Transferring an Existing Valheim World Save to Your Dedicated Server

This guide walks you through migrating a locally created Valheim world save to your dedicated server using the game panel.

Updated 28 October 2026

Prerequisites & Important Notes

  • Stop your server before uploading or editing configuration files.
  • A Valheim world save consists of two files with matching names:
    • .db (World database)
    • .fwl (World metadata)
  • Ensure your save files are saved locally in Steam, not cloud-synced, before copying them.

Step 1: Locate Your Local World Save Files

  1. Press Win + R on your keyboard to open the Run dialog.
  2. Paste the following path and press Enter: %USERPROFILE%\AppData\LocalLow\IronGate\Valheim\worlds_local\
  3. Find the two files matching your world name:
    • YourWorldName.db
    • YourWorldName.fwl

Note: If your save uses Steam Cloud, launch Valheim, go to Manage Saves on the main menu, select your world, and click Move to Local before retrieving these files.

Step 2: Stop the Server and Navigate to the Worlds Directory

  1. Log in to your game control panel.
  2. Select your Valheim server and click Stop on the console page.
  3. Navigate to Files in the sidebar navigation.
  4. Open the save directory: .config/unity3d/IronGate/Valheim/worlds_local/ (If worlds_local does not exist, create it inside the Valheim directory, or use worlds depending on your server setup).

Step 3: Upload Your Save Files

  • Option A: Web File Manager
    • Drag and drop both YourWorldName.db and YourWorldName.fwl directly into the panel directory window.
  • Option B: SFTP / SCP
    • Click SFTP Details (or Settings) in the panel to obtain your host IP, port, and username.
    • Connect using an SFTP client (e.g., FileZilla or WinSCP) and transfer both files into the same destination path.

Step 4: Configure the Server to Load the World

  1. Go to the Startup or Configuration section in your game panel.
  2. Locate the World Name variable.
  3. Change the value to match your uploaded world name exact case sensitive (without the .db / .fwl extension).
    • Example: If your files are MyVikingWorld.db and MyVikingWorld.fwl, enter MyVikingWorld.

Step 5: Start the Server

  1. Return to the Console page.
  2. Click Start.
  3. Monitor the console output to confirm the server successfully loads the specified world name without errors.

Troubleshooting & FAQ

Problem Cause Solution
Server creates a brand new world World name mismatch in Startup settings Double-check that the World Name startup variable matches the prefix of your .db/.fwl files exactly.
Cannot find save files locally World is stored in Steam Cloud In Valheim's main menu, go to Select World -> Manage Saves, select your world, and click Move to Local.
Changes not saving on restart Server was active during file upload Always click Stop before overwriting save files on the server.

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