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Knowledge base

Set up your Valheim server

Name, password, crossplay and uploading your own world.

NVMe nodesNightly backupsOnline in minutes

Updated 30 October 2026

This guide shows how to set up your Valheim server: the name and password, how to join (also from Xbox and Game Pass), and how to bring your own world. You change the settings in SparkPanel under Settings.

1. Name and password

  1. Open your server in SparkPanel and go to Settings.
  2. Server Name is how your server shows up in the server list.
  3. Server Password is what players type to join. Your server gets a random password when it's created. Change it to something your friends can remember: at least 5 characters, and it must not be part of the server name (Valheim refuses to start otherwise).
  4. Restart the server.

2. Join your server

  1. Start Valheim, choose your character and click Join Game.
  2. Click Add server and enter the address from SparkPanel under Connect, for example g-fi-01.serverspark.nl:25570.
  3. Enter the password.
Crossplay is on by default, so players on Xbox and Game Pass can join too. They use the join code that appears in the console when the server starts. That code also works on PC if joining by address doesn't. Only playing on Steam? Set Enable Crossplay to off in Settings for a slightly faster start.

3. Upload your own world

Want to keep playing a world you started on your own PC?

  1. On your PC, open %userprofile%\AppData\LocalLow\IronGate\Valheim\worlds_local. You'll find two files per world: YourWorld.db and YourWorld.fwl.
  2. Stop the server.
  3. In SparkPanel, go to Files and open .config/unity3d/IronGate/Valheim/worlds_local. Upload both files.
  4. In Settings, set World Name to the exact name of your world (without .db).
  5. Start the server.

4. Backups

Valheim saves the world every 30 minutes and keeps its own backups. We also make a backup of your server every night. Before big changes, make an extra one via Backups → Create backup in SparkPanel.

Mods

You can add mods yourself in SparkPanel, under Mods:

  1. Click Turn mods on. SparkPanel installs BepInEx, the mod loader Valheim mods use.
  2. Search for a mod, or pick one from the most popular server mods on Thunderstore, and click Install. Extras the mod needs are installed with it.
  3. Restart your server.

Mods marked players need it too must also be installed by every player, for example with the free mod manager r2modman. Players on Xbox or Game Pass can't join a modded server. Turn mods off with one click: your mods stay in place but don't load. Make a backup before you add big mods.

Plans, prices and a comparison with other hosts: Valheim server hosting.