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Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →To make a Project Zomboid server private, stop the server, set a join password in its active configuration, choose whether admission is open or whitelist-only, optionally disable public listing, save the file, and restart the server. The Password, Open, and Public settings control different things: the first authenticates a shared secret, the second controls account admission, and the third controls browser visibility.
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For a small friends-only game, a password is usually the quickest solution. For tighter account-level control, set Open=false and add each intended player to the whitelist. Set Public=false when you also want to keep the server out of the public server browser, but do not treat that setting as authentication.
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Choose the kind of privacy you need
Project Zomboid has three separate privacy levers. Decide which one you need before editing a file, because hiding a listing is not the same as restricting admission.
| Setting | What it controls | When to use it |
|---|---|---|
Password |
The shared credential a client must enter to join | Friends-only access with the least administration |
Open |
Whether the server admits accounts without whitelist approval | Set to false when every account must be approved individually |
Public |
Whether the server is advertised in the public browser | Set to false to reduce discovery; it does not block direct connections |
A password-only server is easy to invite people to, but anyone who obtains the password can use it until you change it. A whitelist gives you account-level control and makes a leaked shared password less useful, although it requires you to maintain the approved-player list. You can combine both approaches if your group wants an additional shared secret as well as account approval.
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The Steam configuration reference describes Open=true as open admission and Open=false as requiring whitelist access. It also documents AutoCreateUserInWhiteList, but that option is associated with open-server workflows and can behave differently between builds. Do not enable it as a substitute for checking your active build’s configuration reference.
Before you edit the configuration
- Stop the server cleanly. Editing a file while the process is running can be overwritten when the server saves its current state.
- Identify the active profile. A dedicated installation commonly generates
servertest.iniin the server profile directory. A managed panel may expose a different path, such ascache/Server/Zomboid.ini. The exact location depends on the host, installation method, and active world. - Make sure you have the right credentials. The join password is not the same as an RCON password or an administrator password.
- Record the current values. Keeping a copy of the original file makes it easier to undo a mistake or identify a setting that changed unexpectedly.
- Know how players will connect. If the server will not be publicly listed, intended players may need the direct address and port or a saved favorite entry.
Set a password on a dedicated server
These steps apply to a conventional dedicated server. File names and panel labels can change with the Project Zomboid build, so use the configuration generated by the server that is actually running.
- Shut down the process. Use the server’s normal stop command or the stop control in your host panel. Wait until it has finished saving and is no longer running.
- Open the active server profile. Find the generated configuration file, commonly
servertest.ini. If you run multiple worlds or profiles, confirm that you are editing the one used by the launch command. - Locate the password field. Find the line beginning with
Password=. Replace the existing value with a new, private join password. Do not put an RCON or administrator credential in this field unless you deliberately want players to know that credential, which is unsafe. - Choose admission behavior. Leave
Open=truewhen possession of the password should be sufficient. Change it toOpen=falsewhen only accounts on the whitelist should be admitted. - Choose discovery behavior. Set
Public=falseif the server should not appear in the public browser. Leave it enabled only when listing visibility is useful to your group. - Save the file without changing its format. Preserve the setting names and value syntax generated by the server.
- Start the server again. The process must reload the profile before the new password, admission mode, or visibility setting can take effect.
- Test both outcomes. Have an intended player try the new password. Then test with an incorrect password or an account that is not on the whitelist, depending on the model you selected.
The password is a shared join gate. Anyone you give it to can potentially pass that gate, so send it privately and change it if it is posted in a public chat or otherwise exposed.
Configure whitelist-only admission
A whitelist is the stronger choice when you need to control individual accounts rather than distribute one secret. Set Open=false, then use the whitelist controls exposed by your build, administrator console, or hosting panel to add every intended player’s account.
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How whitelist mode behaves
With Open=false, knowing the server address and password does not by itself authorize an account that is not on the whitelist. Each player must be added through the server’s supported whitelist workflow. The exact command, menu, or panel field is build- and host-dependent, so do not assume that a control shown in one version exists in another.
Adding and removing people
- Add a player’s account before asking them to connect, or follow the active build’s documented process for handling a first connection.
- Remove an account when that person should no longer have access; changing the shared password alone does not necessarily revoke a whitelisted account.
- Keep a written record of who is approved so that an accidental removal or profile migration can be corrected.
- After changing the list, restart if the host or build requires it, then test with one approved and one unapproved account.
If your goal is simply a private game for a few trusted friends, password-only access is less work. If the group is larger, changes frequently, or has had a password leak, whitelist mode is easier to audit and revoke account by account.
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Set Public=false to stop the server from being advertised in the public server browser. This reduces casual discovery, but it does not authenticate players and does not make a reachable server invisible to someone who already has its connection details.
A hidden server can still require a password, a whitelist, or both. If players cannot find it after you hide it, give them the direct connection information or have them save the server as a favorite. If nobody can connect even with the correct details, investigate the network and firewall separately from the Public setting.
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Using a managed hosting panel
Managed hosts usually provide a file manager and a restart button instead of direct shell access. The workflow described by hosted-server guides is:
- Stop the server from the provider’s control panel.
- Open the panel’s file manager and locate the active Project Zomboid server configuration. One documented example is
cache/Server/Zomboid.ini, but your provider may use another path. - Edit the
Passwordfield and, if needed, theOpenandPublicfields. - Save the file.
- Use the panel’s restart control. A restart is required before the new password takes effect.
- Connect with an intended account and verify the rejection path with an incorrect password or unapproved account.
Panels sometimes maintain separate profiles for different worlds, slots, or instances. If a password appears to be ignored, check that you changed the profile referenced by the current startup configuration rather than a backup or another world.
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Making an in-game Host session private
An in-game Host session is suitable for a small group when the host is also playing. A dedicated server runs as a separate process and keeps its configuration available independently of the host player’s session. The privacy concepts are the same in both arrangements: use a password for a shared join gate, use whitelist admission for account-level control, and disable public listing when you do not want browser discovery.
Host-session menus and labels can change between Project Zomboid builds. Look for the session’s password, public-listing, and whitelist controls in the active Host setup screen, then apply the same privacy decisions described above. If a menu does not expose a setting, do not assume that editing a dedicated-server file will affect the in-game session; the two launch methods can use different profiles.
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How to test that the server is actually private
Do not rely on seeing a setting in a file. Verify the behavior after the server has restarted.
- Connect from an intended player account using the new password.
- Try the same address with an incorrect password. A password-protected server should reject that attempt.
- If
Open=false, try an account that is not on the whitelist. It should be denied even when the password is correct, according to the active build’s whitelist behavior. - If
Public=false, check the public browser. The server should not be advertised there, although direct connections can still work. - Confirm that the server is using the expected world and profile. A successful connection to a different instance can make a correct change look ineffective.
Test again whenever you migrate the server, change hosts, update the game build, or create a new world. Configuration paths and menu behavior can change with those events.
Password-only versus whitelist privacy
| Consideration | Password only | Whitelist admission |
|---|---|---|
| Inviting friends | Simple: send one shared credential | Requires adding each account |
| Individual account control | Low; anyone with the password can try | High; access is tied to approved accounts |
| Recovery after a leak | Change the password and distribute the replacement | Remove or keep accounts individually; change the password too if one is used |
| Public listing | Independent of the password | Independent of the whitelist |
| Administration effort | Lowest for a stable, trusted group | Higher, but easier to audit as membership changes |
| Host requirements | Only an editable profile and a restart | Also requires whitelist controls for the active build or panel |
For a temporary session with a few people, password-only access plus Public=false is usually enough. For a persistent community, a changing membership, or any situation where one person’s access must be revoked without disturbing everyone else, use Open=false and maintain the whitelist.
Troubleshooting private-server problems
Friends can see the server but cannot join
- Confirm that they are entering the current join password, not an old one.
- Check whether
Open=falseis enabled and whether their account was added to the whitelist. - Verify that the server was restarted after the edit.
- Make sure the file you changed belongs to the running profile and world.
- Check that they are connecting to the correct address and port if you run more than one instance.
The server is missing from the browser
Check Public. If it is false, the absence is expected; provide direct connection details or use a favorite entry. If you intended a public listing, confirm that the setting was saved in the active profile and that the server completed its restart.
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The password appears to be ignored
- Stop the process and confirm that the edit was made while it was offline.
- Check for a second configuration file, backup, or alternate world profile.
- Make sure the line is the actual
Passwordfield, not an RCON or administrator credential. - Restart the server from the same installation or panel that launches the edited profile.
Players on other networks cannot connect
That problem is separate from privacy settings. Port forwarding, firewall rules, carrier-grade NAT, and host networking vary by environment and by build. Verify the current Project Zomboid networking requirements with your host or the official documentation. Do not make the server public merely to work around a blocked port; a public listing does not fix an unreachable service.
A whitelist option behaves unexpectedly
Review the active build’s configuration reference, especially if AutoCreateUserInWhiteList is enabled. Its behavior is tied to open-server workflows and can differ by build. Disable assumptions carried over from an older tutorial, then test with both an approved and an unapproved account.
Changing or revoking access safely
When a password is exposed, stop the server, replace the Password value, save, and restart. Give the replacement only to the intended players. If you use a whitelist, remove accounts that should no longer connect; do not depend on a password change alone to revoke an account that remains approved.
When transferring a server to a new machine or host, copy the correct active profile rather than recreating settings from memory. Recheck Password, Open, and Public after the migration, because a new installation may generate a different profile path or use a different world configuration.
Privacy limits to keep in mind
Public=falselimits browser discovery but does not conceal a server from someone who knows its address and port.- A shared password is not an identity system; it can be forwarded or reposted.
- Whitelist mode is only as accurate as the account list maintained by the server administrator.
- Server privacy does not solve unrelated network exposure, firewall mistakes, or insecure administrator credentials.
- Build updates and host migrations can change file names, menu labels, and whitelist behavior, so recheck the active configuration after an update.
The reliable sequence is therefore: stop the server, edit the active profile, set a strong Password, use Open=false when individual approval matters, set Public=false when browser visibility is unwanted, save, restart, and test both an allowed and a rejected connection.
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