Black Friday: first month free on quarterly plans · until 30 Nov See the plans Conditions
New here? Try a Minecraft server or Discord bot free for 24 hours. Try free
ServerSparkServerSpark

Knowledge base

Set up your Satisfactory server

Claiming the server, admin password, joining, uploading your save and auto-pause.

NVMe nodesNightly backupsOnline in minutes

Updated 4 November 2026

This guide shows how to set up your Satisfactory server: claiming it, the admin password, how friends join, bringing your own save and the settings that keep your factory running. You manage the server itself in SparkPanel and most game settings in the Server Manager inside Satisfactory.

1. What you get

  • A game port (TCP and UDP). This is the address you see in SparkPanel under Connect, and the only one you type in the game.
  • A second reliable port (TCP) that the server uses for its connection with players. It is set for you; you don't need to enter it anywhere.
  • Automatic updates: every restart checks for a new game version, so a restart is all you need after a Satisfactory update.

2. Claim your server

A new Satisfactory server has no owner yet. The first person who adds it becomes the admin, so do this right after ordering.

  1. Start Satisfactory and choose Server Manager in the main menu.
  2. Click Add Server and enter the address and port from SparkPanel, for example address and 25570. Click Confirm.
  3. Give the server a name and set an admin password. Keep it somewhere safe: you need it to manage the server from another PC.

3. Start a new game or upload your save

New game: in Server Manager, open Create Game, pick a starting area and a session name, and click Create Game.

Your own save: open Manage Saves, click Upload Save and pick the save from your PC. Then select it and click Load. You can also upload the .sav file via SFTP or Files in SparkPanel into .config/Epic/FactoryGame/Saved/SaveGames/server/ and load it from Manage Saves.

4. Join and invite friends

  1. Friends open Server Manager, click Add Server and enter the same address and port.
  2. Set a player password under Server Settings if only your friends may join. Leave it empty for an open server.
  3. Click Join Game.

The player limit is the MAX_PLAYERS variable under Settings in SparkPanel (default 4). Satisfactory is built for 4 players; more works, but counts as experimental in the game itself. Restart after changing it.

5. Auto-pause and autosave

By default the server pauses the factory when nobody is online, which keeps memory and CPU use low. Want your factory to keep producing while everyone is away? Turn off Auto Pause under Server Settings in Server Manager. The autosave interval is set there as well. The number of rotating autosaves is the NUM_AUTOSAVES variable under Settings in SparkPanel.

6. Experimental branch

To run the experimental version, set SRCDS_BETAID to experimental under Settings and restart. Players must use the same branch in Steam or Epic. Make a backup first: saves from experimental do not always load on the normal version.

7. Troubleshooting

  • "Server not responding": check that the server is started in SparkPanel and that you entered the game port from Connect. A restart fixes most connection issues.
  • Version mismatch after a game update: restart the server so it updates, then try again.
  • Lag or a full memory bar in a large factory: late-game factories need more memory. Upgrade to 12 GB in the customer portal; your save stays where it is.

8. Backups

We make a backup of your server every night. Before big changes, make an extra one via Backups → Create backup. See also the guide on files, backups and schedules in SparkPanel.

Which plan?

8 GB is enough for a new world and groups of up to 4 players. Satisfactory uses more memory as your factory grows, so take 12 GB for late-game factories or more than 4 players. You can upgrade at any time.