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Prefer not to run the server on your own PC? Godlike.Host offers hosted Project Zomboid servers with free DDoS protection and up to three free backups a day.
Stop the Project Zomboid server before moving any files. The multiplayer world is stored in Zomboid/Saves/Multiplayer/<servername>/. To upload a world, replace that entire folder, make its name match the server name in the .ini and _SandboxVars.lua files, then restart. To download or back up a world, copy the complete save folder together with its server configuration and, for a full recovery, the separate account database.
What you need to move
A Project Zomboid dedicated server save is more than one map file. Treat the world folder and its matching configuration as a single set, and stop the server before copying or replacing anything. A live server may write different files at different moments, leaving a backup that cannot be restored cleanly.
- World folder:
Zomboid/Saves/Multiplayer/<servername>/ - Server configuration:
Zomboid/Server/<servername>.iniandZomboid/Server/<servername>_SandboxVars.lua - Account and whitelist database:
Zomboid/db/<servername>.db
The world folder normally contains players.db, vehicles.db, and many map_*.bin files. The account database is outside that folder, so copying only the world does not preserve every account, whitelist, or server identity record.
Find the correct server save location
The placeholder <servername> must be replaced with the server’s actual name. A new server commonly uses servertest, making the default world path:
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Zomboid/Saves/Multiplayer/servertest/
| System | Base Zomboid directory | Example multiplayer save |
|---|---|---|
| Windows | C:Users<YourUser>Zomboid |
C:Users<YourUser>ZomboidSavesMultiplayerservertest |
| Linux | ~/Zomboid/ for the user running the server |
~/Zomboid/Saves/Multiplayer/servertest/ |
On Linux, a Java setting such as -Duser.home=<path> can move the base directory elsewhere. If the expected folder is missing, check the server’s launch arguments and the home directory of the account that actually runs the service.
Before uploading or downloading
- Stop the server from its control panel or service manager. Wait until the panel reports that the process has stopped. Do not copy a world while players can still be connected.
- Record the configured server name. Note the name used by the panel and the matching files in
Zomboid/Server/. Names are case-sensitive on many Linux file systems. - Make an untouched safety copy. Download or copy the current world folder before overwriting it. Keep this copy outside the live server directory and do not edit it during the migration.
- Check available storage. You need enough space for the incoming folder and, ideally, the old folder retained as a rollback copy.
These precautions matter even when you are moving a world between two servers you control. A failed upload, a mismatched database, or an incorrectly named folder is much easier to recover from when the original remains intact.
How to download a server save for backup or migration
“Download” means copying the server data from the host to your computer or another storage location. The safest backup includes the world, configuration, and account database.
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- Stop the server. Use the host’s stop control and wait for a fully stopped status.
- Open the server files. Use the host’s file manager or an FTP/SFTP client and locate the
Zomboiddirectory belonging to the server process. - Download the complete world folder. Copy
Zomboid/Saves/Multiplayer/<servername>/, including every file and subfolder. Do not select onlyplayers.db,vehicles.db, or a few map files. - Download both configuration files. Copy
Zomboid/Server/<servername>.iniandZomboid/Server/<servername>_SandboxVars.lua. They describe the server identity and sandbox settings that go with the world. - Download the account database for a full backup. Copy
Zomboid/db/<servername>.dbif you need to retain account, password, or whitelist records. - Store the backup separately. Put the files in a dated archive or another drive. Preserve the original folder until you have started the restored world and confirmed that the expected characters and map are present.
A host file manager may offer a direct folder download, while an FTP client may require downloading the directory recursively. Whichever method you use, verify that the local copy contains the database and map files rather than an empty parent directory.
How to upload or restore a save
Uploading a save is a replacement operation: you are putting a complete world folder into the destination server’s Zomboid/Saves/Multiplayer/ directory.
- Stop the destination server. Never replace files while the server is running.
- Preserve the destination world. Rename the existing
<servername>folder or download it before deleting or replacing it. This gives you a rollback if the uploaded world fails. - Open the destination save directory. In FTP/SFTP, browse to
/Zomboid/Saves/Multiplayerrelative to the server’s FTP root. In a control-panel file manager, browse to the equivalentZomboid/Saves/Multiplayerpath. - Upload the entire source folder. Transfer the folder recursively so that
players.db,vehicles.db,map_*.bin,vehicles.db, and all other files arrive together. - Rename the uploaded folder when necessary. Its directory name must be exactly the server name used by the destination configuration. For a server named
servertest, the final path must beZomboid/Saves/Multiplayer/servertest/. - Restore the matching configuration. If this is a migration rather than a same-server backup, place the source
<servername>.iniand<servername>_SandboxVars.luainZomboid/Server/, or adjust the destination files so their server name and settings match the uploaded world. - Restore account data if required. Put the matching
Zomboid/db/<servername>.dbin place when the migration must preserve accounts or a whitelist. Keep the destination copy until you have confirmed that the source database is the one you intend to use. - Start the server and test it. Join with a test account, confirm the expected map and characters load, and inspect the server log for database or file errors.
Replace the whole save directory instead of trying to merge individual files. Partial swaps can leave map chunks, vehicle records, and player records from different save moments, and a single-player-to-dedicated-server move may fail when only one file is copied.
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Name matching is what makes the world load
The world directory and both server configuration filenames must use the same <servername> value. If the destination starts with a different name, it can create and load a fresh empty world while leaving your real save untouched under its old name.
| Item | Required pattern | Example for servertest |
|---|---|---|
| World directory | Zomboid/Saves/Multiplayer/<servername>/ |
Zomboid/Saves/Multiplayer/servertest/ |
| Server settings | Zomboid/Server/<servername>.ini |
Zomboid/Server/servertest.ini |
| Sandbox settings | Zomboid/Server/<servername>_SandboxVars.lua |
Zomboid/Server/servertest_SandboxVars.lua |
| Account database | Zomboid/db/<servername>.db |
Zomboid/db/servertest.db |
Before starting, compare the names character by character. On Linux, also check capitalization. If you intentionally change the server name, rename every associated item together; renaming only the folder is not enough.
Handle players.db carefully
players.db holds multiplayer character data in the save folder. A destination server can crash or fail to use the world when this database does not match the rest of the save.
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Keep player data
First try the complete, matching players.db from the source save. Upload it as part of the full-folder replacement, not as an isolated file. If the host provides a conversion step for an older or incompatible player database, use that conversion before starting the server and retain the original database as a backup.
Reset player data
If the host’s documented recovery procedure says the database format is incompatible, deleting players.db can allow the world to boot, but it resets multiplayer character data. Treat deletion as a last-resort recovery choice: it may preserve the map while removing existing characters and their progress.
A database mismatch is different from an empty world caused by a naming error. Check the folder and configuration names first, then examine the server log before deleting anything.
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FTP versus a host control-panel file manager
| Method | Advantages | Limitations and checks |
|---|---|---|
| FTP/SFTP client | Provides direct access to the server directory tree and is practical for large, recursive folders or repeated migrations. | You must enter the correct remote path, preserve folder structure, and wait for every file to finish transferring. Confirm that hidden or nested files were not skipped. |
| Host control-panel file manager | Requires no separate client and is convenient for a one-time upload, rename, archive, or download. | Button names and folder-upload support vary by host. Some managers limit depth, file size, or recursive transfers, so verify the resulting folder contents. |
The method does not change the rules: stop the server, copy the complete folder, preserve the original, and make the names match. If a browser file manager cannot upload a directory recursively, compress the folder locally, upload the archive if the panel supports it, and extract it into the correct Multiplayer directory.
Troubleshoot a save that does not load
The server starts an empty map
- Stop the server again and inspect
Zomboid/Saves/Multiplayer/. - Confirm that the uploaded folder name exactly matches the
.iniand_SandboxVars.luanames selected by the server. - Check for an accidental extra nesting level, such as
Multiplayer/servertest/servertest/after extracting an archive. - Make sure the folder contains the map files and databases, not just another compressed archive.
A newly generated empty world usually means the server looked under a different name or path; it does not necessarily mean the old data was erased.
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The server crashes or reports a player-database error
- Stop the server and restore the original destination folder if needed.
- Verify that the source
players.dbcame from the same world and was transferred completely. - Use the host’s supported conversion procedure if one is provided.
- Only after preserving a backup, consider removing
players.dbto reset character data and test whether the map itself loads.
Characters or whitelist entries are missing
Check whether you copied Zomboid/db/<servername>.db. That account database is separate from the world folder. Also verify that the restored database uses the same server name as the destination files.
Some map areas or vehicles are missing
Recheck the transfer and replace the whole folder from a known-good backup. Do not restore only one map_*.bin or vehicles.db file; mixing files from different backups can create a world whose records no longer agree.
The upload appears incomplete
Compare the local source and remote destination directory trees, check the FTP or file-manager transfer log, and retry failed files with the server stopped. Keep the old destination folder until a complete start-and-join test succeeds.
Build and compatibility caveat
Hosting guidance commonly identifies Build 41 as the point at which character data moved into players.db, but that claim has not been verified here against official patch notes. Advice written in 2022 or 2023 may describe older layouts. When moving a world across game builds or between different host images, make a separate backup, read the destination host’s current compatibility notes, and test the restored copy before allowing players to reconnect.
Quick Recap
Final verification checklist
- The server process was stopped before every copy, rename, delete, or replacement.
- An untouched copy of the original destination save still exists.
- The complete world folder is at
Zomboid/Saves/Multiplayer/<servername>/. - The folder name,
<servername>.ini, and<servername>_SandboxVars.luaagree exactly. players.db,vehicles.db, and themap_*.binfiles transferred together.- The separate
Zomboid/db/<servername>.dbwas backed up or restored when account and whitelist data matter. - The server starts without database errors, loads the expected map, and shows the expected characters before you discard the rollback copy.
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