The file you edit depends on the server software. For a vanilla Terraria server, add password=yourpassword to the active serverconfig.txt. For TShock, set ServerPassword in tshock/config.json. Save the change, then fully stop and start the server; Terraria reads these settings at startup, not while the process is running.
Godlike.Host offers hosted Terraria servers with its own game panel, SFTP access and free DDoS protection, if you would rather not host it yourself.
Choose the instructions for your server type
Terraria has two common dedicated-server setups, and they do not use the same configuration file. Editing the wrong file can appear to do nothing even when the password text is correct.
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1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors| Server type | Configuration file or setting | Password entry | Required after saving |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vanilla Terraria server | The serverconfig.txt file passed to the server |
password=yourpassword |
Stop and start the server |
| TShock | tshock/config.json |
"ServerPassword": "yourpassword" |
Stop and start the server |
| Hosted control panel | The panel’s Terraria or TShock settings page | A Password field, often under “Tshock Settings” | Save, then restart from the panel |
| Docker or Cloudron-style deployment | Host-specific environment settings | Some images document TERRARIA_PASSWORD |
Apply the variable and recreate or restart the container |
A blank value means that the server is open. In TShock, an empty ServerPassword disables password protection; in vanilla, omitting the password line or leaving it empty has the same practical result. A password only protects the server that loads the setting, so confirm that friends are joining the same address and port you changed.
Set a password on a vanilla Terraria server
Vanilla uses a plain-text configuration file rather than TShock’s JSON file. The exact location depends on how the server was launched. The active file is the one named in the server’s configuration argument or the one your hosting panel identifies as the server configuration.
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1. Stop the server and make a backup
Stop the Terraria server cleanly before editing. Make a copy of serverconfig.txt so you can restore the previous settings if a typo prevents the server from starting. Editing while the process is running can be overwritten when the server shuts down.
2. Open the active serverconfig.txt
Use a plain-text editor. If you maintain several worlds or server folders, do not assume the first serverconfig.txt you find is active. Check the launch command or panel configuration for the file actually being loaded.
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3. Add or uncomment the password line
Find a line beginning with password=. Some distributed examples show it commented out. Remove the comment marker, if present, and replace the example value:
password=yourpasswordIf no password line exists, add it on its own line. Use the same spelling and capitalization when you later connect. Do not put quotation marks around the value unless your particular server wrapper explicitly requires them; the standard example is a key, an equals sign and the password.
4. Save without changing the file format
Keep the file as plain text and preserve the other settings. Avoid adding spaces before the key or after the password. A trailing space can become part of the value and make a correctly typed password appear to fail.
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5. Start the server and test a new connection
Start the server again after saving. Password settings are read during startup, so simply reconnecting to a process that was already running will not load the change. Have a player disconnect completely, then reconnect and enter the password when prompted.
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Set a password on a TShock server
TShock stores its settings as JSON. On the first successful start, it creates a tshock directory and its config.json file. If you have moved the server directory or use a host panel, the panel may expose the same setting without showing the file directly.
1. Shut down TShock and back up the JSON file
Stop the server before changing the file and copy tshock/config.json. A JSON syntax error can stop TShock from loading its configuration, so a backup gives you a quick recovery path.
2. Edit ServerPassword
Open the file in a text editor and locate the ServerPassword property. Set the value between the existing quotation marks:
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"ServerPassword": "yourpassword"Keep the property name’s capitalization, the quotation marks and the comma placement used by the surrounding JSON. If the property already has an empty value, replace only the text between the quotes. An empty value, "ServerPassword": "", leaves the server without a password.
3. Validate the JSON before starting
Do not add comments, smart quotation marks or an extra comma at the end of the object. If your editor has a JSON validation feature, use it. Otherwise, compare the edited line with the original structure before saving.
4. Restart and verify
Start TShock again after saving. TShock reads config.json at startup. The documented setting is listed in TShock’s configuration settings reference, and a step-by-step password example appears in Kinetic Hosting’s TShock password guide.
Test from a client that is not already authenticated. A player who stayed connected through a restart may not provide a useful test of whether new connections are being challenged.
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Many game hosts provide a form instead of direct file access. The labels vary, but TShock installations commonly expose a page called Tshock Settings. Open that page, search for Password, enter the value, save, and use the panel’s restart control.
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- Stop the server if the panel does not automatically do so.
- Open the Terraria or TShock configuration area.
- Search the settings page for
Passwordrather than editing an unrelated account or FTP password. - Enter the server password and save the form.
- Restart the server, then test from a fresh client connection.
Some panels also provide a Startup or command-line field. A startup value can take precedence over the generated config.json, so inspect both places if the password in the file is ignored. If the panel recreates configuration files during deployment, make the change in the panel’s persistent setting rather than editing a temporary file. The panel’s documentation should identify which value wins when both are present.
If you need a vanilla-panel walkthrough, Skynode’s vanilla password instructions illustrate the usual configuration workflow. The relevant controls and names can differ by host and by whether the instance runs vanilla Terraria or TShock.
Docker and Cloudron deployments
Container images frequently translate environment variables into game configuration. A Cloudron forum discussion for a TShock deployment mentions TERRARIA_PASSWORD as an environment variable: Cloudron’s TShock Terraria discussion.
That variable is not a universal Terraria feature. It works only when the image or hosting integration implements it. Before using it, check the documentation for your exact image. Set the variable in the deployment’s environment section, apply or redeploy the container as required by the host, and restart the game process. Editing a file inside a running container may be lost when the container is replaced.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Why the password is not working
The server never asks for a password
- Wrong server type: You edited
config.jsonon a vanilla server, orserverconfig.txton TShock. Use the file that matches the process you actually run. - Wrong configuration file: The launch command or panel may point to a different directory. Find the active configuration path rather than editing a similarly named copy.
- The server was not restarted: Stop and start the process after saving. A reconnect alone does not reload the setting.
- The value is blank: Check for
password=with nothing after the equals sign, or"ServerPassword": ""in TShock. - A panel override is active: Review Startup fields and panel settings. A generated value may replace the file each time the server starts.
- You connected to another instance: Confirm the address and port, especially when a host runs multiple worlds or test servers.
The password is rejected even though it looks correct
- Retype it carefully, including capitalization. Treat spaces at the beginning or end as mistakes unless your host explicitly documents them as part of the value.
- Check whether your password manager inserted a hidden newline or copied surrounding quotation marks.
- Verify that the panel did not save a different value than the file you inspected.
- Make sure every player is using the newly chosen value; a previous password is not accepted after a successful restart.
TShock refuses to start after the edit
Restore the backup config.json, start TShock, and then reapply only the password change. The usual causes are a missing quotation mark, an extra comma, a smart quote inserted by a rich-text editor, or editing a JSON line in a way that breaks the surrounding object. Use a plain-text or JSON-aware editor.
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Vanilla starts but ignores the line
Confirm that the line is not still commented, that it is spelled password=, and that you edited the file named by the server’s startup configuration. If a hosting panel generates the file, set the value through the panel and restart instead of repeatedly changing a generated copy.
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Changing an existing password
Replace the old value in the same setting, save it, and restart. Tell players the new value through a private channel. Players already connected may remain in the session until they disconnect, so schedule the restart when you can briefly interrupt play.
Removing password protection
For vanilla, remove the password line or leave its value empty. For TShock, set "ServerPassword": "". Save and restart, then test from a fresh connection. A blank value is an open server, not a password that players can skip.
Choosing and handling the password
- Use a value that is not the server name, world name or administrator username.
- Share it only with the people who should join.
- Keep a private record of which server the password belongs to; do not post it in a public server listing.
- Change it when someone who should no longer have access still knows it, and restart immediately after the change.
- Use ordinary characters that your panel and configuration format can store reliably. If a symbol causes parsing or input problems, choose a different strong value rather than weakening the server’s configuration.
A server password is an admission check, not an administrator permission system. TShock’s separate permissions and groups still determine what an authenticated player can do; configuring those controls is a different task from setting the join password.
A quick verification checklist
- Identify whether the process is vanilla Terraria or TShock.
- Identify the exact active configuration file or panel setting.
- Back up the current configuration.
- Set the vanilla
password=line or TShockServerPasswordvalue. - Check for blank values, comments, malformed JSON and stray spaces.
- Save the file or panel form.
- Stop and start the server; do not rely on a live reload.
- Connect using the correct address and port from a fresh client session.
- If it fails, check panel Startup overrides and confirm that no second server is running at the address.
Vanilla versus TShock: which procedure applies?
| Question | Vanilla | TShock |
|---|---|---|
| Where is the password stored? | serverconfig.txt |
tshock/config.json |
| What do you edit? | A plain-text password= entry |
The JSON ServerPassword property |
| What means “no password”? | Missing or empty password= |
"ServerPassword": "" |
| When does the change apply? | At server startup | At TShock startup |
| What is the most common mistake? | Editing an inactive or still-commented line | Breaking JSON or having a panel override the file |
Once the correct setting is saved and the server has been restarted, new Terraria connections should be challenged for the password. If they are not, return to the active-file and override checks rather than changing unrelated network or world settings.
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