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Chat Commands

Admin chat and messaging commands.

Admin Chat​

Admin Say (Private)​

Send a message to all online admins only.

css_asay <message>

Permission: @css/chat

Features:

  • Only admins see the message
  • Useful for admin coordination
  • Colored differently from regular chat

Examples:

css_asay "Player is suspicious, keep an eye on them"
css_asay "I'm going AFK for 5 minutes"
css_asay "Need help with a situation"

Message format:

[ADMIN] YourName: message

Public Announcements​

CSS Say (Colored)​

Send a colored message to all players.

css_cssay <message>

Permission: @css/chat

Features:

  • Colorful formatted message
  • Visible to all players
  • Stands out from regular chat

Examples:

css_cssay "Server will restart in 5 minutes!"
css_cssay "Welcome to our server!"
css_cssay "Rules: No cheating, be respectful"

Say (With Prefix)​

Send a message to all players with admin prefix.

css_say <message>

Permission: @css/chat

Features:

  • Message shows with "(ADMIN)" prefix
  • Visible to all players
  • Authority message format

Examples:

css_say "Please be respectful in chat"
css_say "Cheating will result in permanent ban"
css_say "Type !rules for server rules"

Message format:

(ADMIN) YourName: message

Private Say (Whisper)​

Send a private message to a specific player.

css_psay <#userid or name> <message>

Permission: @css/chat

Features:

  • Only the target player sees the message
  • Useful for private warnings or help
  • Doesn't clutter public chat

Examples:

css_psay #123 "Please stop mic spamming"
css_psay PlayerName "You need to join a team"
css_psay @all "This is a private message to everyone"

Target receives:

(ADMIN to you) AdminName: message

Center Say​

Display a message in the center of all players' screens.

css_csay <message>

Permission: @css/chat

Features:

  • Large text in center of screen
  • Impossible to miss
  • Useful for important announcements

Examples:

css_csay "ROUND STARTS IN 10 SECONDS"
css_csay "FREEZE! Don't move!"
css_csay "Server restarting NOW"

Display:

  • Shows in center of screen
  • Large, bold text
  • Auto-fades after a few seconds

HUD Say​

Display a message on players' HUD (screen overlay).

css_hsay <message>

Permission: @css/chat

Features:

  • Message appears on screen overlay
  • Less intrusive than center say
  • Stays visible longer

Examples:

css_hsay "Tournament starting soon!"
css_hsay "New map voting available"
css_hsay "Visit our website: example.com"

Usage Examples​

Announcements​

# Server restart warning
css_cssay "Server will restart in 10 minutes! Save your progress!"

# Center screen countdown
css_csay "5"
# Wait...
css_csay "4"
css_csay "3"
css_csay "2"
css_csay "1"
css_csay "GO!"

Player Communication​

# Private warning
css_psay PlayerName "This is your first warning for chat spam"

# Public announcement
css_say "Everyone please be quiet for the next round"

# Admin coordination
css_asay "I'm spectating the suspicious player in T spawn"

Event Management​

# Tournament announcement
css_cssay "⚠ TOURNAMENT STARTING IN 5 MINUTES ⚠"
css_hsay "Teams, please get ready!"
css_csay "TOURNAMENT BEGINS NOW!"

Color Codes​

Many chat commands support color codes:

{default} - Default chat color
{white} - White
{darkred} - Dark red
{green} - Green
{lightyellow} - Light yellow
{lightblue} - Light blue
{olive} - Olive
{lime} - Lime
{red} - Red
{purple} - Purple
{grey} - Grey
{yellow} - Yellow
{gold} - Gold
{silver} - Silver
{blue} - Blue
{darkblue} - Dark blue
{bluegrey} - Blue grey
{magenta} - Magenta
{lightred} - Light red
{orange} - Orange

Example:

css_say "{red}WARNING: {default}No camping in spawn!"

Message Targeting​

Some commands support player targeting for private messages:

Supported Targets​

  • @all - All players (private message to each)
  • @ct - All Counter-Terrorists
  • @t - All Terrorists
  • @spec - All spectators
  • #123 - Specific userid
  • PlayerName - Player by name

Examples:

# Private message to all CTs
css_psay @ct "Defend bombsite A this round"

# Private message to all terrorists
css_psay @t "Rush B with smoke and flash"

# Message to spectators
css_psay @spec "Type !join to play"

Best Practices​

When to Use Each Command​

css_asay (Admin Say):

  • Admin coordination
  • Discussing player behavior
  • Planning admin actions
  • Private admin discussions

css_cssay (Colored Say):

  • Important server announcements
  • Event notifications
  • Eye-catching messages
  • Server information

css_say (Say):

  • General admin announcements
  • Rule reminders
  • Warnings to all players
  • Admin presence

css_psay (Private Say):

  • Private warnings
  • Individual help
  • Direct player communication
  • Discretion needed

css_csay (Center Say):

  • Emergency announcements
  • Cannot-miss messages
  • Round starts/events
  • Countdowns

css_hsay (HUD Say):

  • Persistent information
  • Less urgent announcements
  • Server info
  • Website/Discord links

Communication Guidelines​

Professional Communication​

  1. Be clear and concise - Don't spam long messages
  2. Use appropriate command - Don't center-spam trivial messages
  3. Check for typos - You represent the server
  4. Avoid excessive colors - Can be hard to read

Spam Prevention​

  1. Don't overuse center say - Very intrusive for players
  2. Space out announcements - Don't flood chat
  3. Use HUD say for persistent info - Less annoying
  4. Coordinate with other admins - Avoid duplicate messages

Effective Messaging​

Good Examples:

css_cssay "🎯 New map voting system available! Type !mapvote"
css_psay PlayerName "Hey! Please enable your mic or use team chat"
css_asay "Checking player demos for possible aimbot"

Poor Examples:

css_csay "hi"  # Don't use center say for trivial messages
css_cssay "a" "b" "c" "d"  # Don't spam center messages
css_say "asdfasdfasdf"  # Unprofessional

Silent Mode​

Admins can use silent mode to hide their activity:

css_hide  # Toggle silent mode

When in silent mode:

  • Chat messages still work
  • Admin name might be hidden (depends on config)
  • Useful for undercover moderation

Configuration​

Show Activity Type​

Controls how admin actions are displayed:

"ShowActivityType": 2

Options:

  • 0 - Hide all admin activity
  • 1 - Anonymous ("An admin says...")
  • 2 - Show name ("AdminName says...")

Chat Restrictions​

Respecting Gags​

Remember that:

  • css_asay works even if admin is gagged (admin chat)
  • Other commands respect communication penalties
  • Can't use chat commands while silenced

Permission Requirements​

All chat commands require @css/chat permission:

css_addadmin STEAMID "Name" "@css/chat" 50 0

Or add to a group with chat permission:

css_addgroup "#moderators" "@css/chat,@css/kick" 50

Troubleshooting​

Messages not showing​

Check:

  • Do you have @css/chat permission?
  • Are you silenced/gagged?
  • Check console for errors
  • Verify player is connected (for css_psay)

Colors not working​

Check:

  • Use correct color code syntax: {red}
  • Some commands may not support colors
  • Different chat systems handle colors differently

Players can't see center/HUD messages​

Check:

  • CS2 client-side chat settings
  • Conflicting HUD plugins
  • Server console for errors