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7 Days to Die Server Settings Explained: How to Edit serverconfig.xml Safely

A version-aware guide to 7 Days to Die server settings: edit serverconfig.xml safely, understand reported defaults, tune gameplay and zombie limits, secure remote administration, and handle mod or crossplay conflicts.
Length9 min Posted Quest giverVGSources Team
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The settings for a 7 Days to Die dedicated server are stored in serverconfig.xml. Open that file, change only the text inside each value="..." attribute, save it, and restart the server. Because defaults and even setting names can differ between game versions, use the comments and values in the stock file installed with your exact build as the final authority.

Before you change anything

Stop the server before editing its configuration. Make a backup of the original serverconfig.xml and, ideally, a copy of the save folder as well. A malformed XML file or an unsupported value can prevent the server from starting, while a valid but inappropriate value can change an existing world in ways that are difficult to undo.

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  • Use a plain-text editor that does not add rich-text formatting.
  • Preserve the opening and closing XML tags, quotation marks, element names and line structure.
  • Change the contents of the value= attribute only. The Valve developer wiki specifically warns that changing the surrounding data can make a setting fail.
  • Save a copy of the working file before each large change, especially when installing mods or enabling crossplay.
  • Restart the dedicated server after saving; most values are read only during startup.

The Valve wiki page commonly used for this file describes version 1.3 beta 9 and is explicitly outdated. Treat its explanations, and the defaults repeated by hosting guides, as orientation rather than a current universal reference.

How to edit serverconfig.xml

  1. Locate the configuration file. On a self-hosted installation it is normally in the dedicated-server or game installation directory. A hosting provider may expose it through a control panel’s file manager.
  2. Stop the server. Editing while the process is writing the file can lose changes or leave a partial file.
  3. Create a backup. Copy the original file and give the copy a date or version label.
  4. Open the file as plain text. Find the setting by its element name, such as <property name="ServerName" value="My server"/>.
  5. Replace only the value. For example, change value="100" to value="75"; do not rename LootAbundance, remove the quotation marks or rewrite the XML tag.
  6. Save and validate. If your editor reports an XML error, restore the backup and reapply the change carefully.
  7. Start the server and test. Confirm the name, password, world, player limit and gameplay behavior from a client before making more edits.

Some hosting guides recommend copying the stock file to a name such as myserver.xml and adding -configfile to the launch command. This workflow is reported by search summaries but was not verified against a current official launch-script reference. Use it only if your host’s documentation or the startup script supplied with your installation confirms the syntax.

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Identity, access and network settings

The following meanings and defaults are reported by third-party guides. They are not guaranteed to match every Alpha or stable release, so compare them with the comments in your own file.

Setting What it controls Reported value or range Important qualification
ServerName The label displayed in the server browser. Text of your choice. Keep the value quoted and avoid altering the element name.
ServerPassword Password required to join. Blank means open access; any text creates a private server. The blank/open interpretation is reported by a settings reference.
ServerVisibility Whether and how the server appears to other players. Most guides read 0 as not listed, 1 as friends only and 2 as public. A 7d2d.net guide instead maps 1 to listed and 2 to listed with password. The comments in your installed file take precedence.
ServerPort Main game network port. Guides commonly report UDP 26900. Adjacent ports may also be used. Confirm the complete port range with your host and firewall configuration.
ServerReservedSlots Slots held back for reserved users. 0 in an Alpha 17 reference. The reference is old and may not describe current behavior.
ServerMaxPlayerCount Maximum simultaneous players. 8 in one guide. This is a reported default, not a current official baseline.

Public versus private setup

For a private cooperative game, set a non-empty ServerPassword, choose the visibility mode described in your file, and give the password only to the intended players. For a public listing, leave the password blank only if you genuinely want open access; a listed server can attract players as soon as it becomes reachable.

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Do not assume that a numeric visibility value has the same meaning in every release. The conflicting mappings above are a practical reason to read the inline comment beside ServerVisibility rather than copying a number from a web guide.

World and gameplay settings

GameDifficulty

Third-party references describe GameDifficulty as a scale from 0 (easiest) through 5 (hardest). The exact enemy damage, resilience and progression effects are version-dependent; select a value using the labels or comments supplied with your build instead of assuming that every release applies the scale identically.

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GameWorld

Set GameWorld to Navezgane for the authored Navezgane map. A server intended to generate a random world needs RWG; if you leave the value at Navezgane, the server loads that authored world instead of generating a random one. Changing the world setting does not automatically convert an existing save, so make the choice before creating the world you intend to keep.

LootAbundance

One 2026 hosting guide reports a default of 100. It suggests 100–150 for a more forgiving or casual experience and 75 for a hardcore setting. Those are recommendations, not enforced game modes. Higher values generally make containers more rewarding, while lower values make scarce resources a larger part of progression; test on a new or backed-up world if your group is unsure.

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BloodMoonEnemyCount

This value controls the number of zombies spawned per player during the seventh-night blood-moon horde. Increasing it raises the peak horde load and can affect both difficulty and server performance. Because the setting is per player, a server that is comfortable for two players can become substantially heavier when a larger group joins.

Performance controls

MaxSpawnedZombies

MaxSpawnedZombies is the server-wide zombie cap and is described by the guide as the biggest single performance lever. A commonly reported default is 64. The same guide cautions that values above about 80 can cause frame-rate drops and lag, depending on the host and the rest of the simulation.

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Use the cap as a controlled trade-off rather than chasing the highest number:

  • Start with the value in your stock file, then lower it if players see rubber-banding, delayed hit registration or severe frame-time spikes during hordes.
  • Increase it only in small steps when the server has spare CPU capacity and the player count requires more simultaneous enemies.
  • Change one performance variable at a time so you can identify which adjustment helped or hurt.

The reported 64 default and approximately 80 warning point are guide values, not measured guarantees. Hardware, world size, active entities, mods and player count all change the result.

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SaveGameFolder

SaveGameFolder can point saves to another drive. A hosting guide recommends a secondary, faster drive when available to improve save performance. Verify that the server account has permission to create and modify the destination, and back up the entire destination before moving an established world. A faster disk cannot compensate for an invalid path or insufficient free space.

Telnet, dashboard and remote administration

Review administration settings before exposing the server to the internet. A search result from an unnamed guide claimed that Telnet is enabled by default with no password, but that default was not verified by a named primary source. Do not rely on it. Inspect your file and set a strong TelnetPassword, restrict access at the firewall, or disable Telnet when you do not need the console.

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TelnetPort determines the Telnet console port. Keep it off the public internet unless remote administration is essential, and never reuse a password used elsewhere.

The web dashboard is reported to be disabled by default and to use port 8080 when enabled. This is also unverified against a primary source. If your build includes dashboard properties, confirm the exact names and authentication behavior in its own comments before enabling it, then firewall the port to trusted administrator addresses.

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Mods, EAC and crossplay

Mod requirements are not universal

Sources disagree about whether overhaul or DLL-based mods require EACEnabled=false. One guide applies that requirement to overhaul mods; another applies it to DLL mods. Neither claim was confirmed against an official, version-stamped reference. Follow the instructions for the exact mod and game build, and do not copy an EAC value from a different mod pack.

Disabling anti-cheat can change who is able to join and may be incompatible with a server intended for unmodified clients. Record the original value so you can restore a vanilla configuration quickly.

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Crossplay conditions reported by one guide

One guide reports that Xbox/PS5 crossplay requires all of the following:

  • EACEnabled set to true.
  • ServerVisibility set to 2.
  • No mods installed.
  • ServerDisabledNetworkProtocols not containing LiteNetLib.
  • XPMultiplier set in steps of 25, from 25 through 300.

These requirements are unverified and can conflict directly with mod instructions that call for EAC to be disabled. Treat them as a checklist to test against your exact console, PC and game versions, not as a guarantee. If crossplay fails, return to a fully vanilla backup, confirm visibility and protocol values, and add changes one at a time.

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Useful configuration profiles

These profiles combine the reported settings into starting points. They are not official presets; copy only values that exist in your own file.

Goal Settings to review Starting approach
Private co-op ServerPassword, ServerVisibility, ServerMaxPlayerCount Use a non-empty password, choose the private/friends mode described by your file, and set a player limit appropriate for the group.
Casual progression GameDifficulty, LootAbundance, BloodMoonEnemyCount Use a lower difficulty, keep loot near the reported 100 baseline or the guide’s 100–150 casual range, and avoid an unnecessarily large blood-moon count.
Hardcore survival GameDifficulty, LootAbundance, BloodMoonEnemyCount Move difficulty upward, consider the reported loot value of 75, and raise the horde count only if the server can handle the load.
Low-spec host MaxSpawnedZombies, SaveGameFolder Keep the zombie cap near the reported 64 baseline or lower it, and place saves on a reliable faster drive with adequate space.
Modded server EACEnabled, network and visibility settings Start from the mod author’s requirements, preserve a vanilla backup, and test with only the intended mod set.

Troubleshooting after an edit

The server will not start

  • Restore the last known-good backup.
  • Check for a missing quote, angle bracket or closing XML marker.
  • Confirm that the value is the type expected by the inline comment: numbers should not contain explanatory text, and booleans should use the spelling shown in the stock file.
  • Reapply one change at a time and restart after each change.

The server starts but the setting appears unchanged

  • Make sure you edited the file actually loaded by the launch process, not an unused copy.
  • Confirm the server was fully stopped before saving and restarted afterward.
  • Check that the setting name and capitalization match the stock file exactly.
  • If you used a copied file and -configfile, verify that your installation’s launch script supports that argument.

Players cannot connect

  • Recheck the configured port and firewall rules.
  • Confirm the password and visibility values, bearing in mind the conflicting interpretations of ServerVisibility.
  • For crossplay, return to the reported vanilla conditions: EAC enabled, visibility 2, no mods and LiteNetLib not disabled, then test each departure separately.

Performance worsens during a blood moon

Lower MaxSpawnedZombies in a small step, reduce an excessive BloodMoonEnemyCount, and monitor the result with the same number of players. Do not raise the cap above the approximately 80 caution point reported by the guide unless you have tested your particular hardware and build.

What to verify in every game update

Game updates can add, remove or rename properties. One GameServerKings page mentions a “V3.0” and a SandboxCode element, while another guide says the SaveData tag was removed in Alpha 21. Neither claim was verified against an official reference. Before carrying a configuration forward, compare it line by line with the new stock serverconfig.xml and migrate only settings that still exist.

  • Read the new file’s comments for value meanings and visibility modes.
  • Do not paste obsolete tags into a newer file.
  • Retest world selection, passwords, player limits, remote administration, mods and crossplay after an update.
  • Keep dated backups so you can identify which version introduced a problem.

A safe change sequence

  1. Decide whether the change concerns access, gameplay, performance, administration or compatibility.
  2. Record the current value and back up both configuration and saves.
  3. Read the adjacent comment in the stock file and check the requirements for your exact game version or mod.
  4. Change one value, preserving the XML structure.
  5. Restart and test the smallest useful scenario: one client for access, a fresh world for generation, or a controlled horde for performance.
  6. Document the result before making the next change.

This process matters because many values reported online—such as the 26900 port, eight-player limit, 64-zombie cap and visibility numbers—come from different releases and hosting guides. They are useful starting points, not promises that every server will behave identically.

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