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Give Factorio players limited actions with permission groups

Factorio permission groups let you choose which in-game actions a set of players may perform. Use them for a limited guest role or a controlled event without giving those players administrator access. These groups apply inside the factory; they do not grant access to your CloudExa account or panel files.

Define the role before editing

You need an administrator account in the current save and a completed backup. Record the installed Factorio version. Action names and the available controls can change between versions, so use the interface provided by your installed game rather than copying an old action list from a forum.

Write a small access checklist. For example, guests might need to move and chat while you restrict a particular building action during a guided tour. Include the actions they should retain, not just the one you intend to block. Overly broad restrictions can make a player unable to interact with the session.

Create a separate group

  1. Open the permissions interface with /permissions using your administrator account.
  2. Inspect the existing groups and note the default group’s current rules. Keep that shared baseline unchanged for this trial.
  3. Create a clearly named test group through the interface, or use /permissions create-group TourGuests if your installed command help supports it.
  4. Inspect the new group’s current action states. Do not assume it starts with the exact policy you want.
  5. Change the specific action controls for your role and assign one consenting test player to the group.

Verify from the player’s session

Ask the tester to perform the allowed actions, then attempt the restricted action in a safe area. Confirm the visible result together. An administrator testing with their own session can miss restrictions or bypass behaviour that affects a normal account.

Check the tester’s group membership after reconnecting. Make sure the normal players remain in their original groups. Record the affected control names and outcomes so another administrator can review the policy.

Factorio’s runtime API describes each permission group as an action policy with assigned players. That model helps explain why promoting someone to admin is a separate decision. Do not promote a player merely to solve a group rule that blocks one needed action.

Keep a narrow rollback

If the test prevents an essential action, restore that control to its previous state or return the tester to their recorded original group. Avoid resetting the whole permission system to fix one guest role. A global reset can remove restrictions that other staff rely on.

Once the policy works, assign the intended players and record who maintains the group. Remove temporary event memberships when the event ends. Keep a fresh recovery point before making a larger group redesign.

If you need scripted permission management, use the API documentation matching the installed release and test away from production. This guide uses the supported interface and management commands; it does not require running Lua cheat commands that could affect the save’s achievement eligibility.

Official references

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