---
title: "users.ini Explained: Admin Flags and Access Levels"
excerpt: "A field-by-field breakdown of addons/amxmodx/configs/users.ini: the four columns, access flags versus account flags, real example lines, and amx_reloadadmins."
category: "administration"
tags: "users.ini, admin"
image: ""
read_time: "8 min read"
---
<p>Every AMX Mod X admin is one line in <code>addons/amxmodx/configs/users.ini</code>. It looks trivial until an admin silently stops working, and then the difference between the two flag columns suddenly matters a great deal. This is the file explained field by field, with the example lines that actually work in production. The file lives at <code>addons/amxmodx/configs/users.ini</code> and is read by the AMXX admin plugins at map start and whenever you reload — it is the single source of truth for who is an admin unless you have deliberately moved admin management into a database like <a href="/tutorials/install-amxbans">AMXBans</a>.</p>

<h2>1. The line format</h2>
<p>Each admin is four quoted fields:</p>
<pre>"&lt;name|ip|steamid&gt;" "&lt;password&gt;" "&lt;access flags&gt;" "&lt;account flags&gt;"</pre>
<p>Field one is the identity (a SteamID, an IP, or a player name). Field two is a password — empty for SteamID/IP admins. Field three is <strong>access flags</strong>: what the admin is allowed to do. Field four is <strong>account flags</strong>: how AMXX should authenticate this line. Mixing up columns three and four is the most common mistake in the file.</p>

<h2>2. Access flags (column 3)</h2>
<p>These are the letters <code>a</code>-<code>z</code> that grant commands. A few you will use constantly:</p>
<ul>
<li><code>a</code> — immunity (cannot be kicked/banned/slayed by other admins)</li>
<li><code>b</code> — reserved-slot access</li>
<li><code>c</code> — <code>amx_kick</code></li>
<li><code>d</code> — <code>amx_ban</code> / <code>amx_unban</code></li>
<li><code>e</code> — <code>amx_slay</code> / <code>amx_slap</code></li>
<li><code>f</code> — <code>amx_map</code></li>
<li><code>u</code> — admin menu access</li>
<li><code>z</code> — basic user, no admin power</li>
</ul>
<p>The full a-z table is in the <a href="/tutorials/amxx-admin-flags-reference">admin flags reference</a>. A full admin is usually given <code>abcdefghijklmnopqrstu</code> — every access flag except <code>z</code>.</p>

<h2>3. Account flags (column 4)</h2>
<p>These tell AMXX <em>how to match and authenticate</em> the line. They are a different alphabet from the access flags:</p>
<table>
<thead><tr><th>Flag</th><th>Meaning</th></tr></thead>
<tbody>
<tr><td><code>a</code></td><td>Disconnect the player if the password is wrong</td></tr>
<tr><td><code>b</code></td><td>Treat the name field as a clan tag / substring of the player name</td></tr>
<tr><td><code>c</code></td><td>The identity is a SteamID (authid) check</td></tr>
<tr><td><code>d</code></td><td>The identity is an IP check</td></tr>
<tr><td><code>e</code></td><td>No password required (used with SteamID/IP admins)</td></tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p>The workhorse combination is <code>ce</code>: authenticate by SteamID (<code>c</code>) and skip the password (<code>e</code>). That is the correct account-flag string for almost every modern admin.</p>

<h2>4. Real example lines</h2>
<pre>; SteamID admin, full access, no password
"STEAM_0:0:12345678" "" "abcdefghijklmnopqrstu" "ce"

; Name + password admin (legacy / non-Steam)
"BogdanAdmin" "S0meL0ngP@ss" "abcdefghijklmnopqrstu" "a"

; IP-based admin, moderator subset only
"203.0.113.5" "" "cdefiju" "de"

; VIP: reserved slot + custom level H, matched by SteamID
"STEAM_0:1:99887766" "" "bt" "ce"</pre>
<p>Comments start with <code>;</code>. Note how the SteamID lines use <code>ce</code> and an empty password, while the name line uses <code>a</code> and a real password — that is the whole authentication story in four lines.</p>

<h2>5. Applying changes without a map change</h2>
<p>After editing the file, run this in the server console (or via RCON):</p>
<pre>amx_reloadadmins</pre>
<p>It re-reads users.ini live. There is no need to change the map or restart. Existing players are re-checked against the new list. Adding a specific admin by SteamID is covered step by step in <a href="/tutorials/add-admin-by-steamid">how to add an admin by SteamID</a>.</p>

<h2>6. Order, quoting and comments</h2>
<p>A few rules keep the file from silently breaking. Every field must be wrapped in double quotes — an unquoted access string with a space, or a missing quote, makes AMXX skip the whole line without warning. Blank lines are ignored and any line starting with <code>;</code> is a comment, which is the right way to document who each admin is:</p>
<pre>; head admin - Bogdan
"STEAM_0:0:12345678" "" "abcdefghijklmnopqrstu" "ce"
; trial mod - added 2026-07
"STEAM_0:1:22334455" "" "ceu" "ce"</pre>
<p>Order does not imply priority for distinct SteamIDs, but if the same identity appears twice the later line effectively wins after a reload, so remove stale duplicates rather than layering new lines on top of them.</p>

<h2>Common errors</h2>
<ul>
<li><strong>Admin has power but is asked for a password</strong> — you left off account flag <code>e</code>. A SteamID admin needs <code>ce</code>, not just <code>c</code>.</li>
<li><strong>Admin is completely ignored</strong> — you put <code>c</code> (SteamID) in the access column instead of the account column. Column order is identity, password, access, account.</li>
<li><strong>Name admin works for impostors</strong> — name matching is weak; anyone can use that name. Prefer SteamID (<code>ce</code>) on any Steam server. On non-Steam servers this is why you install <a href="/tutorials/install-reunion">Reunion</a> to get stable IDs.</li>
<li><strong>Wrong universe digit</strong> — <code>STEAM_0:...</code> versus <code>STEAM_1:...</code>. The 2023 client update changed the leading digit for some setups; if the admin is not recognised, try the other digit and read <a href="/tutorials/fix-admin-not-recognized">admin not recognised</a>.</li>
<li><strong>Edited the wrong file</strong> — admins go in <code>configs/users.ini</code>, not <code>admins.ini</code> or a plugin config. Confirm the path.</li>
</ul>

<h2>Verification</h2>
<p>Run <code>amx_reloadadmins</code>, reconnect, and type <code>amx_who</code> in chat or console — your name should list the flags you assigned. Open the admin menu with <code>amx_menu</code> (needs flag <code>u</code>). If <code>amx_who</code> shows you with no flags, the line did not match: re-check the SteamID with <code>status</code> and the account flags with the <a href="/tutorials/amxx-admin-flags-reference">flag reference</a>.</p>