To show a Valheim dedicated server in the in-game server browser, launch it with -public 1. To hide it from the browser, use -public 0. The hidden setting does not shut the server down: players can still connect with Valheim’s Join IP control when you give them the server address and game port.
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These options are set in the dedicated server’s startup script. Make a copy of the script before editing, because Steam updates can overwrite the original. After restarting, wait for the log message Game server connected; that is Iron Gate’s operational checkpoint showing that the server is ready to accept connections.
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1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsWhat the -public setting actually changes
The -public launch argument controls discoverability, not whether the world is running. The documented values are:
-public 1publishes the dedicated server to Valheim’s in-game and community server list.-public 0removes it from that browser. Players must use Join IP instead.
Changing this value does not repair a stopped process, a blocked firewall rule, an unreachable router port, or a backend configuration problem. A server can be configured as public and still be absent from the browser if it never reaches the network or fails to register with its backend.
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Change the setting in the dedicated-server files
1. Install the official dedicated server
In Steam, open the Library, change the library filter to Tools, and install Valheim Dedicated Server. This is a separate tool from the normal game client.
2. Open the installation folder
Use Steam’s properties for Valheim Dedicated Server and choose Manage followed by Browse local files. You need the folder that contains the startup script, not the folder for a normal client installation.
3. Copy the startup script
Iron Gate recommends working from a copy because Steam updates may reset the original script. On Windows, copy start_headless_server.bat. On Linux, copy start_server.sh. Give the copy a clear name, such as start_public.bat or start_hidden.sh, and keep it in the same installation directory unless you have deliberately adjusted its paths.
4. Edit the launch command
Open the copied file in a plain-text editor. Find the line that starts the Valheim server and locate the existing -public argument. Change its value rather than adding conflicting values elsewhere in the command.
- For a listed server, use
-public 1. - For a browser-hidden server, use
-public 0.
If the copied script does not contain a -public argument, add the appropriate argument to the server launch command, separated from the other arguments by a space. Preserve the rest of the command, including the world, name, password, port, and any backend options already configured for your installation.
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5. Save and launch the copy
Save the edited file, stop any currently running dedicated-server process, and launch the copied script. Editing a file does not change a process that is already running; the server must be restarted with the new command line.
6. Confirm the server is operational
Watch the server console or log. Iron Gate’s guide says the message Game server connected means the server is up and ready to accept connections. Diagnose browser visibility only after this checkpoint appears. If the message never appears, the problem is not merely the public or hidden flag.
How players join a hidden server
With -public 0, the server is intentionally absent from the in-game list. Send each player the server’s reachable address and game port. In Valheim, open the multiplayer join screen and select Join IP, then enter the address in the format the game requests.
This direct method is the documented access path for an invisible server. Hiding the listing does not create an invitation system or alter the world itself; it simply means players need the address from you instead of finding the server by browsing.
Public versus hidden operation
| Aspect | -public 1 |
-public 0 |
|---|---|---|
| In-game browser | Listed in the public/community server list after the server successfully registers. | Not listed. |
| Normal access route | Players can locate it through the browser; direct connection remains possible where networking permits. | Players use Join IP with the server address and game port. |
| Discoverability | Anyone browsing can see the server’s listing information. | Only people who receive the address and port can use the intended direct route. |
| Network requirements | Still depends on the selected backend, reachable ports, firewall rules, router configuration, and a running process. | Uses the same underlying network requirements; hiding the listing does not bypass them. |
The choice is therefore about who can discover the endpoint through the browser. It is not a substitute for access control, a firewall, or a different hosting arrangement.
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Steam backend networking
When the server uses Valheim’s Steam backend, Iron Gate documents 2456-2457 as the default port range. The selected server port and the next port are used. A server intended for players outside the host’s local network needs the relevant port range reachable from the internet, normally through the host firewall and router port-forwarding configuration.
What to check for a Steam server
- Identify the port configured in the startup command. The documented default pair is 2456 and 2457, but a custom port changes which pair must be exposed.
- Allow the dedicated-server executable through the operating-system firewall on the required network profile.
- Forward the selected port and the next port from the router to the machine running the server when players connect from outside the local network.
- Give players the correct public address, not a private address such as a local
192.168.x.xaddress, when they are outside your home network. - Make sure another server is not already using the same port pair on that public IP.
A public flag cannot make an unreachable Steam endpoint appear reliably. Port exposure and process health must be correct first.
Crossplay backend networking
Starting the server with -crossplay selects Valheim’s Crossplay backend. Iron Gate documents a relay path for this backend, so outside players do not need router port forwarding in the usual way. Crossplay still uses the configured port to distinguish multiple servers sharing one public IP, so the port value remains meaningful even when the relay handles the external traffic.
Crossplay is the route to investigate when players on different supported platforms need to connect. Platform-specific details belong to Iron Gate’s Crossplay FAQ and dedicated-server manual. The backend choice must match the clients and the rest of the launch configuration; switching to Crossplay is not required simply to hide a listing.
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If a server launched with -public 1 is missing from the browser, use this order of checks. It avoids treating a registration or networking failure as a visibility-setting problem.
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Check that the running process uses the edited file
It is easy to edit a backup and then double-click the original script, or to maintain two server folders and launch the wrong copy. Close the running process, verify the exact file path, and start the copy containing the intended -public 1 argument. If you maintain several worlds, label each script so the active file is unambiguous.
Check for Game server connected
If this line is absent, resolve the startup failure before investigating discovery. Look for a malformed command, a missing executable, a world or permission error, or a port already in use. The browser cannot list a server that has not completed its connection to the backend.
Check the backend and port assumptions
Confirm whether the launch command uses the Steam backend or includes -crossplay. For Steam, verify the configured port pair, firewall allowance, and router forwarding. For Crossplay, verify that the Crossplay option is actually present in the command and that clients are using the platform-compatible route.
Check firewall and router exposure
A browser listing does not override blocked traffic. Recheck inbound rules after an operating-system update, confirm that forwarding targets the machine’s current local address, and ensure the server is not behind a second router or another layer of network address translation that prevents the required traffic from reaching it.
Do not invent a propagation deadline
Iron Gate’s published material does not establish a guaranteed number of seconds or minutes for a listing to appear after changing -public. Do not treat an arbitrary wait time as a fix. First confirm the edited script, the restart, the Game server connected message, the selected backend, and the relevant network path.
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Common mistakes when hiding a server
Using the wrong value
-public 0 hides the server; -public 1 shows it. Check the value immediately after the argument and remove any duplicate -public entries that could make the command ambiguous.
Expecting a hidden server to appear in search
A correctly hidden server will not be discoverable in the browser. Test it with Join IP from a client that has the correct address and port instead of searching for its name.
Changing the original script only
Steam updates can restore the original startup file. If you edit the original and later update the tool, your setting may disappear. Keep a maintained copy and launch that copy consistently.
Confusing the save interval with visibility
Iron Gate documents a default world-save interval of 30 minutes, or 1,800 seconds. That interval concerns world persistence, not browser registration. Changing or waiting for a save does not make a public server appear or a hidden server become listed.
Managing more than one server
If several dedicated servers share one public IP, assign each instance its own configured port so the backend can distinguish them. With Steam, expose the corresponding port pair for each instance. With Crossplay, the configured port still distinguishes multiple servers even though external traffic uses the relay.
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Give players the address and port belonging to the correct world when using -public 0. A correct hidden-server setup can still fail for one player if that player receives another instance’s port or an address that is only valid inside the host’s local network.
Quick Recap
A practical change-and-test checklist
- Install or locate Valheim Dedicated Server through Steam’s Tools section.
- Browse to the installation folder.
- Copy
start_headless_server.baton Windows orstart_server.shon Linux. - Set exactly one intended value:
-public 1to list the server or-public 0to hide it. - Save the copy and stop any old server process.
- Launch the copied script.
- Wait for Game server connected.
- For a public server, search the in-game browser. For a hidden server, test Join IP with the correct address and game port.
- If discovery or connection fails, verify the active script, backend, firewall, router exposure, and port pair before changing unrelated settings.
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