How to Download Your World from a Game Server
Download your world from any game server host: save first, zip it in the file manager or use SFTP, and which folders hold the world in popular games.
Updated Oct 3, 2026 · 6 min read
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To download your world from a game server, run the game's save command in the console (for example save-all in Minecraft), stop the server, then either zip the world folder in the host's file manager and download the zip, or connect with an SFTP app like FileZilla or WinSCP and drag the folder to your PC. Take the config file that names the world too (server.properties, GameUserSettings.ini, the server's .ini), or the next server will not know which world to load.
What you are working with
| Method | Best for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Panel backup download | A full copy of the server in one file, if your host lets you download backups | Some hosts keep backups on their side only |
| File manager, compress then download | Small and medium worlds, no extra software | Big folders can time out in a browser |
| SFTP (FileZilla, WinSCP, Cyberduck) | Big worlds and folders of thousands of small files | Needs the SFTP host, port, user and password from your panel |
| Console or game export | Games with their own export, like downloading a Realm | Only a few games have one |
Almost every host offers SFTP and a file manager, whatever panel they use. Your SFTP details are usually under a settings or account page, and the password is often your panel password.
The trap: the world on disk is older than the world in game
A running server keeps recent changes in memory and writes them to disk on its own schedule. Download the folder while it runs and you can get a copy from the last autosave, or files caught halfway through a write that refuse to load later. Some games never autosave at all: the Unturned server docs say there is no built in autosave, so only Save or Shutdown puts your progress on disk.
So the order is always the same: save, stop, then download.
| Game | Save command |
|---|---|
| Minecraft Java | save-all flush |
| Minecraft Bedrock | save hold, copy, then save resume. Or just stop it |
| Valheim | Stop the server, it saves on shutdown |
| Palworld | Save, then stop |
| Project Zomboid | save, then quit |
| Rust | server.save |
| ARK: Survival Ascended | SaveWorld |
| 7 Days to Die | saveworld |
| Terraria | save or exit |
| Unturned | Save or Shutdown |
What goes where: the folders that matter
These are the defaults. A host or server owner can rename things, so check the config file that names the world.
| Game | World or save | Settings, admins and players |
|---|---|---|
| Minecraft Java 26.1 and newer | world/ (all dimensions inside it, under dimensions/minecraft/) |
server.properties, ops.json, whitelist.json, plugins/ or mods/ |
| Minecraft Java on Paper before 26.1 | world/, world_nether/, world_the_end/ |
Same as above |
| Minecraft Bedrock | worlds/<level-name>/ |
server.properties, allowlist.json, permissions.json |
| Valheim | worlds_local/<World>/ (or .db and .fwl on old saves) |
adminlist.txt, bannedlist.txt, permittedlist.txt |
| Palworld | Pal/Saved/SaveGames/0/<world id>/ |
Pal/Saved/Config/LinuxServer/ or WindowsServer/ |
| Project Zomboid | Zomboid/Saves/Multiplayer/<servername>/ |
Zomboid/Server/<servername>.ini and _SandboxVars.lua, Zomboid/db/<servername>.db |
| Terraria | <World>.wld in the worlds folder |
serverconfig.txt, tshock/ |
| Rust | server/<identity>/ |
server/<identity>/cfg/, oxide/ or carbon/ |
| ARK: Survival Ascended | ShooterGame/Saved/SavedArks/ |
ShooterGame/Saved/Config/WindowsServer/ |
| 7 Days to Die | Saves/<world>/<game name>/ |
serverconfig.xml |
| Enshrouded | savegame/ |
enshrouded_server.json |
| Unturned | Servers/<server ID>/Level/ and Players/ |
Servers/<server ID>/Server/Commands.dat, Config.txt |
Mods and plugins are worth downloading too. Re-downloading them later is possible, but getting the exact same versions is what keeps a modded world loading.
Before you start
- Tell your players the server is going down for a while.
- Save, then stop the server, using the table above.
- Check free space on your PC. Long running worlds can be several GB.
- Note the game version the server runs. The next server must run the same one, or a newer one for games that upgrade worlds.
Method 1: Zip it in the file manager (easiest)
- Stop the server.
- Open the file manager in your host's panel.
- Select the world folder (and the config files if you want them in the same zip). Choose Compress or Archive.
- Download the new zip.
- Delete the zip from the server afterwards, so it does not eat into your disk space or end up inside the next backup.
One zip is faster than thousands of single files, and it stays intact. Open it on your PC to check the world is inside before you rely on it.
Method 2: SFTP (best for big worlds)
- Find the SFTP details in your panel: host or address, port, username and password.
- In FileZilla, enter them in the Quickconnect bar (use
sftp://before the host). In WinSCP, pick SFTP as the protocol. - Browse to the world folder on the right, pick a folder on your PC on the left, and drag the world across.
- When it finishes, check the transfer log for failed files and retry them.
SFTP resumes and retries, which matters for multi GB worlds.
Method 3: Download a backup
If your panel has backups you can download, take a fresh one after saving and download it. It usually holds the whole server, so you will need to dig the world folder out of it later. It is a good extra copy even if you also use Method 1 or 2.
Common problems
- Downloaded world loads as an old version or is missing recent builds: it was copied without saving first. Save, stop and download again.
- Zip will not open or is tiny: the download stopped early. Try again or use SFTP.
- New server makes a fresh world from my download: the world folder name does not match the setting that names the world, or the folder is nested one level too deep.
- Nether and End missing (Minecraft): an older Paper server kept them in
world_netherandworld_the_end. Download those too. - Players lost their characters: the player data lives outside the world folder in some games, like
Zomboid/dbor Unturned'sPlayers. Download it as well.
Your world on GamezServers
On GamezServers every server has full file access: a file manager that makes and extracts zips, an SFTP login in Settings, and a one click Backup before you change anything. Downloading your world is always yours to do, and if a subscription ends, the files are kept for about 14 days before deletion, so there is time to grab them. Moving the other way? Read how to move a game server to a new host or how to back up a game server, and find your game on the games page.
FAQ
How do I download my Minecraft world from a server?
Run save-all flush, stop the server, then zip the world folder in the file manager and download it, or copy it over SFTP. On older Paper servers, also download world_nether and world_the_end.
Do I have to stop the server to download the world?
It is the safest way. A running server can write to files while you copy them, so at least run the save command first.
Can I download my world after cancelling?
That depends on the host. Download it before you cancel to be sure. On GamezServers, files are deleted about 14 days after a subscription ends.
What is the fastest way to download a big world?
Zip it on the server and download the single file, or use SFTP, which resumes after interruptions.
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