Question 1

How do I set up a Project Zomboid dedicated server?

Accepted Answer

When your Project Zomboid server starts for the first time it creates a server configuration file at .cache/Server/YourServerName.ini, where YourServerName is whatever you named your server - not a fixed filename. Stop the server before editing this file, as changes made while it is running will be overwritten on shutdown. Key settings in that .ini file: MaxPlayers (player cap), PVP (true/false), Public (whether it appears in the server browser), PublicName (server browser display name), PublicDescription, Password (blank for no password), SpawnRegion (starting town), and Mods / WorkshopItems (for mod lists). Set your admin password on the Startup page (the Admin Password field, masked by default - click the eye icon to reveal it) rather than editing AdminPassword= in that .ini file directly: the server discards a manually-edited line on every restart, so the change won't stick. To give your own account admin rights, use the Console page - not in-game chat, and without a leading slash: adduser YourUsername first, then setaccesslevel YourUsername admin. Names are case sensitive, and if you try setaccesslevel before adduser the server replies "use /adduser first" - ignore the slash in that message, the console still will not accept one. Our full Project Zomboid admin guide covers this in more detail if you get stuck. To add Steam Workshop mods, find the mod Workshop ID from the URL of its Steam Workshop page. Add the ID to WorkshopItems (semicolon-separated) and the mod ID to Mods in your server's .ini file. The mod ID is different from the Workshop ID; it is listed on the mod's Workshop page under its description. Restart the server after editing. Mods are downloaded and loaded on startup. Sandbox settings (loot abundance, zombie count, XP multipliers, day length) are in a separate file, .cache/Server/YourServerName_SandboxVars.lua - same naming pattern, after your server's own name. The easiest way to configure these is to host a local single-player game with your desired settings, find the generated SandboxVars.lua in your local Zomboid save, and upload it to replace the server's version.

Question 2

How do I update my Project Zomboid server, and what do Build 41 and Build 42 mean?

Accepted Answer

Project Zomboid currently has two versions in active use: Build 41, the long-running previous release, and Build 42, the newer release. Steam updates your desktop game to whichever branch your client is set to, and your server stays on whichever branch it was installed with, so the two can end up on different builds without either side doing anything wrong. When that happens, connecting shows the error "Client version does not match server version", followed by both version numbers. This message is not a sign anything is broken; it simply means your client and server disagree on which build to run, and the fix is to put them on the same one. The panel tells you which build your server is on without you having to work it out. If your server is behind the latest release, you will see an "Update available" notice on the Console page. We are currently improving how server updates are applied, so if an update does not appear to take effect, open a support ticket and we will sort it for you rather than leaving you to work around it. If your server is pinned to a non-default branch, the panel shows a badge next to the server name saying which branch, so you always know at a glance whether you are matched to the standard release or a beta. The Startup page has a field labelled "Steam Beta Branch [requires reinstall]" that controls which branch your server installs. Leave it blank. Blank means the current, default release, and it is what almost everyone wants; most people never need to touch this field at all. On a server you are setting up for the first time, blank and choosing the current release outright do the same thing. On a server that is already running, they do not: blank leaves your server on whatever branch it already has, it does not move it back to the current release. Only entering public explicitly moves an existing server onto the current release; blank alone will not do it, because blank means no branch was requested, not a request for the current one. This is worth knowing even if you never touch the field yourself, because it explains something that looks wrong but is not: a server stuck on an older build does not sort itself out just because this field looks empty. The dedicated server your panel runs is a separate Steam application from the game itself, not the same program, so its list of available branches is not guaranteed to match your desktop game's list. The field only accepts branch names Steam actually publishes for the server application, and typing anything else fails instantly with an error that gives no useful explanation, so an unfamiliar branch name is not a safe guess. To find the real, current list, check the Betas tab for the tool named "Project Zomboid Dedicated Server" in your own Steam library. Every branch listed there is a genuine option for your server. This list can change as branches are added or retired, so checking it directly is more reliable than any fixed list we could put here. ![The Startup page Steam Beta Branch field, labelled "requires reinstall", with a description explaining it accepts a Steam beta branch name such as b41multiplayer](/assets/help/game-setup-guides/pz-01-beta-branch-field.webp "Startup page - Steam Beta Branch field") Branch selection works reliably when you create a NEW server: pick the branch you want at setup and it installs correctly. Switching the branch of an existing server is something support can do for you: contact us with your server ID and the branch you want, and we'll handle it directly rather than have you use this field yourself. Reinstalling does not change your branch and cannot fix an invalid value in that field. A reinstall reinstalls whatever the field currently says, so if it holds a branch name that does not exist, reinstalling fails the same way every time, for the same reason. Correct the field first. Here is what actually happens when a server's branch changes, whether it's a new server being set up on a chosen branch or an existing one being moved by support: the server is reinstalled and its game files are replaced with the files for the new branch. If the server has a world made on a different build, that world will not load afterward. Nothing gets deleted; the new build's files genuinely cannot read a world made on the other build, and there is no tool that converts one into the other. Because of this, take a backup of your server before any branch switch, and confirm it actually completed before going ahead, not just that you started one. One thing worth knowing: a backup taken while your server was on a given build restores that build when you use it, not just the world files inside it. So a backup taken before switching branches is also your way back if you change your mind afterward. If your server has recently changed branch and then fails to start with errors that mention map or world data, that does not necessarily mean your world is damaged. Occasionally a branch change does not fully replace every game file, and older files can end up mixed in with the new ones. The errors point at map data because that is what breaks first, but the cause is the install itself, not your save. Restoring a backup will not fix this, since your world was never the problem, and you would likely see the same errors afterward. If this happens after a branch change, contact support rather than restoring a backup yourself. To change which branch your own Steam client (the game you play, not the server) uses, open Steam, right click Project Zomboid in your library, choose Properties, then the Betas tab, and select the branch that matches your server (or the option to opt out of all beta programs, if your server is on the default branch). If you are not sure which build your friends or players are on, ask them to check the same Betas tab. Everyone connecting to the same server needs to be on the same build.

Question 3

How do I configure Project Zomboid sandbox settings (loot, XP, PvP, zombies)?

Accepted Answer

Project Zomboid sandbox settings are stored in .cache/Server/servertest_SandboxVars.lua. Stop the server before editing this file; changes made while it is running are overwritten on shutdown. Open the file in File Manager. Key settings: ZombieCount (multiplier for zombie density), DayLength (how long an in-game day lasts), Loot (loot abundance, 1=rare, 4=abundant), XPMultiplier (experience gain rate), and PVP (true or false). The file contains every configurable option with its current value. Make your changes, save, and restart the server. The new settings take effect on the next world load. The easiest way to generate a starting config is to set up a local single-player game with your desired sandbox settings, find the generated SandboxVars.lua in your local Project Zomboid save folder, and upload it to replace the server version.

Question 4

How do I add or remove Steam Workshop mods on Project Zomboid, and why does a removed mod sometimes keep loading?

Accepted Answer

Project Zomboid mods are managed most easily through the Workshop Mods page in your server's sidebar. It reads and writes your server's mod list for you, so day-to-day changes do not need any file editing. ![The Workshop Mods page for a Project Zomboid server, showing the page header, a "server is running" notice, and the Installed Mods list](/assets/help/game-setup-guides/pz-02-workshop-mods-page.webp "Workshop Mods page") To add a mod, find it on the Steam Workshop and note two IDs: the Workshop ID (the number in the URL after ?id=) and the mod's internal Mod ID (listed on the mod's Workshop page under the description, usually in a line reading "Mod ID: xxx"). Check the mod's Workshop page loads normally before adding it - a mod that has been removed from Steam can stop your server starting, not just fail to load. Some mods list more than one Mod ID; add a separate entry for each one, using the same Workshop ID each time. On the Workshop Mods page, enter both IDs under Add Mod, click Add Mod, then click Save Changes. Restart your server for the mod to download and load. To remove a mod, click the trash icon next to it in the Installed Mods list, then click Save Changes; the removal is not written to your server's configuration until you click Save Changes, so don't skip that step. If you close the page or move to another tab before saving, the mod is still listed in your server's config and it will keep trying to load a mod that is effectively gone, which can show as a load error in the Console or stop the server starting cleanly. If a mod you removed still seems to be loading after you have saved and restarted, go back to the Workshop Mods page and confirm it is genuinely gone from the Installed Mods list. If it is gone there but the server still references it, check the WorkshopItems and Mods lines directly in File Manager (see below) for a leftover entry, remove it by hand, save, and restart again. If it keeps happening, contact support. If you prefer to edit the config directly, or need to bulk-edit a long mod list, the same data lives in File Manager at .cache/Server/<your server name>.ini (the default name is servertest unless you changed it), in the WorkshopItems (Workshop IDs) and Mods (Mod IDs) lines, both semicolon-separated and in the same order. Stop the server before hand-editing this file directly. If a mod fails to load after adding it, or your server won't start at all after adding one, check the Workshop ID is valid and still published on the Workshop first - a mod that has been removed from Steam can stop your server starting. If the ID checks out, the next most common cause is a missing dependency mod that also needs to be added.

Question 5

How do I run a map wipe on Project Zomboid?

Accepted Answer

A map wipe removes all map data (explored chunks, structures, loot, player bases) and restarts the world fresh. Player character data is stored separately and can be preserved if you want players to keep their characters. Stop the server. In File Manager, navigate to .cache/Saves/Multiplayer// (the default name is servertest unless you changed it; ignore any Zomboid folder at the server root, it is unused). Delete the map chunk files: these are the numbered folders and .map files inside this directory. Character data lives in a separate file, not inside that folder: .cache/db/.db. Leave this alone if you want characters to survive the wipe. If you also want to wipe characters, delete this file as well. Start the server. A new world generates fresh on the next run. Players who connect will spawn as if the server is brand new.

Question 6

How do backups and world saves work for a Project Zomboid server?

Accepted Answer

Project Zomboid stores its world and player data in a different location than you might expect if you have looked at a home install before: your server runs with a custom cache directory, so its save data sits under a .cache folder in your server root rather than directly alongside your other server files. Because of this, hunting through File Manager for the raw save files is more error-prone than it needs to be. Use the Backups page in your server's sidebar instead. It captures your full server state, including world data, in one step, without you needing to know exactly where every file lives. Create a manual backup before anything risky: reinstalling, wiping the map, or making bulk mod changes. Some server settings can reset to their defaults after a reinstall, so a fresh backup protects your world even if something else about the reinstall does not go as expected. ![The Backups page in the Zeros Host panel, showing storage usage and a Create Backup button](/assets/help/game-setup-guides/project-zomboid-backups-01-backups-page.webp "Backups page - one click captures your full server state, including world data") If you just want to check what world saves currently exist on your server without digging through File Manager, the Saves page in the sidebar lists them for you, with when each one was last touched. It is read-only for now (no rename or delete from that page yet), but it is the quickest way to confirm a save is actually there before you rely on it. ![The Saves page in the Zeros Host panel, listing world saves stored on the server](/assets/help/game-setup-guides/project-zomboid-backups-02-saves-page.webp "Saves page - a read-only list of world saves stored on your server") When restoring a backup, you do not have to restore everything: the restore screen has a "Restore specific files instead" option that lets you pick just the world/map or just player data (or hand-pick individual files) and leaves the rest of the server untouched. This is safer than a full restore when you only need to roll back one thing, since it cannot undo unrelated changes you have made since the backup was taken. If a backup ever shows a "Database corrupted" warning, that means one of its database files failed an integrity check when it was created; the backup itself still exists, but restoring it will bring that corruption back too, so treat it as a fallback rather than your first choice if you have a more recent, non-flagged backup available. Player character data is stored separately from map/world data. If you want to wipe the map while keeping everyone's characters, or the other way round, see the map wipe guide rather than deleting files by hand; deleting the wrong folder from a custom cache path is easy to get wrong. Schedule regular automatic backups from the Backups page rather than relying on manual ones alone. If you ever need to move your world to a different server or restore an older version, restoring from the Backups page keeps the file layout consistent, which manually copying files out of a .cache directory does not guarantee.

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