Building a custom roblox studio chat command script is one of those projects that instantly makes your game feel more professional and "alive." If you've ever played a game where you could type /fly or :speed 100 and suddenly zip across the map, you've seen these scripts in action. It's not just for showing off, either; having a solid set of commands is an absolute lifesaver when you're testing your game and don't want to keep resetting your character just to move to a different area.
Whether you're trying to build a full-blown admin panel or just want a quick way to change the gravity for fun, understanding how to listen for player input in the chat is a core skill for any Roblox dev. Honestly, once you get the hang of the logic, you'll realize it's way simpler than it looks.
The Basic Logic Behind Chat Commands
At its heart, a roblox studio chat command script is just a listener. You're telling the game: "Hey, every time someone sends a message, check if it starts with a specific character—like a slash or a colon—and if it does, see if the words after it match one of my commands."
To do this, we primarily use the PlayerAdded event followed by the Chatted event. When a player joins, we start watching their chat activity. When they send a message, the script grabs that string of text and breaks it down. We usually use things like string.split() to separate the "command" part from the "arguments" (like the number you'd put after a speed command).
Setting Up Your First Script
To get started, you'll want to head over to the ServerScriptService in your Explorer window. Don't put this in a LocalScript! If you run a chat command script on the client side, other players won't see the effects, and you'll run into all sorts of synchronization headaches. Plus, for things like kicking players or changing server settings, you need that server-side authority.
Create a new Script and let's name it something obvious like ChatCommandHandler.
A basic framework looks something like this:
```lua game.Players.PlayerAdded:Connect(function(player) player.Chatted:Connect(function(message) local words = string.split(message, " ") local command = string.lower(words[1])
if command == "!speed" then local speedValue = tonumber(words[2]) if speedValue and player.Character then player.Character.Humanoid.WalkSpeed = speedValue end end end) end) ```
In this little snippet, we're checking if the first word of the message is !speed. If it is, we take the second word, turn it into a number, and apply it to the player's WalkSpeed. It's simple, but it's the foundation for everything else.
Why Case Sensitivity and Prefixes Matter
One thing that trips up a lot of beginners is capitalization. If a player types !Speed instead of !speed, a basic script might ignore them. That's why we use string.lower(). It converts the entire message to lowercase before checking it against our commands, making the system much more "user-friendly."
Also, think about your prefix. Most devs use /, !, or :. Using a prefix is important because you don't want the script firing every time someone just says "speed" in a normal sentence. The prefix tells the script: "Pay attention, this is a command, not just small talk."
Adding Admin Permissions
You probably don't want every random person who joins your game to have the power to change their speed or fly around. That's a recipe for disaster. To fix this, you need to wrap your command logic in an if statement that checks the player's identity.
You can do this by checking their UserId. It's a bit tedious if you have a lot of admins, but for a solo dev, it's the most secure way.
```lua local admins = {1234567, 9876543} -- Replace with your actual UserID
game.Players.PlayerAdded:Connect(function(player) player.Chatted:Connect(function(message) local isAdmin = false for _, id in pairs(admins) do if player.UserId == id then isAdmin = true break end end
if not isAdmin then return end -- Your command logic goes here end) end) ```
If you're working on a group game, you could also use player:GetRankInGroup(groupId) to see if they're a moderator or an admin. This makes it way easier to manage permissions without constantly updating your script.
Handling Arguments Like a Pro
Most useful commands need extra info. If you're building a teleport command, you need to know who you're teleporting to. This is where string.split() really shines. When you split a message by spaces, you get a table.
If the user types :tp Player1 Player2, the table looks like this: 1. :tp (The command) 2. Player1 (Argument 1) 3. Player2 (Argument 2)
You can then loop through the players in the game to find a name that matches those strings. Just a heads up: player names can be tricky. It's often better to check if the string starts with what the user typed so they don't have to type out "SuperCoolRobloxDeveloper123" every single time.
The New TextChatService
It's worth noting that Roblox recently introduced the TextChatService, which is the "modern" way to handle chat. While the old Chatted event still works and is used by tons of people, the new system is actually quite powerful.
With TextChatService, you can create TextChatCommand objects directly in the Explorer. You give it a name and a trigger (like /kill), and it has a built-in event called Triggered. It's a bit more organized for large-scale games, but if you're just starting out or working on a quick prototype, the classic roblox studio chat command script method we discussed earlier is still perfectly fine and arguably easier to learn.
Common Pitfalls to Avoid
Even seasoned devs run into bugs with chat scripts. Here are a few things to keep in mind:
- Filtering: If your command makes a message appear on everyone's screen (like a global announcement), you must pass that text through Roblox's filtering system. If you don't, your game might get flagged or even taken down because it bypasses the safety filters.
- Character Checking: Always make sure the player actually has a character (
player.Character) and a Humanoid before trying to change their speed or health. If they're in the middle of respawning and your script tries to find their legs, the script will error out and might stop working for everyone. - Spam Prevention: Some players will try to spam commands to lag the server. It's a good idea to add a small "debounce" or cooldown to your commands so they can't be fired 50 times a second.
Taking It Further: ModuleScripts
If you find yourself with 20 or 30 different commands, your script is going to become a giant, unreadable mess. At that point, you'll want to look into ModuleScripts. You can store each command's logic in its own module and have your main script just "require" them. It keeps everything clean and makes it much easier to add or remove features later on.
For example, you could have a folder in ServerStorage called "Commands," and for every command, you have a ModuleScript that returns a function. When someone chats, the main script looks for a module with that name and runs it. It's a very "clean code" way of doing things.
Wrapping Up
Creating a roblox studio chat command script is a fantastic way to level up your scripting game. It forces you to learn about string manipulation, events, permissions, and server-client relationships. Plus, let's be real—it's just fun to feel like a "god" in your own game world, typing in codes and seeing things happen instantly.
Don't be afraid to experiment. Start with the speed command, then try making a command that changes the time of day, and then maybe try something more complex like a "bring" or "kill" command. The more you play with it, the more natural it becomes. Happy scripting!