Terraria TShock adds admin commands, a permissions system, anti-cheat, and server-side character enforcement to your Terraria server. It’s server-side only, so your players connect with a normal Terraria client.
TShock is different from tModLoader. TShock is for server administration. tModLoader is for content mods (new items, bosses, biomes). You can’t run both at the same time.
Step 1: Get TShock on Your Server
If you selected TShock at checkout, you’re already set - skip to Step 2.
If your server is running vanilla Terraria or tModLoader, you’ll need to switch to TShock. Open a ticket through the Client Area or our Discord and request a server type change to TShock. There’s no price change, but the server will be reinstalled.
Step 2: Start the Server
Start your server from the Console page. On first launch, TShock creates its configuration files and databases automatically. You’ll see a setup code in the console output that looks like this:
TShock Notice: To setup the server, join the game and type /setup [code]
TShock Notice: This token will display until disabled by verification.Write down this code. You’ll need it in the next step.
Step 3: Join and Complete Setup
- Open Terraria and connect to your server (connection guide)
- Once in-game, open chat and type
/setup <code>using the code from Step 2 - Create your admin account:
/user add <username> <password> owner - Log into your new account:
/login <username> <password>
Replace <username> and <password> with your own values. The owner group has full permissions.
Step 4: Verify It’s Working
After logging in, test that your admin permissions work by typing /help in chat. You should see a list of available commands. Try a basic admin command like /who to list connected players.
If commands work, your TShock installation is complete.
TShock Configuration Files
TShock creates these files automatically on first start. You can edit them through the File Manager.
| File | Location | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
config.json | tshock/ | Main server config - spawn protection, anti-cheat, PvP, max slots, MOTD, backups |
sscconfig.json | tshock/ | Server-Side Characters config - starting inventory, health, mana for new players |
tshock.sqlite | tshock/ | Database storing user accounts, groups, permissions, bans, warps, regions |
Most settings in config.json are self-explanatory. The ones you’ll want to check first:
ServerPassword- set a password to restrict who can joinMaxSlots- maximum player countSpawnProtectionandSpawnProtectionRadius- prevents griefing near spawnAutoSaveandBackupInterval- automatic world saves and backupsServerSideCharacters- forces characters to be stored on the server instead of locally (prevents item duplication and cheating)
What’s Next
Once TShock is running, set up your permissions and learn the essential admin commands. Our TShock Commands and Permissions guide covers groups, permissions, and the commands you’ll use most.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. TShock and tModLoader replace the Terraria server binary in different ways and are not compatible. Choose one based on what you need - TShock for admin tools and server management, tModLoader for content mods like Calamity or Thorium.
No. TShock is entirely server-side. Players connect with a standard Terraria client - no special downloads or mods required.
Switching server types requires a reinstall, which resets server files. Take a backup of your world from saves/Worlds/ before requesting the change. You can re-upload it after TShock is installed.