How to Upload an Existing Save to an Enshrouded Dedicated Server

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To move an existing Enshrouded world, stop the dedicated server, back up both copies, locate the correct local world file, and replace the server’s generated file in the directory set by saveDirectory. The default is ./savegame. Upload the world file and the matching metadata files, then restart and verify the base and world state.

The world and its bases are stored on the dedicated server, but character progression is stored on each player’s client. Uploading the world therefore transfers the shared world state, not every player’s personal character profile.

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What you need before uploading a save

Have these items ready before changing any server files:

• Access to stop and start the dedicated server.
• Access to the server’s files, either through the local filesystem, a host control panel, or SFTP.
• The local Enshrouded save containing the world you want to move.
• A separate backup location, such as another drive or an optional USB flash drive.
• A recent backup of the server’s current savegame directory.

Do not upload over a running server. Enshrouded may write a new save while you are replacing files, leaving a partial or inconsistent world. Stopping first also prevents the server from immediately recreating the generated world you are trying to remove.

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A dedicated-server save can be between about 1 MB and 100 MB, depending on world complexity. Keen Games says saves are generated every five minutes, so a backup made immediately after stopping the server is safer than relying on an older copy.

Where Enshrouded stores saves

There are two common local locations. Which one you use depends on Steam Cloud:

<SteamUserID> is the numeric Steam account folder on your computer. If you cannot see the expected directory, enable hidden items in File Explorer and confirm that Steam is installed on the drive you are checking.

Enshrouded uses static hexadecimal filenames instead of descriptive names. A common default world filename is 3ad85aea; other worlds can use names such as 3bd85c7d. The name alone does not identify the world’s owner or map, so use metadata and modified dates to choose the correct set.

Stop the server and make two backups

1. Use the host panel’s Stop control, or stop the dedicated-server process on a self-hosted machine.
2. Copy the entire server savegame directory to a separate folder. Keep the folder structure and every file in it.
3. Copy the local Enshrouded save files you intend to test to another separate folder.
4. Give each backup a clear date and description, such as server-before-upload-2026-10-13 and local-world-castle-2026-10-13.

Keen Games recommends making a copy of all save files before changes to prevent accidental loss. Do not delete the server copy until you have joined the uploaded world and confirmed that it is correct.

Identify the correct local world

Use metadata and dates, not just the hexadecimal name

Each world can have rolling copies. Compare the modified dates of the hexadecimal files and inspect the accompanying metadata files to distinguish the world you played most recently. If you have several worlds, first note the approximate time you last played each one, then match that time to the files in the save directory.

Do not open a file in a text editor or change its extension while identifying it. The files are game data, and Windows may hide extensions by default. In File Explorer, turn on View > Show > File name extensions so that a file named 3ad85aea is not accidentally renamed to 3ad85aea.txt.

Understand companion files

Depending on the source save and host, the world file may be accompanied by a matching _info file and an _index file. Keep companion files that belong to the same save set. For example, if the world is 3ad85aea, a matching metadata file may use the same base name with an _info suffix. The index can identify which rolling copy is active.

When several files have similar timestamps, preserve the complete set rather than selecting one file in isolation. A host’s instructions may require the index, while another setup may only need the world and information files that exist in your local save.

Find the server’s actual save directory

The dedicated server reads the directory specified by saveDirectory in enshrouded_server.json. The official tool defaults to:

"saveDirectory": "./savegame"

The relative path is resolved from the server’s installation or working directory. On a self-hosted installation, open enshrouded_server.json and verify the value before copying anything. A host panel may show savegame at the top level of its file manager, or it may expose the same directory through SFTP at a provider-specific path.

If the panel contains more than one folder named savegame, do not guess. Check the JSON configuration or the host’s startup path. Uploading to a similarly named directory has no effect because the server will continue reading the configured location.

Upload the world on a self-hosted server

1. Confirm the process is stopped and that the server backup is complete.
2. Open the directory resolved from saveDirectory, normally ./savegame.
3. Move the generated server save to a dated backup folder, or delete it only after confirming that the backup can be restored.
4. Copy the selected local world file into the server directory.
5. Copy its matching _info and, when present or required by your save set, _index files.
6. Check that filenames and extensions are exact and that no extra .txt, .bak, or duplicate suffix was added.

If the local world uses a different hexadecimal name and the server expects the default world name, rename the uploaded set to 3ad85aea. Preserve the relationship between the base filename and every suffix: do not rename the world while leaving an _info or _index file pointing to the old name.

Upload through a hosting panel or SFTP

Rented hosts generally expose the same save content through a different interface. The important differences are how you reach the directory and whether the panel provides a file manager or automated backup.

Using a web file manager

1. Stop the server from the panel and wait until its status shows that the process has exited.
2. Open the panel’s file manager and navigate to the configured savegame directory.
3. Download the existing directory or use the panel’s backup function before changing it.
4. Move the generated world files out of the active directory, or remove them only after the backup is verified.
5. Use Upload to send the local hexadecimal world file and its matching metadata files.
6. Rename the files in the panel if the host requires 3ad85aea as the active world name.
7. Start the server only after all files show as completely uploaded.

Using SFTP

1. Connect with the SFTP credentials supplied by the host.
2. Navigate to the directory that corresponds to saveDirectory.
3. Download the current savegame contents to your computer as a rollback copy.
4. Upload the selected local world and companion files in binary mode, preserving their names and case.
5. Confirm the remote file sizes after transfer. A zero-byte or unexpectedly small file indicates an incomplete upload.
6. Close the SFTP session, start the server, and test the world.

The core save data is the same on a self-hosted machine and a rented server. A host’s one-click file manager can simplify uploads, but it does not change which files Enshrouded reads.

When to rename the world file

Use the host’s documented expected name. The common default is 3ad85aea, but your local world may use another static hexadecimal name. If the server starts with a newly generated world after upload, the filename is one of the first things to check.

Rename only the complete matching set. If the active world is represented by a base file, an _info companion, and an _index, all related names must remain consistent. Keep rolling copies until the migration succeeds; they can help recover a recent state if the index selects an older copy.

Restart and verify the migration

1. Start the dedicated server and wait for it to finish loading.
2. Join using the same server entry you normally use.
3. Inspect a familiar landmark, base, storage area, and nearby world changes.
4. Check that the world appears at the expected progression point rather than as a newly generated map.
5. Note the save timestamp after the server has been running long enough to create a new save cycle.
6. Ask one other player to join and confirm that the shared world state is correct.

If the base and world state are present, keep the old server backup until everyone has confirmed the migration. Do not overwrite that backup with the new files immediately; it is your fastest rollback path.

What transfers, and what does not

Keen Games states that character progression is stored only on clients, while world progression is stored on dedicated servers. A player whose character appears reset should first check that they are using the same client profile and account data as before. Uploading another copy of the world will not convert client-side character data into server-side data.

Self-hosting versus a rented host

Choose the procedure that matches your access method. The migration succeeds only when the files are placed in the directory the running server actually reads.

Troubleshoot a missing or incorrect world

The server loads a blank or brand-new world

• Stop the server again.
• Recheck saveDirectory in enshrouded_server.json or the host’s documented startup directory.
• Confirm that the uploaded files are inside that exact directory, not a parent folder or a second savegame folder.
• Verify the hexadecimal filename and extension.
• Restore the pre-upload backup if you are uncertain which files belong together, then retry with the complete save set.

The server ignores the uploaded file

Check whether the host expects 3ad85aea as the active name. If so, stop the server and rename the complete local set, including matching metadata. Also check for case changes, hidden extensions, partial SFTP transfers, or a file that remains compressed instead of being extracted into savegame.

Recent progress is missing

Compare modified dates across the local rolling copies. The index may select an older copy, or the newest file may belong to a different world. Keep the server stopped while you test alternatives so it does not generate another save over the evidence you are comparing.

Friends’ characters seem reset

World migration does not move client-side character progression. Have each affected player connect with the same client profile and account data used before the transfer. The server-side world can be correct even when a client is loading different character data.

The upload fails or the world will not start

• Check that the transfer completed and that remote file sizes are plausible.
• Ensure the server has permission to read the save directory.
• Remove only the newly uploaded files and restore the dated server backup.
• Start the original world to confirm the server itself works, then stop it before attempting another migration.

How to roll back safely

1. Stop the server.
2. Move the failed uploaded files to a quarantine folder instead of deleting them immediately.
3. Copy the backed-up server savegame directory back into the configured save location.
4. Check the original filenames, metadata, and index files.
5. Start the server and verify that the pre-migration world loads.

Once the original world is confirmed, you can inspect the failed set separately and decide whether to retry with a different rolling copy. Never use a backup that was created after the failed upload if that backup may already contain the incorrect world.

Operational details worth recording

• The default dedicated-server query port is 15637; changing it is separate from save migration, but record any custom value in your server notes.
• The default save directory is ./savegame, relative to the server’s working directory.
• Save generation occurs every five minutes according to the official FAQ, so schedule manual backups around a stopped server rather than copying files during active play.
• Keep at least one local backup and one backup on another storage device. A second copy protects against accidental deletion or a failed upload.
• After a successful migration, record the active hexadecimal filename and the date so the next backup can be identified quickly.

The Bottom Line

Stop the server, back up both save sets, upload the correct hexadecimal world and companion files into the directory named by saveDirectory, then restart and verify the base. The world transfers server-side; character progression remains on each player’s client.

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