How to Upload a Terraria World to a Server (From Host and Play)

To upload a Terraria world to a server, find the world's .wld file in your Terraria Worlds folder, stop the server, copy the file into the server's worlds folder, and point the world= line in serverconfig.txt at it. Everything built in the world comes along: houses, chests, NPCs and boss progress. Characters stay on each player's PC. This guide covers finding the file, moving a Host and Play world onto a dedicated server, modded worlds and fixing a world that will not load.

Short answer

1. Close Terraria and find the .wld file in Documents\My Games\Terraria\Worlds.
2. Stop the server and back up its current world.
3. Upload your .wld into the server's worlds folder.
4. Set world= in serverconfig.txt to that file, or rename your file to the one it already loads.
5. Start the server and join.

Step 1: Find your world file

Each world is a .wld file named after the world, with a .wld.bak backup next to it. tModLoader worlds also have a .twld file with the modded data.

Steam Cloud worlds: if the world has a cloud icon in the world list, it is stored in Steam's cloud folder, not in Documents. In the world select menu, click the cloud icon to turn cloud saving off for that world, which moves it into your Worlds folder.

Close Terraria before copying so the world is fully saved.

Step 2: Check versions

The server must run the same or a newer version than the one that last saved the world. Worlds from older versions load fine and are upgraded. Worlds from a newer version, such as a vanilla 1.4.5 world on a tModLoader server still based on 1.4.4, will not load. If in doubt, see how to fix Terraria version mismatch.

Step 3: Stop the server and back up

The server writes to its world file while running, and would overwrite yours. Stop it first:

• Home server: type exit in the server console, which saves and shuts down.
• Hosted on GamezServers: click Backup, then Stop.

Step 4: Upload the file

Home server: copy the .wld into the folder set by worldpath= in serverconfig.txt, or wherever world= points.

On GamezServers:

1. Open the Files tab and go to the worlds folder, saves/Worlds on a vanilla server.
2. Upload your .wld file. Worlds are usually small enough for the browser. For large worlds or many files, use SFTP: in Settings click Show SFTP login and connect with FileZilla or WinSCP.

For a tModLoader world, upload the .wld and the .twld together, with the same name.

Step 5: Point the server at your world

The server loads the file named on the world= line of serverconfig.txt:

world=/home/container/saves/Worlds/world.wld

You have two options:

• Rename your file to match, for example rename Pirate Cove.wld to world.wld, and replace the old one. This is the simplest and always works.
• Change the world= line to your file name. On a self hosted server this is the normal way. On GamezServers, the world line is one of the settings managed by the server's startup settings, so if it resets after a restart, rename the file instead or email support@gamezservers.com.

The world's name inside the game stays the same whatever the file is called.

Start the server. The console shows it loading the world, then listening on its port. If it starts generating a new world instead, the file name or path does not match.

Moving from Host and Play to a dedicated server

Host and Play worlds are normal worlds saved on the host's PC. Nothing needs converting:

1. The host closes Terraria.
2. The host finds the world in their Worlds folder (Step 1) and uploads it (Step 4).
3. Everyone joins through Join via IP instead of through Steam or the host.

Characters are not in the world file. Each player keeps using their own character. One catch: the Journey mode rule still applies. A Journey world only takes Journey characters, and other worlds do not take Journey characters.

Getting a world back from the server

The reverse works too, for playing offline or keeping a copy. Stop the server, download the .wld (and .twld for tModLoader) from the Files tab or over SFTP, and put it in your Worlds folder. It shows up in your world list.

Common problems

• The server makes a new world instead of loading mine: the world= path or file name does not match exactly. Linux servers are case sensitive, so World.wld and world.wld are different files.
• World loads but modded items are gone: the .twld file was not uploaded, or the server is missing mods the world used.
• "Failed to load world" or a crash on start: the world is from a newer version, or the file is damaged. Try the .wld.bak copy, renamed to .wld.
• World file not in the Worlds folder: it is a Steam Cloud world. Turn cloud saving off for it in the world select menu.
• Players cannot join with their character: the world is Journey and the character is not, or the other way round.

The easy way

On a GamezServers server, swapping worlds is a few clicks in the browser: Backup, Stop, upload in Files, Start. The world stays online when you log off, no port forwarding, and up to 3 backups are kept for when a boss fight goes wrong. See Terraria server hosting or the quick start guide.

FAQ

Does my character transfer with the world?

No. Characters are stored on each player's PC in the Players folder. Everyone brings their own character when they join.

Can I upload a world from console or mobile?

Not directly. Console and mobile worlds are stored differently from PC worlds, and a PC server only loads PC worlds.

Can I have several worlds on one server?

You can keep several .wld files in the worlds folder, but the server runs one at a time, the one on the world= line.

Where does a Terraria server keep its worlds?

In the folder set by worldpath=, or wherever world= points. On a GamezServers vanilla server that is saves/Worlds.