Set up Terraria TShockAdmin rights, anti-grief & plugins

Published on August 4, 2026 · last updated on November 4, 2026

Choose the TShock variant

TShock replaces the Vanilla server with extended server software. With us, you choose the variant per server - and you can change it yourself: as soon as your server is ready, you switch it with a click in the game server panel under Server type between Vanilla, TShock and tModLoader, without a ticket and without waiting. The configuration then sits in the tshock folder in the file config.json, which you edit via WebFTP/SFTP or the config editor.

A note before you switch: with Terraria, the new server type starts on an empty directory - your world is lost in the process. The confirmation dialog says so clearly and requires explicit confirmation. So back up your .wld first, see create backups.

First login & becoming admin

On the first start, TShock generates a setup code (in the server console/log). In the game, you register and claim the admin rights:

/register MyPassword
/login MyPassword
/setup 12345678   (code from the console)

The setup code is then deactivated, and your account has full superadmin rights.

Anti-grief & region protection

This is the main reason for TShock: via groups and permissions, you decide who may do what. With regions, you protect builds against interference by others:

/region define SpawnArea
/region protect SpawnArea true

That way, your spawn and important builds stay safe from griefing, while normal players build freely outside.

Groups and permissions

Regions protect individual places, groups control the basic behavior of all players. TShock comes with three levels that are enough for most servers: guest for everyone who joins without an account, default for registered players and superadmin for you. Anyone who signs up via /register automatically lands in default.

The usual first step is to take building away from guests, so that nobody without an account can cause damage. The permission responsible is tshock.world.modify, which covers both building and mining; delperm removes it from the group, whereas addperm would grant it:

/group delperm guest tshock.world.modify
/user group PlayerName default
/group list

For a community, a fourth group between default and superadmin is worthwhile - for example mod with the rights to kick, ban and manage regions, but without access to server commands. That way, you can hand over moderation without giving up control over the server.

Install plugins

TShock plugins are .dll files that you upload via WebFTP/SFTP into the ServerPlugins folder. Popular ones include extended region tools, economy systems, warps and custom commands. Make sure to choose plugins that match your TShock version, and restart the server after installing.

The version binding is not a detail but the most common reason for a server that no longer starts after a plugin installation: TShock plugins hook directly into server internals, and these change between major versions. A plugin for TShock 5 does not run under TShock 6 - and exactly this jump is coming with Terraria 1.4.5: TShock 6 is the series for the "Bigger and Boulder" update and builds on .NET 9; older plugins need an adapted version from their author for it. So install one plugin after another and restart in between - then you know immediately which one it was if something goes wrong.

If the server stays silent, the cause is in the log file in the tshock folder. Usually it is enough to remove the most recently uploaded .dll again. Make a backup before every round of plugins: backups are self-service throughout with us; you fetch the server folder via WebFTP or SFTP, as described under create backups.

TShock, Vanilla or tModLoader?

The three variants exclude each other - you decide on one per server. The choice becomes easier if you separate them by purpose rather than by feature set:

• Vanilla is right for a fixed group of friends. No accounts, no management, no version problems - it just runs.
• TShock is right as soon as strangers join. Everything TShock can do revolves around this one problem: people you do not know should be allowed to play along, but not be able to break anything.
• tModLoader is right if you want new content - Calamity, Thorium and similar content mods. See tModLoader & mods.

The most important point up front: TShock and tModLoader cannot be combined. If you want content mods and moderation tools at the same time, you have to choose - both together do not exist. For a public modded group, the only option is to restrict access via a password in the serverconfig.txt instead of relying on groups and regions.

A switch is possible at any time and costs you one click: in the game server panel, you select the desired variant under Server type, confirm, and the reinstallation runs automatically - the progress is shown live, and you can open the install log meanwhile. Only types that fit your server are offered, and for a team, the right to do this can be granted to individual members specifically.

You do have to take care of your world yourself, though. The world format is the same for all variants - a .wld from a Vanilla round keeps running under TShock -, but the new server type starts on an empty directory. Whatever was in it before is gone afterwards. The procedure that protects you from this is always the same: stop the server, download the .wld via WebFTP or SFTP (create backups), switch the server type, upload the world again and enter its name in the serverconfig.txt - the way to do this is described under upload a world. With TShock, there is a second point: user accounts, groups and regions live in the tshock folder. If you want to keep them, back up this folder as well.

Frequently asked questions