio 0.02
amx_vote_time 10

Leave amx_default_access empty. Putting a flag here grants it to everyone on the server, which is how people accidentally hand admin commands to the public. Admin identities and their flags live in configs/users.ini, not here; this file only sets the machinery. amx_password_field is the client setinfo key used when an admin entry authenticates by password rather than SteamID — if you change it, your password admins must change their setinfo to match.

3. Admin activity visibility

amx_show_activity 2

This governs what players see when an admin acts (ban, slap, kick). The values:

• 0 — nobody is told.
• 1 — players see the action but not the admin's name.
• 2 — players see the action and the admin's name.
• 3–5 — variants that show admins more detail than regular players.

On a public server 2 is the honest default; hiding admin actions entirely (0) breeds accusations you cannot answer. If you run a menu-driven admin workflow, pair this with the CSB Admin Menu.

4. Flood control

amx_flood_time 0.75

The minimum seconds between chat messages from one client before the anti-flood plugin throttles them. Lower it and chat spam gets through; raise it too far and normal fast chat gets blocked. 0.75 is a reasonable balance. For heavier spam and bind abuse, a dedicated anti-flood plugin gives you more control.

5. Intro and scrolling messages

AMXX ships small presentation plugins configured here:

amx_scrollmsg "Welcome to %hostname% -- have fun" 600
amx_imessage "Welcome to %hostname%" "0 255 0"
amx_imessage "Powered by AMX Mod X" "0 100 200"
amx_freq_imessage 180

amx_scrollmsg is the scrolling HUD banner and its refresh interval. amx_imessage lines are the center-screen intro messages that rotate, with an RGB color per line, and amx_freq_imessage is how often they cycle. Keep these short and few — a busy HUD is noise. Many admins disable these in favor of a chat-based adverts plugin.

6. Logging and language

amx_logging 1        // 1 = per-map AMXX log files under addons/amxmodx/logs
amx_language "en"    // default language for multilingual plugins
amx_mldebug ""       // list plugins to debug for missing translations

Leave amx_logging on — the AMXX logs are where plugin run-time errors surface, and you will want them when something misbehaves. amx_language only affects plugins that use the multilingual system; it does not translate everything.

Common errors

• Everyone suddenly has admin — a flag was left in amx_default_access. Set it back to "".
• Password admins can no longer authenticate — amx_password_field was changed but the admins' setinfo was not, or vice-versa. The two must match.
• Admin actions are invisible and players complain — amx_show_activity 0. Raise it to 1 or 2.
• Settings here get overridden — you also set the same cvar in a plugin config or mapchangecfgfile that runs later. Trace the execution order.
• Edits do nothing — you edited a different amxx.cfg (there is only one that matters, under addons/amxmodx/configs/), or the change needs a map change / restart to re-execute.

Verification

Change one value, restart or change the map, and read it back from the console:

amx_show_activity

The console should echo the new value. Then perform an admin action (a slap on yourself) and confirm the on-screen message matches the visibility level you set. If a cvar refuses to stick, something is executing after amxx.cfg and re-setting it — the load order of plugins.ini and any per-map configs is where to look.