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Knowledge base

Put your singleplayer Minecraft world on a server

Continue your singleplayer world with friends: find and zip it (Java or Bedrock), upload it, and fix inventory, op and whitelist afterwards.

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Updated 4 November 2026

Yes, you can continue your singleplayer Minecraft world on a server: zip the world folder from your saves folder, upload it in SparkPanel under Files → Upload your own world, and start the server. Your builds, chests and map stay exactly as they are; only things tied to "singleplayer" (like who is the owner) need a quick fix.

Save folder locations for Java and Bedrock were checked on 29 October 2026 (Minecraft launcher defaults and Microsoft's Bedrock Dedicated Server documentation).

Before you start

  • Same or newer version. The server must run the same Minecraft version as your world, or newer. Opening a world in an older version can break it.
  • Java or Bedrock? A Java world goes on a Java server (Paper, vanilla, Fabric, Forge, NeoForge). A Bedrock world (phone, console, Windows app) goes on a Bedrock server. Not sure which you play? See Java or Bedrock.
  • Modded world? The server needs the same mod loader and the same mods, or modded blocks disappear.
  • Close Minecraft (or at least leave the world) so everything is saved.

Java: find and zip your world

  1. In the Minecraft Launcher, go to Installations, hover over your installation and click the folder icon. Or open the saves folder directly:
    • Windows: %appdata%\.minecraft\saves (paste it in the address bar of File Explorer)
    • macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/minecraft/saves
    • Linux: ~/.minecraft/saves
  2. Each folder in saves is one world. The folder with your world's name contains level.dat.
  3. Right-click the folder and choose Compress (Windows: Send to → Compressed (zipped) folder). You now have one .zip.

Java: put it on your server

  1. Open your server in SparkPanel and make a backup under Backups first, so you can always go back. Then go to Files, choose Upload your own world and select the zip.
  2. Prefer doing it by hand? Stop the server, rename the existing world folder to world-old, upload and extract your zip, and rename the result to world. level.dat must be directly inside world, not one folder deeper. Uploads in the file manager can be up to 100 MB per file; a bigger world goes up with SFTP (FileZilla or WinSCP), see Managing your server in SparkPanel.
  3. Start the server and join. You may see extra folders appear on the first start; that's normal. The Nether and End come along with the world.

Bedrock: export and upload

  1. In Minecraft Bedrock, go to Play, click the pencil next to your world, scroll down in Game and choose Export World. You get a .mcworld file, which is a zip.
  2. Rename it to .zip and unpack it. The folder must contain level.dat and a db folder.
  3. Stop your Bedrock server, upload the folder into worlds/, and under Settings set the world name to exactly that folder name (capitals count). Start the server. The full steps are in Set up your Minecraft Bedrock server.

After the upload: three quick fixes

  • Your inventory is empty. In singleplayer, your items are stored as "the host" in level.dat; on a server every player gets their own file by account. Your items are not lost, but they are not attached to your name. The usual fix is to grab what you need in creative or ask an operator to give it back. If you have many items, email us before you start and we look at it with you.
  • Make yourself operator: type op YourName in the console.
  • Turn on the whitelist before you share the address: whitelist on and whitelist add FriendName. See whitelist, op and bans.

Your game rules (like keep inventory) travel with the world. Want to change them? See Minecraft game rules explained.

Rather have us do it?

Email your order number and the world zip (or a download link) to info@serverspark.nl and we put it on your server for free. Coming from Aternos or another free host instead of singleplayer? See From Aternos to your own server.

Which plan?

A big world takes disk space but not much memory. For 2 to 5 friends 2 GB (€1.89 per month paid per quarter, €2.19 monthly billing, 20 GB NVMe) is enough; with plugins or 5 to 15 players take 4 GB (€4.19 / €4.39, 40 GB NVMe). A Bedrock world runs from €0.99 on Bedrock server hosting. Java: Minecraft server hosting.

Frequently asked questions

Can I put my singleplayer Minecraft world on a server? Yes. Zip the world folder from .minecraft/saves (Java) or export it as .mcworld (Bedrock), upload it to your server and start it. Builds and chests stay as they are.

Where is my Minecraft Java world saved? On Windows in %appdata%\.minecraft\saves, on macOS in ~/Library/Application Support/minecraft/saves and on Linux in ~/.minecraft/saves. Each folder there is one world.

Why is my inventory empty after uploading my world? In singleplayer your items belong to the world's host entry, not to your account. On a server you get a fresh player file, so your old inventory isn't linked to your name.

Can I upload a Bedrock world to a Java server? Not directly. Java and Bedrock save worlds in different formats. Use a Bedrock server for a Bedrock world, or convert it first with a third-party converter.

Does the Nether and End come along? Yes. They are inside the world folder and the server picks them up when it starts.