Stellaris Console Commands and Cheats List (2026)

This Stellaris console commands list is built for sandbox empires, mod testing, stuck-event fixes, and players who want to experiment without waiting through years of in-game time. Use a duplicate save before changing your main campaign, because console commands can permanently alter planets, empires, leaders, diplomacy, and research.

Table of Contents

• How to open the console in Stellaris
• How to use Stellaris console commands
• Best Stellaris console commands
• Stellaris console commands list
• Debugtooltip and IDs
• Troubleshooting
• FAQ

How to Open the Console in Stellaris

Load a non-Ironman PC save, then press the key combination that matches your keyboard layout. Common options include ~, `, Shift+2, ALT+2+1, Shift+3, ^, §, °, ², and Shift+Alt+C. If one key does not open the console, try the others before changing system settings.

The Stellaris console is for non-Ironman testing and sandbox play. Ironman is the mode used for achievements, so do not expect console commands to work in achievement-focused saves. This guide is written for the PC version where the in-game command console is available.

How to Use Stellaris Console Commands

Type the command and press Enter. Many resource commands accept an amount but also have a default value. For example, cash 5000 adds 5,000 energy credits, while cash usually adds the command’s default amount. Commands that target planets, leaders, fleets, species, or empires often need an ID, and debugtooltip is the safest way to find those IDs in your current game.

Best Stellaris Console Commands

These commands cover the most common Stellaris needs: resources, research, visibility, planet control, empire switching, and quick test setup.

Command	Effect	Example	Notes
help	Shows command help.	help cash	Use it when a command has changed after a patch.
debugtooltip	Toggles debug tooltips.	debugtooltip	Reveals planet, empire, leader, species, pop, and ship IDs.
cash [amount]	Adds energy credits.	cash 5000	Default amount is usually 5,000.
minerals [amount]	Adds minerals.	minerals 5000	Useful for early economy tests.
food [amount]	Adds food.	food 5000	Not useful for machine empires unless trading or testing.
alloys [amount]	Adds alloys.	alloys 10000	Best for fleet and megastructure testing.
influence [amount]	Adds influence.	influence 500	Useful for claims, expansion, and diplomacy testing.
unity [amount]	Adds unity.	unity 5000	Useful for traditions and edicts.
max_resources	Fills resource storage.	max_resources	Fastest broad resource cheat.
research_all_technologies	Researches non-repeatable technologies.	research_all_technologies	Can remove normal progression instantly.
finish_research	Completes active research.	finish_research	Narrower than researching everything.
finish_special_projects	Completes special projects.	finish_special_projects	Good for stuck project tests.
survey	Surveys celestial bodies.	survey	Requires at least one science ship in normal use.
instant_build	Toggles instant construction and upgrades.	instant_build	Can affect AI. Pause first.
own	Takes ownership of the selected object.	own	Select a planet, fleet, or starbase first.
play [empire id]	Switches controlled empire.	play 0	Use debugtooltip to find empire IDs.
communications	Contacts all empires.	communications	Bypasses first contact pacing.
intel	Reveals the galaxy and disables first contact while active.	intel	Run again or reload to return to normal visibility.
debug_yesmen	Makes AI empires agree to proposals.	debug_yesmen	Run again to toggle off.
event [event id]	Triggers an event.	event crisis.10	Exact event IDs depend on the game and mods.

Stellaris Console Commands List

The tables below group commands by the kind of problem they solve. This is more useful than one giant alphabetical list when you are trying to test a specific empire, planet, fleet, or economy setup.

Resource and Economy Commands

Command	Effect	Example	Notes
cash [amount]	Adds energy credits.	cash 10000	Core economy command.
minerals [amount]	Adds minerals.	minerals 10000	Useful for planet development.
food [amount]	Adds food.	food 5000	Useful for organic empires.
alloys [amount]	Adds alloys.	alloys 20000	Use for fleets, starbases, and megastructures.
consumer_goods [amount]	Adds consumer goods if supported in your build.	consumer_goods 5000	Confirm with help consumer_goods.
influence [amount]	Adds influence.	influence 1000	Useful for claims and expansion.
unity [amount]	Adds unity.	unity 5000	Use for traditions and agenda testing.
physics [amount]	Adds physics research points.	physics 5000	Stored research, not instant technology by itself.
society [amount]	Adds society research points.	society 5000	Useful for biological and statecraft tests.
engineering [amount]	Adds engineering research points.	engineering 5000	Useful for ships, industry, and megastructures.
max_resources	Fills resource storage.	max_resources	Fast but broad.
skip_galactic_community_cooldowns	Removes cooldowns for similar resolutions.	skip_galactic_community_cooldowns	Useful for Galactic Community testing.
menace [amount]	Adds menace.	menace 5000	Relevant for crisis-style mechanics.
imperial_authority [amount]	Adds imperial authority.	imperial_authority 10	Relevant if the Galactic Imperium is active.

Research, Traditions, and Leaders

Command	Effect	Example	Notes
research_all_technologies	Researches non-repeatable technologies.	research_all_technologies	Very powerful.
research_technology [technology id]	Researches one technology.	research_technology tech_starbase_3	Use autocomplete or files for IDs.
finish_research	Finishes active research.	finish_research	Useful when you want a smaller boost.
techupdate	Rerolls available technology choices.	techupdate	Good for testing tech draw weights.
activate_all_traditions	Activates all traditions.	activate_all_traditions	Removes normal tradition pacing.
activate_tradition [id]	Activates a tradition.	activate_tradition tr_discovery_adopt	Exact IDs matter.
activate_ascension_perk [id]	Activates an ascension perk.	activate_ascension_perk ap_mind_over_matter	Press Tab where supported to reveal IDs.
skills [amount]	Adds skill levels to leaders.	skills 3	Default is often 1.
add_trait_leader [leader id] [trait id]	Adds a trait to a leader.	add_trait_leader 5 leader_trait_intellectual	Use debugtooltip for leader IDs.
remove_trait_leader [leader id] [trait id]	Removes a leader trait.	remove_trait_leader 5 leader_trait_intellectual	Useful for leader testing.
add_trait_species [species id] [trait id]	Adds a species trait.	add_trait_species 1 trait_intelligent	Use debugtooltip and species views.
remove_trait_species [species id] [trait id]	Removes a species trait.	remove_trait_species 1 trait_intelligent	Can affect existing pops.
add_relic [relic id]	Adds a relic.	add_relic r_unbidden_warlock	Some versions accept all for all relics.
unlock_edicts	Unlocks edicts.	unlock_edicts	Useful for policy and edict tests.

Planet, System, and Megastructure Commands

Command	Effect	Example	Notes
own	Takes ownership of the selected object.	own	Select a planet, fleet, or starbase first.
planet_class [class id]	Changes selected planet class.	planet_class pc_gaia	Use planet class IDs.
planet_size [size]	Changes selected planet size if supported.	planet_size 25	Confirm support with help.
planet_happiness [amount]	Adds a happiness modifier to selected planet.	planet_happiness 100	Use for stability and output tests.
effect add_deposit = [deposit id]	Adds a deposit or planetary feature.	effect add_deposit = d_mineral_fields	Select a planet or celestial body first.
effect add_district = [district id]	Adds a district to the selected planet.	effect add_district = district_city	IDs vary by planet and empire type.
effect add_building = [building id]	Adds a building to the selected planet.	effect add_building = building_research_lab_1	Useful for planet build testing.
effect add_planet_devastation = [amount]	Adds or removes devastation.	effect add_planet_devastation = -50	Negative values reduce devastation.
finish_terraform	Finishes terraforming.	finish_terraform	Affects active terraforming processes.
add_pops [species id] [planet id]	Adds pops to a planet.	add_pops 1 12	Use debugtooltip for IDs.
build_pops [amount]	Adds robot pops to selected planet.	build_pops 5	Requires the empire to be able to build robot pops.
create_megastructure [id]	Creates a megastructure in the current system.	create_megastructure dyson_sphere_0	Use autocomplete where available.
create_navy [amount]	Creates a fleet using latest designs.	create_navy 1	1 commonly represents 100 percent of naval capacity.
add_ship [ship id]	Spawns a fleet of a ship design.	add_ship Avatar	Ship IDs and design names vary.

Empire, Diplomacy, and Galaxy Commands

Command	Effect	Example	Notes
play [empire id]	Switches controlled empire.	play 2	Use debugtooltip to find empire IDs.
observe	Switches to observer mode.	observe	Use play to regain control.
ai	Toggles AI.	ai	Good for paused tests.
communications	Establishes communication with all empires.	communications	Bypasses first contact.
intel	Reveals the galaxy and disables first contact while active.	intel	Useful for galaxy inspection.
add_intel [target] [amount]	Adds intel toward a target empire.	add_intel 3 50	Default amount may apply if omitted.
add_opinion [source] [target] [amount]	Changes one empire’s opinion of another.	add_opinion 0 3 100	Use empire IDs.
debug_yesmen	AI accepts player proposals.	debug_yesmen	Run again to toggle off.
debug_nomen	AI refuses player proposals.	debug_nomen	Useful for diplomacy tests.
force_integrate [target]	Integrates the target empire.	force_integrate 4	Can massively alter a save.
force_senate_vote	Ends the current senate recess.	force_senate_vote	Galactic Community testing.
end_senate_session	Ends the current resolution vote.	end_senate_session	Can pass or fail the active resolution depending on state.
free_government	Toggles free government changes.	free_government	Bypasses normal cooldown restrictions.
free_policies	Toggles free policy changes.	free_policies	Can allow policies blocked by normal restrictions.
election	Starts a ruler election.	election	Only relevant for governments with elections.
event [event id]	Triggers an event.	event marauder.500	Use exact event IDs.

Fleet, Combat, and Utility Commands

Command	Effect	Example	Notes
damage [amount]	Damages selected ships.	damage 100	Select a fleet first.
invincible	Prevents player ships from taking damage.	invincible	Run again to toggle.
attackallfleets	Makes player fleets target all other fleets.	attackallfleets	Use only in test saves.
survey	Surveys celestial bodies.	survey	Useful for exploration testing.
finish_special_projects	Finishes special projects.	finish_special_projects	Good for stuck projects.
instant_build	Toggles instant builds and upgrades.	instant_build	Pause first because AI may benefit.
3dstats	Toggles 3D performance stats.	3dstats	Performance/debug command.
version	Copies or prints game version info.	version	Useful when reporting bugs.
run [file]	Runs commands from a file.	run test_commands.ini	Use for repeatable test setups.
trigger_docs	Writes trigger and effect docs.	trigger_docs	Modding/debug use.
effect_docs	Writes effect documentation where supported.	effect_docs	Confirm exact command with help.
reload [type]	Reloads game data.	reload localization	Modding/debug use.

Stellaris Debugtooltip and IDs

Many powerful Stellaris commands require IDs that only exist inside your current galaxy. Run debugtooltip, then hover the object you need. Empire IDs can be found by hovering borders, flags, or contacts. Leader IDs appear in leader views. Planet IDs appear on planets. Species and pop IDs appear in species or population views.

If you are working with traits, technologies, buildings, districts, deposits, civics, ethics, events, and ship designs, autocomplete and the game files are often more reliable than guessing. The same command can fail if the selected object is wrong, the ID belongs to a DLC you do not own, or a mod changed the ID.

Stellaris Console Troubleshooting

• The console will not open: confirm the save is not Ironman, then try all common keyboard shortcuts for your layout.
• A command is unknown: use help [command], check spelling, and confirm the command exists in your current patch.
• An ID command fails: run debugtooltip and verify the selected object, empire ID, species ID, leader ID, or planet ID.
• instant_build helped enemies: reload, pause, turn it on only while queuing your work, then turn it off before unpausing.
• A resource command does not work: check if your game version uses that resource command directly or through a scripted effect.

Stellaris Console Commands FAQ

Can you use Stellaris console commands in Ironman?

No. Console commands are for non-Ironman play. If you want achievements, use an Ironman save without console commands.

What is the best Stellaris command for IDs?

Use debugtooltip. It reveals empire, planet, leader, species, pop, and ship IDs when you hover the relevant object or interface element.

How do you add energy credits in Stellaris?

Use cash [amount]. For example, cash 5000 adds 5,000 energy credits.

How do you add alloys in Stellaris?

Use alloys [amount]. For example, alloys 10000 adds 10,000 alloys.

How do you research everything in Stellaris?

Use research_all_technologies to unlock non-repeatable technologies. If you only want to finish current research, use finish_research instead.

What is the safest way to test planet commands?

Pause the game, select the target planet, run debugtooltip to confirm the target, save the game, and then run the command. Reload if the effect is not what you wanted.

Do Stellaris console commands work on console editions?

This guide is written for the PC version with the in-game command console. Do not assume the same commands are available in Stellaris Console Edition on PlayStation or Xbox.

Where should I go next?

Use the Console Commands hub for more command lists, the Stellaris hub for strategy guides, or compare this guide with the EU5 console commands list.