---
title: "Using amxmodmenu: A Tour of the Admin Menu"
excerpt: "What the amxmodmenu command opens, the menu plugins behind each submenu, how to bind a key to it, and why a submenu goes missing when its plugin is not loaded."
category: "administration"
tags: "menu, admin"
image: ""
read_time: "8 min read"
---
<p>Not every admin wants to memorise console commands. AMX Mod X ships an in-game menu system, opened with the <code>amxmodmenu</code> command, that puts kicking, banning, slapping, map changes and config toggles behind a keyboard-driven menu. It is the friendliest way to run a server, and understanding which plugin backs each submenu explains why an option sometimes simply is not there.</p>

<h2>1. Open the menu</h2>
<p>From the console, or bound to a key, run:</p>
<pre>amxmodmenu</pre>
<p>This command comes from the <code>menufront.amxx</code> plugin — the front page that lists the submenus. If <code>amxmodmenu</code> is an unknown command, that plugin is not loaded; check your <a href="/tutorials/plugins-ini-load-order">plugins.ini</a>. The menu only opens for players AMXX recognises as admins, and each option inside is further gated by your <a href="/tutorials/amxx-admin-flags-reference">access flags</a>.</p>

<h2>2. Bind it to a key</h2>
<p>Typing the command every time is tedious. Bind it to a spare key in your own config:</p>
<pre>bind "o" "amxmodmenu"</pre>
<p>Now pressing <code>o</code> opens the admin menu in-game. Navigate with the number keys the menu shows; the same number keys select targets and options as you drill in.</p>

<h2>3. What each submenu does</h2>
<p>The front menu is a launcher for several separate menu plugins. The common entries and the plugins behind them:</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Kick / Ban / Slap / Slay / Team menus</strong> — backed by <code>plmenu.amxx</code> (the players menu). Pick a player from a list, then the action, without typing a userid.</li>
<li><strong>Commands menu</strong> — backed by <code>cmdmenu.amxx</code>. Toggles common cvars and server settings, restarts the round, and similar one-click actions.</li>
<li><strong>Map menu</strong> — backed by <code>mapsmenu.amxx</code>. Change level or start a map vote from a list of installed maps.</li>
<li><strong>Speech / Client-commands menus</strong> — backed by the menu plugins that expose those actions (for example <code>telemenu.amxx</code> where teleport/speech features are enabled).</li>
</ul>
<p>Each of these is a distinct plugin listed in <code>plugins.ini</code>. The front menu only shows an entry if its backing plugin is loaded — which is the key to the next section.</p>

<h2>4. A missing submenu means a missing plugin</h2>
<p>If the Map menu, or the Kick menu, or any entry is absent from your <code>amxmodmenu</code>, the cause is almost always that the plugin behind it is commented out or failed to load. Check what actually loaded:</p>
<pre>amxx plugins</pre>
<p>Look for <code>plmenu.amxx</code>, <code>cmdmenu.amxx</code>, <code>mapsmenu.amxx</code> and <code>menufront.amxx</code> reading <code>running</code>. A <code>bad load</code> or a commented line in <code>plugins.ini</code> removes the corresponding menu entry. Re-enable the plugin, change the map, and the option returns. A submenu can also be empty if <em>your</em> admin account lacks the access flags those actions require — the plugin is loaded but the menu has nothing you are allowed to do.</p>

<h2>5. Menu versus commands</h2>
<p>The menu is a convenience layer over the same commands covered in the <a href="/tutorials/amx-slap-slay-kick">slap/slay/kick guide</a> and the <a href="/tutorials/amx-ban-commands">ban commands</a> — choosing "Kick" and a player runs <code>amx_kick</code> under the hood. Use the menu for speed in the heat of a match; drop to the console when you need something the menu does not expose, such as a precise ban duration or targeting by exact userid. For a richer, configurable admin menu with more actions than the stock one, see the <a href="/plugins/csb-admin-menu">CSB Admin Menu</a>.</p>

<h2>Common errors</h2>
<ul>
<li><strong><code>Unknown command: amxmodmenu</code></strong> — <code>menufront.amxx</code> is not loaded. Add it to <code>plugins.ini</code> and change the map.</li>
<li><strong>Menu opens but is nearly empty</strong> — your admin account lacks the access flags the submenus need, or the backing menu plugins are not loaded. Check <code>amx_who</code> and <code>amxx plugins</code>.</li>
<li><strong>A whole submenu is missing</strong> — the plugin behind it (<code>plmenu</code>, <code>cmdmenu</code>, <code>mapsmenu</code>) is commented out or <code>bad load</code>. Re-enable it.</li>
<li><strong>Menu does not respond to number keys</strong> — another plugin is intercepting the same menu keys. This is a load-order conflict; see <a href="/tutorials/plugins-ini-load-order">load order</a>.</li>
<li><strong>Non-admins can open it</strong> — a flag was left in <code>amx_default_access</code>, granting menu access to everyone. Clear that cvar in <a href="/tutorials/amxx-cfg-explained">amxx.cfg</a>.</li>
</ul>

<h2>Verification</h2>
<p>Bind the key, join as an admin, and open the menu. Confirm each expected submenu is present and that selecting Kick lists connected players. Perform a harmless action — slap yourself through the menu — and confirm it behaves exactly as the console command would, including the activity message players see. If an entry you want is missing, run <code>amxx plugins</code> and re-enable its backing plugin rather than looking for a setting inside the menu itself.</p>