How to Move a Don't Starve Together World to a Dedicated Server

To move a Don't Starve Together world to a dedicated server, open your world's Cluster_N folder in Documents\Klei\DoNotStarveTogether\<number>\ and copy Master/save/ and Caves/save/, plus each shard's leveldataoverride.lua and modoverrides.lua, into the same shard folders of the server's cluster. Keep the server's own cluster_token.txt and server.ini files. It works when game_mode in cluster.ini matches the world and every mod is listed in dedicated_server_mods_setup.lua.

What you can and cannot move

What goes where

The Klei folder is Documents\Klei\DoNotStarveTogether\ on Windows, ~/.klei/DoNotStarveTogether/ on Linux and ~/Documents/Klei/DoNotStarveTogether/ on macOS. Worlds sit inside a folder named with a long number, as Cluster_1, Cluster_2 and so on, one per hosting slot. The game's **Data** button on the main menu opens it. Open each cluster.ini and read cluster_name to find the right one.

On a dedicated server, <cluster> is the folder the server starts with. A self hosted server is often ~/.klei/DoNotStarveTogether/MyDediServer/. On GamezServers it is DoNotStarveTogether/config/server/.

Before you start

• Stop hosting in game and go back to the main menu so the world saves.
• Back up the whole Cluster_N folder.
• Update everything. The server and all players must be on the current DST version.
• List your mods. Note the Workshop ID of every mod the world uses. You can read them from modoverrides.lua: each entry looks like ["workshop-1234567890"].

Step 1: Stop the server and back it up

Stop the server and take a backup. It has already generated its own surface and caves, which you are about to replace.

Step 2: Replace the save folders

On the server, delete <cluster>/Master/save/ and <cluster>/Caves/save/. Upload your Master/save/ and Caves/save/ in their place. Zipping the Cluster_N folder and extracting it on the server is faster than uploading hundreds of small files one by one.

Step 3: Copy the shard settings

Upload your leveldataoverride.lua and modoverrides.lua into <cluster>/Master/ and <cluster>/Caves/, each from the matching shard. Do not upload your local server.ini files over the server's. Those hold the shard ports and links that let Master and Caves talk to each other.

Step 4: Match cluster.ini

Open your local cluster.ini and the server's side by side. Copy across the gameplay values, leaving the [SHARD] section and ports alone:

[GAMEPLAY]
game_mode = endless
max_players = 6
pvp = false

[NETWORK]
cluster_name = Our Old Camp
cluster_password = changeme

Step 5: Set up the mods to download

Add every Workshop ID to dedicated_server_mods_setup.lua in the server's mods/ folder (the game install, not the cluster):

ServerModSetup("1234567890")
ServerModSetup("9876543210")

The DST dedicated server guide on the wiki covers ServerModCollectionSetup for whole collections. Then start the server and watch both shards come up. Search your cluster name in Browse Games, with the modded and password filters ticked if they apply.

The gotcha: modoverrides.lua is not enough

Your hosted world brings modoverrides.lua with it, and it looks like the mods are set up. They are not. That file only enables mods; it never downloads them. When you host in game, your client already has the mods from your Workshop subscriptions. A dedicated server has none, and only downloads what is listed with ServerModSetup in dedicated_server_mods_setup.lua. Skip that and the world loads without its mods, and modded items, creatures and structures can be missing or lost once the world saves. Back up first, and check every mod loads before letting players in.

The second trap is the game mode. Panels often write their own Game mode setting into cluster.ini on every start, and GamezServers does too. If your world was endless and the panel says survival, the world now resets when everyone dies. Set the panel to match the world.

What happens to characters

Player data is saved in the shard save folders, tied to each player's Klei ID. When Master/save/ and Caves/save/ both move, players who were in the world usually rejoin as the same character, wherever they logged out, surface or caves.

Common problems

• Server never comes online: the cluster token is missing or wrong. Keep the server's cluster_token.txt, or paste a fresh token from accounts.klei.com.
• A brand new world generated: the save folders went into the wrong cluster or shard, or a shard folder name changed. They must be exactly Master and Caves.
• Mods missing in game: a mod is in modoverrides.lua but not in dedicated_server_mods_setup.lua, or it is enabled in only one shard.
• Caves will not connect: you uploaded your local server.ini. Restore the server's copies from your backup.
• World resets on a full wipe: game_mode changed to survival. Match it to the world.

Moving it to GamezServers

On a Don't Starve Together server from GamezServers, surface and caves already run together, so a two shard world fits straight in. Zip the cluster, upload it in the file manager (which also extracts, and can download a file from a link straight to the server) or over SFTP from Settings, and click Backup before replacing anything. The day count keeps going without anyone hosting. For caves and settings, see setting up a DST server with caves.

FAQ

Where are Don't Starve Together worlds saved?

In Documents\Klei\DoNotStarveTogether\<number>\Cluster_N\ on Windows, with the surface in Master/save/ and the caves in Caves/save/. The Data button on the main menu opens the folder.

Will my friends keep their characters?

Usually yes. Player data is saved with the shard saves under each player's Klei ID, so it moves with the save folders.

Why are my mods missing after the move?

The server only downloads mods listed in dedicated_server_mods_setup.lua. modoverrides.lua turns them on but does not download them.

Can I move a world that had no caves?

Yes. Upload Master/save/ only, and the server generates a new caves shard on first start.