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TerrariaServer.exe is the dedicated Windows server included with a Terraria installation. You can launch it interactively, choose or create a world, and keep the console open while players connect. For repeatable starts, place settings in serverconfig.txt and run TerrariaServer.exe -config serverconfig.txt. Internet players normally need TCP port 7777 forwarded from your router to the host PC, while players on the same network can use the host’s local IP address.
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This guide covers locating the executable, creating a configuration, selecting worlds, opening the correct network path, connecting players, running multiple instances, administering a live server, and recovering from the most common mistakes.
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What TerrariaServer.exe does
TerrariaServer.exe is Terraria’s standalone dedicated-server program for Windows. It runs the game world without opening the normal single-player client, presents a text console for setup and administration, and remains active while players are connected. The Windows game installation normally includes it, so you do not need a separate server download for a basic Windows-hosted server.
The server process is the authority for the world: changes made by connected players are written to the server’s world file, and everyone joining that process sees the same world state. The computer running the process must stay awake, connected to the network, and have the console left running for the duration of the session.
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Before you start
- A Windows installation of Terraria containing
TerrariaServer.exe. - A world you want to host, or permission to create a new one.
- Administrator access to the home router if friends will connect over the internet.
- Permission to allow the server through the Windows firewall.
- The host computer’s local IP address for router forwarding or LAN play.
- A backup location for the world file and, if used, the configuration file.
You can host only on your local network without changing the router. Public hosting requires a reachable address and a correctly forwarded TCP port; simply starting the executable does not make it visible to the internet.
Find and launch TerrariaServer.exe
Locate the file through Steam
- Open Steam and go to your Terraria library entry.
- Open the game’s Manage menu and choose Browse local files.
- In the folder that opens, find
TerrariaServer.exe. - Double-click the executable to open the dedicated-server console.
If you installed Terraria by another Windows method, open that installation’s main folder and look for the same file. The server executable is normally beside the game’s other Windows files, not inside your personal saved-world directory.
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When started without a configuration switch, the console guides you through the initial choices. It lists available worlds, lets you select one, and offers to create a world if you do not already have one. Follow each prompt, then note the port and other values printed by the server before sharing connection details.
Interactive startup is useful for a one-off session or for learning the prompts. It is less convenient when you restart frequently, because you must repeat the selections every time. A configuration file removes that repetition.
Create a serverconfig.txt file
Make the file and start it explicitly
- Open the folder containing
TerrariaServer.exe, or choose a nearby folder where you will keep server files. - Create a plain-text file named
serverconfig.txt. Ensure Windows has not silently added a second.txtextension. - Add one setting per line using the format
name=value. - Save the file.
- Open Command Prompt in the executable’s folder and run
TerrariaServer.exe -config serverconfig.txt.
The -config switch is required to tell the executable which file to read. Relative paths are resolved from the folder containing the executable, so a config in that folder can be named directly. If you store it elsewhere, provide the path and quote it when the path contains spaces, for example TerrariaServer.exe -config "D:Terraria Serversfriends.txt".
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Configuration settings
| Setting | Purpose | Example |
|---|---|---|
world |
Loads a specific existing .wld file. |
world=C:Users<User>DocumentsMy GamesTerrariaWorldsMyWorld.wld |
autocreate |
Creates a world automatically instead of selecting an existing file. The documented values are 1, 2, or 3. | autocreate=2 |
seed |
Sets the seed used when an automatic world is created. | seed=your-seed-text |
worldname |
Sets the name for an automatically created world. | worldname=WeekendWorld |
difficulty |
Sets the world difficulty value. Documented values are 0, 1, 2, or 3. | difficulty=1 |
maxplayers |
Sets the maximum number of simultaneous players accepted by that server process. | maxplayers=8 |
port |
Chooses the TCP port on which this instance listens. | port=7777 |
password |
Requires joining players to enter a server password. | password=choose-a-password |
motd |
Displays a message of the day when players join. | motd=Be respectful and save before leaving |
Use either world= for an existing save or the automatic-creation settings for a new world. Do not rely on an old interactive selection if you need a particular save to load every time: point world= directly at the intended .wld file.
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world=C:Users<User>DocumentsMy GamesTerrariaWorldsMyWorld.wld
maxplayers=8
port=7777
password=replace-this
motd=Welcome to the group worldReplace the user name, file name, password, and player limit with your own values. Keep the file next to the executable if you want the short startup command. Never publish a real password in a public post.
Make startup one click
Create a Windows shortcut whose target runs TerrariaServer.exe -config serverconfig.txt, or save that command in a batch file in the server folder. Make a separate shortcut or batch file for each world you host. This prevents repeatedly typing a path and makes it obvious which world and settings a particular window uses.
World files, locations, and backups
On Windows, the standard world directory is C:Users<User>DocumentsMy GamesTerrariaWorlds. The folder may be shown through the user’s Documents, My Games, Terraria, and Worlds folders rather than as a single special application path.
Use an existing world safely
- Stop any server currently using the world, using the console’s
savecommand first. - Confirm the intended
.wldfile exists in the Worlds folder. - Copy the file to a separate backup location before changing configuration or experimenting.
- Set the config’s
world=line to the exact file path. - Start the server and verify the world name shown in the console.
Keep a copy of serverconfig.txt beside the world backup. The world file preserves the game state; the config preserves the startup choices that make the correct file, port, password, and player limit load again.
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Creating a new world automatically
Omit world= when you want the server to create a save. Set autocreate, and optionally provide seed, worldname, and difficulty. After creation, the resulting world is saved and can be referenced explicitly with world= on later launches.
Choose a port and let players connect
The default port
Terraria’s dedicated server listens on TCP port 7777 by default. The port in the server configuration, the port permitted by the firewall, the router’s forwarding rule, and the port entered by remote players must all agree.
LAN-only play
For players on the same home or office network, give them the host computer’s local IP address and the server port. They can connect without exposing the process to the public internet. Use the host’s current local address, not the router’s public address. Keep the host awake and leave the server console running.
Internet play behind a router
- Give the host computer a stable local address, either by reserving it in the router or by ensuring the address will not change.
- Create a router port-forwarding rule for TCP 7777 to that local address. If you changed
port=, forward the chosen port instead. - Allow
TerrariaServer.exeor the selected TCP port through the Windows firewall on the network profile you use. - Start the server and confirm it is listening on the same port you forwarded.
- Send remote players your public IP address and port. They should enter the public address, not the host’s private LAN address.
Port forwarding is needed because a home router normally hides devices behind NAT. A firewall exception alone does not create the router route, and a router rule alone does not override a blocked Windows firewall.
When forwarding is unavailable
If your internet provider uses restrictive NAT or you cannot change the router, the official server reference identifies Hamachi and Radmin VPN as alternatives. Every player must install and join the same VPN network, then connect using the host’s VPN address and the server port. This is a workaround for reachability; it does not remove the requirement that the host process and firewall be working.
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Joining from the Terraria client
Players use Terraria’s multiplayer join flow and enter the address and port supplied by the host. LAN players use the host’s local IP; internet players use the public IP; VPN players use the host’s VPN address. If a password is configured, they must enter it exactly. A successful connection normally places the player in the world and displays the configured message of the day.
Run more than one Terraria server on one computer
Multiple server processes can run on a single Windows computer, but each process must have its own configuration file, world, and listening port. For example, one shortcut can start a creative world on port 7777 while another starts a second world on port 7778.
- Make a distinct config file for each instance.
- Set a different
world=path in each file. - Assign a unique
port=value to every process. - Create a separate shortcut or batch file that names the intended config.
- For internet access, forward each external port to the same host’s corresponding port.
Two processes cannot listen on the same TCP port. If one instance starts and the other reports a binding or port error, check that the port values are different and that no older server window is still running.
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Keep the server console visible while people play. The console accepts commands typed at its prompt; type a command and press Enter.
| Command | Use |
|---|---|
help |
Displays available server commands. |
playing |
Lists players currently connected. |
save |
Saves the current world state. |
exit |
Stops the server after a normal shutdown. |
exit-nosave |
Stops without saving the current changes; use only when intentionally discarding them. |
kick <player name> |
Removes the named player from the server. |
ban <player name> |
Bans the named player. |
Run save before planned maintenance or backups. Use exit rather than closing the console window abruptly so the process can shut down normally. The angle-bracket text in the kick and ban examples means you substitute the player’s actual name; do not type the brackets.
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Useful startup switches
In addition to -config, the dedicated server supports switches documented by the official reference:
-secureenables secure server behavior.-steamstarts with Steam-related server support.-lobby friendsor-lobby privateselects the corresponding lobby visibility.-ip <ip address>binds the process to a specified IP address.-seed <seed>supplies a world-generation seed when creating a world.
Use a switch only when you understand which interface or address it changes. A config file remains the clearest place for persistent world, port, password, and player-limit settings.
Troubleshoot the problems that stop people joining
The executable is missing
Use Steam’s Manage → Browse local files command and search the opened Terraria installation folder for TerrariaServer.exe. Windows installations normally include the server software. If you are looking in the Worlds directory, you are in the save area rather than the program directory.
The config appears to be ignored
- Check that the command contains a space before
-config. - Verify the file name and extension exactly, including capitalization where relevant to your workflow.
- Confirm the path is quoted if it contains spaces.
- Run the command from the executable’s folder when using a relative config path.
- Open the file as plain text and check that each setting uses
name=valueon its own line.
Friends cannot join
- Confirm the server console is still running and has not exited after an error.
- Check the configured port and make sure players are using that same port.
- Allow the server through the Windows firewall.
- For internet play, verify TCP forwarding points to the host’s current local IP address.
- Make sure remote players are using the public IP, while LAN players use the local IP.
- Check the password and the server’s maximum-player setting if the process is full.
The wrong world loads
Replace an ambiguous interactive selection with an explicit world= path. Verify the referenced .wld file exists in the expected Worlds directory and that the shortcut or batch file is launching the config you edited, not another file with a similar name.
Several servers conflict
Give every process a separate config, world, and port. Close an old instance before reusing its port, and make sure each shortcut points to the intended configuration.
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The dedicated process is still running on the host computer, so the host must remain awake and connected. Closing the console, signing out in a way that stops the process, shutting down the PC, or losing the network ends the session for everyone connected.
A dependable operating routine
- Back up the world and configuration before a major build session or configuration change.
- Start the intended shortcut or batch file and read the console output for the world and port.
- Test a local connection before asking remote players to troubleshoot router settings.
- Use
playingto check the connected-player list andsavebefore maintenance. - Announce planned shutdowns, then use
exitand wait for the process to close normally. - After changing routers, firewall rules, ports, or world paths, test from the affected type of connection again.
With the executable, configuration, world backup, and network rule kept together, restarting the server becomes a repeatable operation rather than a sequence of remembered prompts.
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