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P4 Admin Documentation | 2026.1

# Connect to a server

To administer a server, you must first connect to it as a user that has been granted the superuser privilege for the server. (If your user does not have the superuser privilege, you can still administer users and groups, but you cannot manage permissions or define depots.)

To connect to a server:

1. Choose Connections > Open Connection​. The Open Connection dialog box opens.
2. In the Open Connection dialog box, enter the P4 Server name and port number for the connection using the following syntax: `server_host`:`port_number`

3. In the User field, enter your user name.

   - To browse for a particular user, click the Browse​ button and select the user from that list.
   - To create a user, click New​ and fill in the appropriate information.

   P4 Server Administration Documentation has details about Access levels required by commands and Types of users (standard, operator, service).

4. Click OK.

5. In the Perforce Password Required dialog box, enter your password.
   You can click the "eye" icon to make sure you enter the correct password.

   P4 Admin connects to the specified P4 Server and displays a new instance of its main window.

   [P4VS-2753/P4V-23511/P4EXP-476] If the server you are connecting to is configured for authentication with P4 Authentication Service (P4 AS), the Identity Provider (IdP) web page opens, prompting you for the credentials registered with your Identity Provider (IdP). For details, see P4 Authentication Service Documentation or contact your P4 Server administrator.

   If the server you are connecting to is configured with multi-factor authentication (MFA), you are prompted for another layer of verification. Depending on the setup, you may need to select a method of verification before you can enter your credentials.

   For more information, see `p4 login2` in the P4 CLI Reference.

To connect to P4 Server using a connection that you have used previously:

Do one of the following:

- If P4 Admin is already running, go to Connections > Open Recent and select the connection.

- When you launch P4 Admin, select the connection from the Connections drop-down in the Open Connection dialog box. The Connections drop-down lists recent and favorite connections.

  If your Connection preference is set to Restore all previously opened connections when you launch P4V, P4V opens the most recently used connection and skips the Open Connection dialog box.

To administer a server:

- Activate the connection by clicking its entry in the Connections pane.
- To remove a connection, right-click it and select Close Connection.

P4 Admin retains all connections that you define, so you do not need to reenter them the next time you launch the tool.

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