How to create and load a world on a Palworld server?

Fresh start or bringing back an old save? You can spin up a new Palworld world or load an existing one in minutes. Follow these steps to do it cleanly and avoid data loss.

Prerequisites

• Access to your hosting panel (login and password)
• Palworld server installed and reachable
• SFTP client (e.g., FileZilla) if you need to upload/download files
• The exact name of the world you want to load (if it exists)
• Enough free disk space for backups (several GB recommended)

Detailed steps

1. Stop the server cleanly
   Open your panel, go to the Console/Overview and click “Stop” (red button). Wait until the status shows “Stopped” and logs are no longer scrolling. Avoid hard kills to prevent save corruption. If it won’t stop after 60–90 seconds, use “Kill” once, then try “Stop” again.
2. Back up your current world
   Go to the Files tab and open /home/container/Pal/Saved/SaveGames/0. You should see a world folder matching your DedicatedServerName= value (e.g., MyWorld). Rename it to keep a backup, for example MyWorld_backup_2025-10-07. Stick to letters, numbers, dashes, and underscores. Don’t delete anything—this backup is your safety net.
3. Create a NEW world (quick method)
   Open the config folder: /home/container/Pal/Saved/Config/LinuxServer. Edit GameUserSettings.ini and find the line DedicatedServerName=. Set a fresh unique value, e.g., NewWorld_01 (no spaces or special characters). Save, go back to the Console, and click “Start”. On first boot, the server will generate /home/container/Pal/Saved/SaveGames/0/NewWorld_01 and create a brand-new world.
4. Load an EXISTING world (backup/local)
   To restore, upload the world folder via SFTP into /home/container/Pal/Saved/SaveGames/0. The final path must be exactly /home/container/Pal/Saved/SaveGames/0/MyWorld (watch for the double-folder trap like /0/MyWorld/MyWorld). Then edit /home/container/Pal/Saved/Config/LinuxServer/GameUserSettings.ini and set DedicatedServerName=MyWorld. Save and start the server. It will load that world if the name matches perfectly.
5. Check logs and fix common issues
   Watch the console on startup: you should see world creation/loading without errors. If a fresh world keeps appearing, it’s almost always a name mismatch—ensure the folder in SaveGames/0 is identical (case-sensitive) to DedicatedServerName=. If you uploaded a .zip, extract it and remove the archive. Also confirm you edited the correct file at .../LinuxServer/GameUserSettings.ini. When in doubt, stop the server, verify paths, and restart.

Tips & optimization

Keep DedicatedServerName short (15–20 chars) to avoid path issues. Schedule backups every 6–12 hours by copying /home/container/Pal/Saved/SaveGames/0/MyWorld with a timestamped name. Avoid spaces and accents; use - or _. Monitor disk usage—worlds can grow fast; archive or delete old backups regularly. After large uploads, do a full restart instead of a reload to ensure configs and files are applied.

FAQ

Why does the server keep creating a new world?

The names don’t match. Make sure DedicatedServerName=MyWorld exactly equals the folder /home/container/Pal/Saved/SaveGames/0/MyWorld (case-sensitive). Also check you didn’t nest the folder or leave it zipped.

Where is the config I need to edit?

Open /home/container/Pal/Saved/Config/LinuxServer/GameUserSettings.ini. Edit the DedicatedServerName= line, save, then restart the server to apply changes.

Can I rename an existing world?

Yes: stop the server, rename the folder in SaveGames/0, set the same value in DedicatedServerName=, then restart. Always keep a backup before renaming.

That’s it—you can now spin up fresh worlds or bring back backups like a pro. Take two minutes to back up first, then launch your next Palworld adventure confidently.

Related articles

• Optimum configuration of a Palworld server: the PalWorldSettings.ini file
• How do I install mods on a Palworld server?
• How do I add mods to a Euro Truck Simulator 2 server?