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Playing with friends? Godlike.Host runs hosted Hytale servers from 10 data-center locations, with free DDoS protection.
Configure Hytale in two places: edit config.json in the server root for server-wide behavior, and edit universe/worlds/<world-name>/config.json for one world. Stop the server first, make a backup, change valid JSON, then restart and verify the result. For view distance, keep MaxViewRadius between 1 and 32 chunks; the official manual recommends 12 chunks (384 blocks) as a practical starting point.
Understand Hytale’s configuration layout
Hytale separates settings that apply to the entire server from settings that belong to an individual world. Choosing the wrong file is the most common reason an apparently correct change has no effect.
Server-wide settings
The server-wide file is config.json at the server’s root directory. The root is the directory that contains the server executable and the folders created for the server’s data. This file controls options that affect the server process or every world it loads.
Some hosting layouts place the active files inside a subdirectory such as Server/. Do not assume that a similarly named file elsewhere is active. Start the server once, note which directory receives log and data updates, and edit the config.json in that active root.
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Per-world settings
Each world has its own file at:
universe/worlds/<world-name>/config.jsonReplace <world-name> with the actual directory name. A setting in this file affects only that world. If players use several worlds, changing one world’s file will not change the others.
Related data files
Third-party administration guides commonly show permissions.json, bans.json and whitelist.json beside the root configuration file. Their exact use and schema can vary with the server build, so preserve them during backups and edit them only when the current Hytale documentation or your installed files confirm the relevant fields.
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How Hytale reads and writes configuration
Hytale reads configuration during startup. The official server manual also notes that in-game actions can cause configuration files to be written while the server is running. Consequently, a manual edit made while the process is active can be overwritten by a later save.
Use this rule for every file change:
- Stop the server completely.
- Wait until the process has exited and the console or panel reports that it is offline.
- Copy the original file before editing.
- Edit the copy’s active counterpart with a plain-text editor.
- Start the server and check the startup log for JSON or configuration errors.
If you edit through a hosting panel, the panel may write its own values at startup. A file edit that repeatedly disappears is usually an indication that the panel’s setting is authoritative. Change the value in the panel, or disable the panel override if the provider exposes that option.
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Safe configuration workflow
1. Identify the active installation
- Open the directory selected as the server’s working directory in your launcher, service file or hosting panel.
- Locate the root
config.json. - Confirm that the same directory contains the
universefolder after at least one world has been created. - If several installations exist, use the one whose logs change when you start and stop the server.
2. Stop and back up
Make a dated backup before changing anything. Include the root config.json, any related JSON files you maintain, and the entire universe/ folder so that world data and per-world settings can be restored together.
backup-2026-10-14/
config.json
permissions.json
bans.json
whitelist.json
universe/The names above are an example backup layout, not a requirement to have every file. Back up whichever files exist in your installation.
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Use an editor that highlights matching braces and can validate JSON. Keep quoted property names, commas and brackets intact. JSON does not allow comments or a trailing comma after the final property.
{
"ExampleKey": true,
"AnotherKey": 12
}The snippet illustrates JSON syntax only. Do not add those example properties to a Hytale file unless they are documented for your installed version.
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4. Change one logical group at a time
For a first change, modify one setting or one closely related group. Restart and test before making additional edits. This makes a startup failure or unexpected behavior easy to trace.
5. Restart and verify
Watch the complete startup output. A successful launch is not proof that every value was accepted: some values are normalized in memory, and some panel-managed values may be rewritten. Join the affected world, check the behavior, then stop the server and inspect whether the file retained your change.
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Configure view distance with MaxViewRadius
MaxViewRadius controls the maximum view distance in chunks. One chunk is 32 blocks across, so the official recommendation of 12 chunks corresponds to 384 blocks (12 × 32). A larger radius increases the area that must be loaded, simulated or sent to clients and can raise memory and processing requirements.
Supported range and current behavior
| Item | Current information | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Valid range | 1 through 32 chunks in Update 7 pre-release notes | Use an integer from 1 to 32. |
| Recommended starting point | 12 chunks (384 blocks), according to the official manual | Start at 12 and lower it if memory or tick performance is poor. |
| Values above 32 in the file | Update 7 clamps the value in memory and logs a warning; the written file can still retain the out-of-range number | Replace the stored value with a number from 1 to 32 so the warning does not recur. |
| Values above 32 in the in-game command | The command now rejects values above 32; earlier builds accepted up to 512 | Use no more than 32 and check the build’s command response. |
| Older startup failure | Update 6 hotfix 0.6.2 fixed a failure caused by a radius above 32 in config.json |
Update to a supported build and correct the file value. |
Change MaxViewRadius
- Stop the server.
- Open the root
config.jsonin a JSON-aware editor. - Find the existing
MaxViewRadiusproperty. Do not create a second property with the same name. - Set its value to an integer from 1 to 32. For a balanced starting point, use
12. - Save, validate the JSON, and restart.
- Review the startup output for clamping or warning messages, then test the world with the expected player load.
The official material supports the range and recommendation above, but it does not state a universal default. Some third-party guides list 12 while others list 32; treat those as guide-specific claims rather than a confirmed Hytale default.
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Choosing a value for your server
- Start at 12: This is the manual’s performance-oriented recommendation and exposes players to a 384-block maximum radius.
- Lower the value: Consider 8 or another value within the 1–32 range when available memory, CPU capacity or player count causes lag. These are tuning choices, not official defaults.
- Raise cautiously: Values above 12 can increase resource use. Test with the number of simultaneous players you actually expect, rather than testing alone.
- Never exceed 32: The current valid range ends at 32, regardless of what an older guide or older build accepted.
Officially documented server-wide keys
The official manual identifies an Update section in the root configuration. It includes these keys:
| Section | Key | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
Update |
Enabled |
Controls whether the update behavior is enabled. |
Update |
CheckIntervalSeconds |
Sets the interval, in seconds, used for update checks. |
Update |
RunBackupBeforeUpdate |
Controls whether a backup is run before an update. |
Use the spelling, capitalization and value types present in the file generated by your build. If an update changes the schema, copy the newly generated structure and reapply only documented changes rather than transplanting an old block wholesale.
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Several guides publish additional names, but they have not been confirmed by the official material available for this version. Treat them as leads for locating settings in your own generated files, not as a guaranteed schema.
Identity and access
Guides commonly mention ServerName, MOTD, Password and MaxPlayers. The exact key names, accepted types and behavior are not established here. Before adding or changing one, look for the key in the configuration generated by your current build or in the current official manual. A password value described as empty for a public server is a third-party convention, not a universal rule confirmed for every release.
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Performance and networking
Reported examples include LocalCompressionEnabled, timeout values written as ISO-8601 durations, and a RateLimit block with enabled, packets-per-second and burst fields. These reports differ by guide and may reflect different releases or hosting templates. Do not paste an entire block from another server: an unknown property can be ignored, rejected or rewritten, and disabling rate limiting may increase exposure to abusive traffic.
Defaults and world generation
Third-party examples describe a defaults block for the starting world and game mode, including Adventure or Creative. Per-world examples include IsPvpEnabled, IsFallDamageEnabled, IsGameTimePaused, IsSpawningNPC, Seed, WorldGen, SaveNewChunks and IsUnloadingChunks. Their presence and exact behavior depend on the build that created the file.
Version fields
Published examples show different schema values, including "Version": 4 in one world file and "Version": 3 in one server example. This difference is a warning not to overwrite a version field manually. Keep the value generated by your installation and consult the current files when migrating.
Self-hosted versus panel-hosted configuration
| Approach | Advantages | Risks and checks |
|---|---|---|
| Self-hosted | Direct access to files, full control over startup and backups. | You must stop the process correctly, validate JSON, maintain backups and manage updates yourself. |
| Panel-hosted | Central controls for starting, stopping and often editing common settings. | Panel values can overwrite config.json at startup. A file-only edit may not persist. |
For a panel installation, first check whether the panel exposes the setting. Save it there, restart, and then inspect the resulting file. For a self-hosted installation, use the file workflow above and keep a copy of every known-good configuration.
Troubleshoot changes that do not work
The server will not start after an edit
- Restore the last known-good backup to determine whether the edit caused the failure.
- Check for a missing quote, brace or comma, and remove any trailing comma.
- Confirm that numbers are numbers, booleans are
trueorfalse, and strings are quoted as required by the existing file. - Look for a startup message naming the property or line that failed.
- If the problem followed a copied block, remove unverified properties and reintroduce only keys shown in the current generated file.
The change has no effect
- Confirm that the server was stopped before editing and restarted afterward.
- Check whether you edited the root file or the intended world file.
- Verify the world directory name exactly, including capitalization where the operating system distinguishes it.
- Inspect the file after startup to see whether Hytale rewrote it.
- If a panel is involved, change the corresponding panel control and restart again.
MaxViewRadius is different after restart
Values above 32 are clamped in memory under Update 7 behavior and can remain written in the file with a warning. Set the stored value to an integer from 1 to 32. If the value changes to something else, check for a panel override or an update that regenerated the configuration.
Players experience lag after increasing distance
Return to 12 or lower, restart, and compare performance with the same number of players. The manual warns that higher default-style settings use more RAM, and view distance should be tuned to expected player count. Do not judge a value from an empty test server.
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Upgrade and migration checklist
- Record the Hytale build or update level before changing files.
- Back up
config.json, related JSON files anduniverse/. - Compare the newly generated configuration with your backup after an update.
- Reapply only settings whose current names and types are confirmed.
- Leave version fields at the values generated by the new build.
- Test startup, one affected world and the expected player load before declaring the migration complete.
Hytale is still in pre-release, so keys, defaults and validation behavior can change between updates. A configuration that worked in one update is not proof that the same key or default remains valid in the next.
Quick Recap
Quick reference
| Need to change | File | Safe action |
|---|---|---|
| Server-wide behavior | Root config.json |
Stop, back up, edit valid JSON, restart. |
| One world’s behavior | universe/worlds/<world-name>/config.json |
Edit the target world file only while the server is stopped. |
| Update controls | Root config.json, Update section |
Use documented keys and the types in the generated file. |
| View distance | MaxViewRadius in the applicable configuration |
Use 1–32 chunks; begin at 12 (384 blocks). |
| Persistent panel setting | Hosting panel control, when present | Change the panel value because it may overwrite the file at startup. |
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