How to Set Up Server Groups and Assign Roles on Your TeamSpeak Server
Server groups are how you define roles on your TS3 server — Admin, Moderator, Member, Guest. This guide walks you through creating groups, setting permissions, and assigning users.
What Are Server Groups
Server groups are the role system in TeamSpeak 3. Every user who connects gets assigned to one or more server groups, and those groups define what they can and can't do on your server — whether that's talking in locked channels, kicking other users, or changing server settings.
Think of them like Discord roles, but with a numeric permission system under the hood.
Creating a Server Group
There are two ways to get to server group management:
Option 1: Right-click the server name at the top of the channel list → Edit Virtual Server → Groups tab.
Option 2: Go to Permissions menu → Server Groups.
In the Server Groups panel, click the icon to create a new group. Give it a name. From there, you'll see a full list of permissions you can assign to that group.
Recommended Group Setup
A solid starting point for most communities:
| Group | Purpose | Key Permissions |
|---|---|---|
| Guest | Default — auto-assigned to new users | Talk, join non-restricted channels |
| Member | Verified community members | All Guest perms + create temp channels |
| Moderator | Trusted users who can police chat | Kick, move clients |
| Admin | Full server control | All permissions |
Don't overthink it on day one. Start lean and add permissions as you need them.
Setting Permissions on a Group
Select a group in the Server Groups panel and you'll see the permission list on the right. Each permission has a numeric value — higher numbers mean more access. For example, i_client_kick_power of 25 lets you kick anyone whose i_client_needed_kick_power is 25 or less.
The most common permissions to configure:
b_client_talk_power— can the user talk at alli_client_kick_power— kick strengthi_channel_create_permanent— ability to create permanent channelsb_group_is_permanent— whether the group persists after disconnect
Assigning a Group to a User
Right-click any connected user's name in the channel list → Set Server Group → select the group. Done.
For offline users, go to Permissions → Manage Clients, find them by their stored UID or database ID, and assign groups from there.
Setting the Default Group
Every new connection automatically gets one group — the default group. To set it:
- Go to Permissions → Server Groups
- Right-click the group you want as default (usually "Guest")
- Select Set as Default Group
The default group icon changes to show it's selected. Every new connection will inherit this group automatically.
Best Practice: Start From Templates
TS3 ships with built-in group templates. When you create a new group, you can base it on "Server Admin" or "Guest" templates. This gives you a reasonable starting point instead of building from scratch with all permissions at zero.
Once you have your groups set up, take a look at how the Admin group works — the server admin account is a special case that sits above the normal group system. See How to Manage the TeamSpeak Server Admin Account for the full breakdown.