Set up your 7 Days to Die server

Updated 3 November 2026

This guide shows how to set up your 7 Days to Die server: name and password, the map, how friends join and how to add mods. Most settings are in the file serverconfig.xml, which you open in SparkPanel under Files.

1. Name, password and map

1. Stop the server in SparkPanel.
2. Go to Files and open serverconfig.xml.
3. Change the value of these lines:
   • ServerName: how your server shows up in the list.
   • ServerPassword: what players type to join. Leave it empty for an open server.
   • GameWorld: Navezgane for the fixed map, or RWG for a random map. With RWG, WorldGenSeed and WorldGenSize decide what the map looks like.
4. Save the file and start the server.

Max Players and Game Difficulty are under Settings in SparkPanel.

2. Join your server

1. Start 7 Days to Die and choose Join a Game.
2. Click Connect to IP and enter the address and port from SparkPanel under Connect.
3. Enter the password if you set one.

3. Mods

1. Stop the server.
2. Upload each mod as a folder to Mods in Files (create the folder if it isn't there).
3. Mods with their own code only work with Easy Anti-Cheat off: set EACEnabled to false in serverconfig.xml.
4. Start the server.

Server-side mods (XML changes) work without players installing anything. Mods that add new items or graphics must also be installed by every player.

4. Backups

We make a backup of your server every night. Before a new map or big mods, make an extra one via Backups → Create backup.

Which plan?

The game itself takes about 17 GB of disk, so every plan has at least 25 GB. 4 GB of memory is fine for a small group on a small map; take 8 GB for more players or bigger maps.