The Tool Desk
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This guide covers the complete workflow, the files used for traders, airdrops, AI and safe zones, GUI alternatives to hand-editing, performance trade-offs, and recovery steps when the server does not apply a change.
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Expansion is not controlled by one master file. The server profile holds generated Expansion settings, the mission directory holds map and mission content, and serverDZ.cfg controls engine-level options and launch configuration. Editing the wrong layer can produce a perfectly valid file that has no effect.
| Goal | Main location | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Enable or disable broad Expansion systems | ExpansionMod/Settings/GeneralSettings.json |
General options include custom mapping and building interiors. Disabling those options is a documented capacity test for a weak server. |
| Traders, prices, stock and categories | MarketSettings.json and related market/category files |
Keep item class names, category nesting, required commas and the existing schema intact. |
| Airdrops | AirdropSettings.json |
Change documented fields only, then inspect the generated JSON before deploying it. |
| AI patrols and loadouts | AISettings.json plus related mission and loadout files |
Patrol and equipment data can be split between the profile settings and mission content. |
| Safe zones | SafeZoneSettings.json and zone data |
Coordinates, radii and the selected map must agree. |
| Missions, map markers, vehicles and territories | Expansion mission and settings files | Use the matching mission template and preserve the structure expected by your installed version. |
| Vanilla DayZ gameplay rules | Mission cfggameplay.json plus serverDZ.cfg |
Copy the file into the mission folder and set enableCfgGameplayFile = 1; this is separate from Expansion JSON. |
After the server has started once, a typical profile layout looks like this:
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server-profile/ExpansionMod/Settings/GeneralSettings.json
server-profile/ExpansionMod/Settings/MarketSettings.json
server-profile/ExpansionMod/Settings/AirdropSettings.json
server-profile/ExpansionMod/Settings/AISettings.json
server-profile/ExpansionMod/Settings/SafeZoneSettings.jsonThe first directory is not necessarily named server-profile. The real location is determined by the value passed to -profiles and by how your host lays out its files.
Prepare the server before changing Expansion
Match the mod bundle, mission and map
Install the complete Expansion mod bundle on the server and obtain the current Expansion mission files. Import the required mission content into the map mission supplied by your server. The mission template carries economy XML and may include mapping and trader content, so a mission copied from another map or an older mod release can fail even when the JSON syntax is correct.
- Use one Expansion release consistently across the server, mission package and any editor exports.
- Use mission files intended for the exact map you are running.
- Keep the original mission package untouched so you can restore it if a change breaks loading.
Understand the launch parameters
Bohemia’s server documentation distinguishes client-required mods from server-only mods. Put mods that every connecting player must have in -mod. Put server-side-only components in -serverMod. The server also needs a configuration file, a profile directory and an exact mission name.
-config=serverDZ.cfg
-profiles=your-profile-directory
-mission=your-exact-mission-template
-mod=client-required-mods
-serverMod=server-only-mods
-port=2302The values above show the parameter names, not a universal mission or mod list. Preserve your host’s actual mission name and mod order. Expansion’s launch example also includes -config, -port, -mod and -profiles.
Start once, then stop cleanly
Run the server with the intended parameters and let it finish startup once. This allows Expansion to generate its settings under the active profile. Stop the server normally before copying or editing files; changing a file while the process is writing it can be overwritten on shutdown.
Find and back up the active settings
Look under the profile directory actually passed by -profiles, then open ExpansionMod/Settings. Managed hosts may expose this through a file manager rather than a normal operating-system path. If several profile directories exist, timestamps alone are not reliable: confirm which one is named in the running startup command or host panel.
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Make a dated backup of the entire ExpansionMod/Settings directory and the mission folder before the first edit. Keep the original files outside the server upload area as well as a copy of every working revision. A backup lets you distinguish a bad setting from a bad upload and makes rollback a single file replacement.
Edit Expansion JSON without breaking its schema
Change one settings family at a time
Start with one file, restart, and test the associated feature before touching another file. This gives you a clear cause when a setting is ignored or the server fails during startup. Avoid replacing a whole settings directory with files exported from a different server or Expansion release.
Preserve the structure and version fields
Expansion files contain a schema and version information that the mod uses when loading them. Keep the existing version fields unless the release documentation explicitly instructs you to change them. Do not rename keys, move nested objects, or convert a list into a single value merely because the result looks easier to read.
Validate basic JSON rules
- Every object uses matching braces and every array uses matching brackets.
- Each property name and string value is enclosed in double quotes.
- Properties are separated by commas, but the final property in an object has no trailing comma.
- Numbers, booleans and strings retain the data type used by the original file.
- Comments are not valid in standard JSON; remove them before uploading.
Use a JSON validator that supports the file size and encoding, then compare the validated output with the original structure. Validation catches syntax errors, not incorrect coordinates, item class names or unsupported keys, so you must also check the game-specific values.
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Customize the main Expansion systems
General systems, mapping and interiors
Use GeneralSettings.json for broad Expansion behavior, including options related to custom mapping and building interiors. These systems can consume substantial resources. If the server stalls during loading or players experience severe delays, disable the relevant mapping or interior options as a controlled capacity test, restart, and compare the result. This is a troubleshooting step rather than a guaranteed performance fix; the cause may be another mod, the mission, or insufficient host resources.
Traders, prices, stock and categories
Trader data is centered on MarketSettings.json and its associated market or category files. Work from the file generated by the running server or from a version-matched export.
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- Back up the current market files.
- Locate the category and item entry you intend to change.
- Keep the exact item class name used by the game; changing capitalization or using a display name can make an item unavailable.
- Change the price, stock or other documented value without moving the entry to a different nesting level unless the schema requires it.
- Check that every category and item object closes correctly and that commas separate neighboring entries.
- Restart and test the trader in-game, including buying and selling if both operations were changed.
Market exports can be large. Avoid editing them in a word processor that may add formatting or alter quotation marks. If a trader disappears after an edit, restore the backup first, then reapply a smaller change.
Airdrops
AirdropSettings.json controls Expansion’s airdrop behavior. The safe approach is to change only fields documented for your installed version and to leave unknown keys untouched. After editing, validate the complete file rather than copying only the changed lines into a new document. Test an airdrop from the server log and in-game observation; a syntactically valid file can still contain a value outside the range accepted by the mod.
AI patrols and loadouts
AI configuration uses AISettings.json together with related mission or loadout files. Separate the questions of where AI spawn and what they carry: patrol behavior may be in the settings file while equipment and mission definitions are elsewhere.
- Confirm that every referenced loadout or mission entry exists.
- Keep class names and nested arrays exactly as generated by the matching version.
- Start with one patrol or loadout change so you can identify whether a failure is caused by spawning or equipment data.
- Watch the server log for missing classes or malformed objects after the restart.
Safe zones
Safe zones use SafeZoneSettings.json and zone data. Coordinates are meaningful only on the map for which they were created, and the radius determines how far the zone extends. Before enabling a zone, verify the map, select coordinates from the same map’s coordinate system, and check the radius against nearby roads, bases and trader locations. A zone placed correctly in one map can be several kilometers away from the intended location on another.
Missions, markers, vehicles and territories
Expansion’s mission and settings files cover features such as missions, map markers, vehicles and territories. These are not all controlled by the five common settings files. Follow the folder structure in the mission package and edit an existing entry where possible. When adding a new object, duplicate the complete structure of a known-good entry, then change only the documented values. This preserves required fields that may not be obvious from the feature’s name.
Vanilla gameplay settings
DayZ engine gameplay options use cfggameplay.json, not the Expansion settings directory. Copy cfggameplay.json into the active mission folder and set enableCfgGameplayFile = 1 in serverDZ.cfg. Restart the server after both changes. If the file is left in the profile or the flag remains disabled, the server can start normally while ignoring every gameplay value in the file.
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Use a GUI editor when nested JSON is the bottleneck
Hand-editing gives maximum control and does not depend on an editor supporting your release. It is useful for small, precise changes and for settings that a GUI does not expose. Its cost is a higher risk of syntax, spelling and schema errors.
The official Expansion Settings Editor supports SafeZones, BaseBuilding, Trader Zones, AI Patrols, Player Spawns and Map Markers. DZconfig advertises structured editors for markets, AI, safe zones, missions, vehicles, territories and airdrops, with output generated in the structure Expansion expects. Treat both kinds of tools as version-sensitive rather than universal converters.
| Approach | Strengths | Risks and safeguards |
|---|---|---|
| Hand-edit JSON | Full control, no editor dependency, easy to keep changes minimal | One missing comma or renamed key can invalidate a file; validate and keep a rollback copy. |
| GUI editor | Faster for coordinates, zones, markets and deeply nested objects | Support may lag behind your Expansion release; import files from the running server and inspect every export. |
- Import the files from the server that is currently running your chosen Expansion version.
- Make one logical change in the editor.
- Export the file and compare its version fields and top-level structure with the original.
- Validate the export, archive the previous file, upload the new one and restart.
Never assume that an editor’s successful export proves that the game will accept the values. Coordinates, item classes and references still need an in-game check.
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| Requirement | Self-hosting | Managed hosting |
|---|---|---|
| Filesystem access | Direct access to profiles, mission files and logs | Usually provided through a panel or file manager; access level varies. |
| Launch parameters | Full control of -config, -profiles, -mission, -mod and -serverMod |
Some panels expose only selected parameters. |
| Operational work | You handle updates, backups, restarts and log collection | The host handles more operations but may impose layout or restart rules. |
| Resource headroom | Depends on the machine you provide | Depends on the allocated plan; no universal hardware threshold is established. |
The deciding question is not a brand or a advertised player count. It is whether you can reach the active profile, upload the matching mission, set the required launch parameters and read the server RPT/logs. If those controls are hidden, even a correct JSON file may be impossible to deploy or diagnose.
Restart, verify and read the logs
- Stop the server cleanly.
- Upload the validated file to the profile or mission directory that the startup command actually uses.
- Confirm the filename and capitalization, especially for
GeneralSettings.json,MarketSettings.json,AirdropSettings.json,AISettings.jsonandSafeZoneSettings.json. - Start the server and wait for the mission to load completely.
- Read the RPT or server log for JSON parse errors, missing classes, mission-load errors or references to a different profile.
- Test the affected feature in-game before making another change.
A restart is required because Expansion reads these files during initialization. Uploading a file while the server is running does not prove that the process has loaded it.
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The server starts with no Expansion behavior
Check the exact mod names and order in -mod. Move components that are server-side-only to -serverMod, and confirm that the profile directory passed to -profiles is the one you edited. A server can launch successfully while loading a different profile or omitting the client-required mod list.
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Settings revert after restart
Confirm that you changed the active profile’s ExpansionMod/Settings directory, not a local copy or an unused profile. Preserve the file’s version and schema. Some hosts restore files when a server is stopped, so check the timestamp and contents after shutdown and after startup.
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The Expansion missions folder is empty
The hosting instructions specify deleting MissionSettings.json from the settings folder in this situation, then restarting so the mission data can be regenerated or reloaded. Back up the file first, and perform this step only when the folder is genuinely empty and the mission package is correctly installed.
The mission cannot be found
Compare the mission template name character by character with the name in the launch parameter. A missing or extra character prevents loading. Also verify that the mission belongs to the map you selected and that the mission files were copied to the directory expected by the host.
Custom mapping or interiors cause stalls
Disable the relevant options in GeneralSettings.json, restart and test the server with those systems off. If the stalls disappear, re-enable one feature at a time and watch startup and gameplay logs. The test identifies a likely load contributor but does not establish a universal performance fix.
Vanilla gameplay values have no effect
Place cfggameplay.json in the mission folder, not in ExpansionMod/Settings, and set enableCfgGameplayFile = 1 in serverDZ.cfg. Restart after both files are in place.
A trader, AI unit or zone disappears
Restore the last working file, then reapply only the intended value. For traders, check item class names and category nesting. For AI, check referenced loadouts and mission entries. For safe zones, check coordinates, radius and map. The log often identifies a malformed object or missing class even when the server continues loading.
A low-risk rollout plan
- Record the current Expansion version, map, mission name and launch parameters.
- Back up the profile settings and mission folder.
- Make one change in one settings family.
- Validate the file and upload it to the active path.
- Restart, inspect the log and test the feature in-game.
- Keep the working file as a named revision before starting the next change.
- If the server fails, restore the previous revision before investigating a second variable.
This sequence is slower than replacing every file at once, but it preserves a known-good baseline and makes rollback and diagnosis practical.
Quick Recap
Final deployment checklist
- The Expansion mod bundle and mission files match the installed version and map.
- The mission name in the launch command is exact.
-modcontains client-required mods and-serverModcontains server-only components.- The profile path in
-profilesis the directory you edited. - The relevant JSON retains its version fields and schema.
- JSON syntax has been validated and item classes, references, coordinates and radii have been checked.
cfggameplay.json, when used, is in the mission folder andenableCfgGameplayFile = 1is present inserverDZ.cfg.- The server was restarted after the upload and its RPT/logs were reviewed.
- A backup of the last working profile and mission files is available for immediate rollback.
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