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The reliable way to automate a Palworld server restart is to separate the job into four parts: verify RCON access, warn players in stages, save and issue a timed shutdown, then let a service manager, container policy, wrapper, or hosting panel start the process again. A scheduler alone only sends commands; it does not guarantee that the server comes back online.
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This guide covers the required configuration, warning and shutdown commands, Windows Task Scheduler, Linux systemd and cron, Docker variables, provider-panel options, backups, player-friendly deferral, and the checks that prevent a clean shutdown from becoming unexpected downtime.
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What an automatic Palworld restart must do
A restart workflow is safe only when every stage succeeds. The scheduler must reach the server, players must receive enough notice to finish activities, the world must be saved before the process exits, and an independent supervisor must launch PalServer again. If any one of those stages is missing, the result can be a silent kick, lost progress, or a server that remains offline.
- Control path: RCON is enabled, reachable on the configured port, and protected by a strong password.
- Notice: staged Broadcast messages tell players what is happening and when the restart will occur.
- Graceful stop: issue Save, then a timed Shutdown command rather than killing the process.
- Recovery: Docker, systemd, a wrapper loop, or a provider task starts the server after the clean exit.
Do not treat a cron entry or Task Scheduler trigger as a complete solution. Those tools can start a warning script, but they do not automatically recover a process unless you configure a separate restart mechanism.
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Prerequisites and configuration
Running dedicated server and administration access
You need a running Palworld dedicated server, administrative access to its host or control panel, and permission to edit the supported server configuration. Test all commands during a maintenance window before putting them on a daily schedule.
Enable and protect RCON
Palworld’s official configuration identifies RCONEnabled as the setting that enables RCON and RCONPort as the port used for RCON. Enable both in the supported settings file, choose a strong unique password, and restart once manually if the configuration requires a process restart before the change takes effect.
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- Store the password outside public scripts and source-control repositories. Use a protected environment variable, a secrets file readable only by the service account, or the secret facility provided by your host.
- Record the exact server address and RCON port. A script pointed at the game port instead of the RCON port will report an unreachable server even when players can connect normally.
Choose a scheduler and a restart supervisor
Common schedulers are Windows Task Scheduler, cron, a systemd timer, Docker’s documented automatic-restart variables, or a hosting-panel task. Pair one scheduler with one supervisor:
| Deployment | Scheduler | Process recovery | Best fit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Windows host | Task Scheduler | Server wrapper, service, or provider restart action | Servers already managed on Windows |
| Native Linux | cron or systemd timer | systemd service or a monitored wrapper | Full control of a Linux machine |
| Docker | Container image cron variables or an external scheduler | restart: unless-stopped or restart: always |
Containerized deployments |
| Hosting panel | Provider task or scheduled action | Panel’s restart policy | Managed servers without shell access |
Pick a restart window and warning policy
Choose a time when the fewest players are likely to be active. A cited Docker image uses 0 5 * * * as a daily default, while one provider quickstart offers 12-hour or 24-hour schedules. These are examples, not Palworld requirements. Use your community’s time zone and activity data, and publish the recurring window so players know when a restart may occur.
A 30-minute countdown is a practical starting point for an active community. Send notices at 30, 20, and 10 minutes, save before the final shutdown, and give the shutdown command a final countdown. Shorter intervals may be acceptable for a private server, but do not reduce the warning period until you have confirmed that players can safely leave activities such as dungeons or caves.
If your tooling supports an “only when empty” or “defer while occupied” option, enable it for routine maintenance. Keep a maximum deferral or a published hard deadline so a permanently occupied server does not skip maintenance indefinitely.
Verify RCON before starting a countdown
Health-check behavior
Every scheduled run should begin with an Info request, or the equivalent status command supported by your RCON client. Continue only when the command receives a valid response. If the check fails, log the failure and exit without sending partial warnings; otherwise players may see a countdown for a restart that never happens.
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What to check when the health test fails
- Confirm that RCON is enabled in the active configuration, not only in a template file.
- Check the configured RCON port, host address, firewall rule, and any container port mapping.
- Verify the password and the RCON client’s protocol options.
- Run the test from the same machine or network where the scheduled script will run.
- Inspect the server log for a startup line showing that RCON initialized successfully.
Send staged warnings, save, and shut down gracefully
Command sequence
The following sequence illustrates the order, not a universal copy-and-paste script. RCON clients differ in whether commands include a leading slash and how they quote spaces. Some Palworld examples encode spaces in Broadcast arguments with underscores.
RCON Info
Broadcast Server_will_restart_in_30_minutes
(wait 10 minutes)
Broadcast Server_will_restart_in_20_minutes
(wait 10 minutes)
Broadcast Server_will_restart_in_10_minutes
Save
Shutdown 600 Server_restarting_in_10_minutesOn interfaces that expose slash commands, the equivalent entries may appear as /Save and /Shutdown 600 Restarting_soon. The hosting command reference documents /Shutdown 60 Restarting_soon as a timed shutdown: the number is the delay in seconds, followed by the message. Confirm the syntax in your server build or provider interface before automating it.
Why Save precedes Shutdown
Save requests a world save before the process exits. The timed shutdown then gives the server time to complete its own close sequence. Do not replace this with a task that kills the process, stops the container immediately, or terminates the operating-system process; those methods can leave the latest world state unwritten.
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Make each warning actionable. State the remaining time, the reason when appropriate, and what players should do. For example, “Restart in 10 minutes; finish activities and move to a safe location” is more useful than a generic “server restarting” notice. Keep the wording short enough for the command parser and test punctuation, spaces, and non-ASCII characters in a private session.
Windows: Task Scheduler with an RCON script
Build the script
Use a batch file or PowerShell script launched by Task Scheduler. The cited Windows approach performs an RCON reachability test, defines warning messages, sends Broadcast commands, records timestamps, and issues a final Shutdown. A conceptual PowerShell flow is:
# Use a protected secret rather than putting the password in a public file
Test-Rcon -Host $ServerAddress -Port $RconPort -Password $RconPassword -Command "Info"
if (-not $?) { exit 1 }
Send-Rcon "Broadcast Server_will_restart_in_30_minutes"
Start-Sleep -Seconds 600
Send-Rcon "Broadcast Server_will_restart_in_20_minutes"
Start-Sleep -Seconds 600
Send-Rcon "Broadcast Server_will_restart_in_10_minutes"
Send-Rcon "Save"
Send-Rcon "Shutdown 600 Server_restarting_in_10_minutes"
Test-Rcon and Send-Rcon above represent whatever RCON client wrapper you use; they are not built-in PowerShell commands. With a client such as mcrcon, pass the host, port, password, and command using that client’s documented options. Test quoting carefully: an unquoted password containing shell metacharacters can fail or expose the secret in a process list.
Create the scheduled task
- Open Task Scheduler and choose Create Task, not the limited basic wizard if you need service-account and restart options.
- On General, select an account that can reach the server and read the protected secret. Enable Run whether user is logged on or not when the machine is unattended.
- On Triggers, create the daily or weekly maintenance time. Set the correct time zone and adjust for daylight-saving behavior if the host uses local time.
- On Actions, start PowerShell or the batch file. Set Start in to the script directory so relative log paths work.
- On Conditions, disable sleep-related restrictions if the server is expected to run continuously, or ensure the task can wake the computer when that is appropriate.
- On Settings, enable a useful execution timeout and record the task result. Do not allow overlapping instances; a second countdown can confuse players and send a duplicate shutdown.
Windows recovery
The scheduler sends the shutdown but does not itself guarantee that PalServer starts again. Run PalServer through a Windows service, a supervisor, or a wrapper loop that launches it after a clean exit. The wrapper should write an exit code and timestamp, wait briefly to avoid a rapid crash loop, and then start the process again. Confirm that the firewall and game-port bindings are released before relaunch.
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Linux: systemd service plus timer or cron
Keep PalServer under systemd
For a native Linux installation, define PalServer as a systemd service with the correct working directory, user, environment, and executable. Set it to start at boot and configure a restart policy that applies after a normal shutdown as well as an unexpected exit. Make sure the service account owns the save directory and can read the RCON secret.
Run the warning-and-shutdown script from a systemd timer or cron. A timer is preferable when you want systemd logging, dependency ordering, and protection against overlapping runs; cron is adequate for a small host when the script handles locking and logging itself.
Order the units
- The timer starts the warning service at the selected maintenance time.
- The warning service verifies RCON, sends Broadcast messages, issues Save, and sends the timed Shutdown.
- PalServer exits cleanly, and its systemd service starts it again according to the configured policy.
- The script or a separate monitor checks that RCON responds after startup and records the result.
Use a lock so a delayed run cannot overlap the next scheduled run. Keep logs in journald or a dedicated file with timestamps for each warning, Save response, Shutdown response, process exit, and successful post-restart health check.
Docker: image variables and restart policies
Automatic warning and restart variables
One documented container image exposes AUTO_RESTART_ENABLED, AUTO_RESTART_WARN_MINUTES, and AUTO_RESTART_CRON_EXPRESSION. Its cited defaults are disabled, 10 minutes, and 0 5 * * *. Another container documents AUTO_REBOOT_ENABLED, AUTO_REBOOT_WARN_MINUTES, and cron scheduling, and requires RCON for automatic reboots. Use the variable names belonging to your exact image; similarly named variables are not interchangeable.
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Ensure the container comes back
Add a Docker restart policy such as restart: unless-stopped or restart: always. The container documentation warns that without one of these policies, a clean shutdown can leave the server stopped until someone intervenes manually. A restart policy handles process recovery; it does not replace the RCON warning and save sequence.
services:
palworld:
# image, ports, volumes, and environment depend on your chosen image
restart: unless-stopped
Persist the world and configuration through mounted volumes. Otherwise a container recreation can discard the very save data the restart was meant to protect. Review container logs after the first scheduled run and verify that the game port and RCON port are listening again.
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Hosting-panel schedules and “only when empty” maintenance
Managed providers commonly expose a scheduled task, restart button, or “reboot when empty” option. Prefer a task that explicitly supports staged announcements, Save, and a graceful timed shutdown. If the panel only offers a hard restart, use its RCON or command-task feature instead of relying on an immediate stop.
Some operator tooling provides REST /v1/api/announce notices and an onlyWhenEmpty behavior based on the current player count. When your panel exposes an equivalent setting, configure the player-count check and a maximum wait period. Announce the planned window to the community even when the task normally defers, because a forced update or emergency maintenance may still require a restart while players are online.
Backups before routine and update-related restarts
Palworld backup setting
Palworld’s official guidance identifies bIsUseBackupSaveData as the setting that enables backup save data and notes that it increases disk load. Enable it when the additional disk activity is acceptable for your hardware and player population.
Separate automated copies
A built-in backup is not a substitute for an independent copy. Before a major game update, configuration change, or script change, copy the save directory to storage outside the live server volume. Retain multiple dated generations and periodically verify that a copy can actually be restored.
Coordinate updates with restarts
Place update and restart jobs in one announced maintenance window. Send the early warnings, apply the update only after the server has saved and stopped, then start the new process under supervision. Operator tooling can place planned announce boundaries around an apply schedule; use that capability to avoid an update racing the shutdown script.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Post-restart verification
Do not mark the task successful merely because the Shutdown command returned. After the supervisor starts PalServer, verify all of the following:
- The process is running under the expected service account or container.
- The game port is listening and players can reach the server.
- RCON responds to
Infowith the expected server status. - The log shows the warning, Save, timed shutdown, process exit, and a new startup sequence.
- The world loads with the expected save timestamp and no permission or disk-space errors.
Send an alert when the post-restart health check fails. Without an alert, an apparently successful scheduled task can leave the server offline until a player reports it.
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Troubleshooting automatic restart failures
No warning appears in chat
Check RCONEnabled, RCONPort, the password, firewall rules, container port mappings, and the destination host. Run the same command interactively from the scheduler’s account. If the client connects but text is missing, inspect quoting and command parsing; the cited Windows example uses underscores in Broadcast arguments to represent spaces.
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The warning is truncated or malformed
Test a short message first, then add words gradually. Quote the entire command according to your RCON client, and avoid shell characters that are interpreted before the command reaches Palworld. If your interface requires underscores instead of literal spaces, follow that syntax consistently.
The server stops and stays down
Inspect the Docker restart policy, systemctl status and journal logs, wrapper output, or the hosting panel’s restart policy. Confirm that the supervisor is configured to react to a clean exit, not only a crash. Also check for a stale process holding the game or RCON port.
Players lose recent progress
Increase the warning lead time, issue Save before Shutdown, and inspect the Save response in logs. Confirm that the save directory is writable, that the disk is not full, and that backup files are being created. Never test a new script first on the only copy of an important world.
A restart collides with an update
Combine the jobs into one maintenance window, send notices that mention the update, and prevent overlapping scheduler instances. Stop the server cleanly before applying files, then perform the post-update RCON and game-port checks before declaring the maintenance complete.
The server restarts while players are active
Enable an empty-server deferral where available, increase the countdown, and set a hard maximum delay. If the server is consistently occupied at the chosen time, move the maintenance window rather than shortening warnings until they are ineffective.
A practical implementation checklist
- Enable
RCONEnabledand setRCONPort; secure the password and firewall. - Choose a low-traffic maintenance time and publish it.
- Select one scheduler and one restart supervisor.
- Run an RCON
Infohealth check before every countdown. - Broadcast warnings at 30, 20, and 10 minutes, or use a shorter documented policy for a private server.
- Issue
Save, then a timedShutdownwith a clear final message. - Use Docker
unless-stopped/always, systemd, a wrapper, or the panel to relaunch PalServer. - Enable Palworld backup save data when appropriate and maintain an independent save copy.
- Verify process, game port, RCON, logs, and world state after startup.
- Review the first few runs and adjust the schedule, warning lead time, and empty-server behavior from actual player activity.
Final recommendation
Use RCON as the control channel, fail fast when the health check cannot connect, warn players in stages, save explicitly, and shut down with a timed command. Put PalServer under a supervisor that is independent of the warning script, enable an appropriate Docker or systemd restart policy, and verify the new process after every run. Add empty-server deferral and independent backups when your community or world makes an unexpected interruption costly.
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