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How to Transfer a Palworld Server to a New Host

A practical, backup-first guide to moving a Palworld world between hosts, including GUID folder matching, config paths, version checks, and the extra steps required for co-op saves.
Length8 min Posted Quest giverVGSources Team

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To move a Palworld dedicated server, stop the old server, make an off-server copy of its world and settings, install the same or a newer Palworld version on the new host, then restore the save while matching the world folder’s DedicatedServerName. Do not copy the old network configuration wholesale. A co-op or local-world migration is different: the host player’s GUID must be remapped with a community save tool, and the safest method is to test every change on a duplicate save.

What actually moves when you change hosts

A Palworld server migration is primarily a file transfer, not an in-game export. The important data is the world directory beneath Pal/Saved/SaveGames/0/ and the gameplay settings in PalWorldSettings.ini. The world directory has a GUID-style name. Community guides report that the dedicated server uses that name through DedicatedServerName in GameUserSettings.ini; if the name and folder do not match, the new host can create or load a different world.

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Pocketpair’s documentation confirms the configuration-file locations and the required copy step, but it does not document the SaveGames GUID behavior or DedicatedServerName. Treat those two details as community-reported and verify them against your files rather than assuming a host panel will repair them automatically.

Migration type What you copy Extra identity work Confidence
Dedicated server to dedicated server The world folder under SaveGames/0/; gameplay settings from PalWorldSettings.ini Match the world folder name with DedicatedServerName Community procedure; medium confidence
Local or co-op world to dedicated server The local world save and selected gameplay settings Remap the co-op host’s player GUID to the dedicated-server identity Community procedure; medium to low confidence

Before touching the old server

Stop writes and make two backups

Stop the Palworld process cleanly before copying anything. Download or copy the complete world directory under Pal/Saved/SaveGames/0/ together with PalWorldSettings.ini. Keep one untouched copy in a different storage system or physical location from the server. A server’s rolling backup on the same volume can help with an accidental overwrite, but it does not protect against disk or host failure.

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  • Keep the original source files read-only or clearly labelled so you cannot confuse them with a working copy.
  • Record the old world folder name exactly, including every character of its GUID.
  • Record the Palworld version that last wrote the save and the destination operating system.
  • Do not begin a conversion or UID swap on the only copy of the world.

Confirm the version relationship

Install the same Palworld version on the new host, or a newer version than the one that wrote the save. Community migration guides identify version mismatches as a common source of failed loads. The documentation pages available for this procedure include an older 0.3.12.0 example, while the version listed as current at retrieval was 1.0.4; check the version actually installed on both hosts before proceeding because Palworld updates can change save behavior.

Dedicated server to dedicated server: the reliable sequence

1. Initialize the new installation once

Install the server files and start the new server one time, then stop it. This first run creates the configuration and save directories. If you copy files before that run, the required folders may not exist and a control panel may generate a second set of defaults later.

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2. Find the active configuration directory

Pocketpair’s official instructions place the settings file in one of these directories:

Server platform Directory File used by the server
Windows dedicated server PalSavedConfigWindowsServer PalWorldSettings.ini
Linux dedicated server Pal/Saved/Config/LinuxServer PalWorldSettings.ini

The server creates these directories only after it has started. Hosting panels can expose a different-looking root, so verify which of the WindowsServer or LinuxServer variants the running process is using. Pocketpair’s documentation is available at docs.palworldgame.com.

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3. Match the world folder and DedicatedServerName

Inside the backed-up SaveGames/0/ directory, identify the folder containing the transferred world. Its name is normally a GUID. Open the destination’s GameUserSettings.ini and inspect DedicatedServerName, or use the destination folder that the first run created.

You have two community-reported ways to align them:

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  1. Leave the destination’s generated folder name in place and replace that folder’s contents with the contents of the old world folder.
  2. Set DedicatedServerName to the exact name of the backed-up world folder, then place that folder under SaveGames/0/.

Do not copy only the outer SaveGames directory and assume the server will discover the old GUID. The name-matching behavior is not described in Pocketpair’s official documentation, so preserve a backup and be prepared to reverse the change if the server creates a fresh world.

4. Merge settings instead of replacing the network identity

Pocketpair’s documented format uses the section header [/Script/Pal.PalGameWorldSettings] followed by an OptionSettings=(...) line. The official setup is to copy DefaultPalWorldSettings.ini to PalWorldSettings.ini and edit the latter; changing the Default file alone does not change server behavior.

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For a migration, copy gameplay options deliberately: rates, difficulty, spawning, building and other world rules that you intentionally want to retain. Avoid copying the old PublicIP, PublicPort or RCON fields wholesale. One community guide warns that carrying those values to a different host can prevent the new server from being reachable or can point administration tools at the wrong machine. Keep the destination host’s network and access values, then add the old gameplay values to the destination file’s OptionSettings line.

5. Transfer the files with the server stopped

  1. Stop the destination server after its initialization run.
  2. Replace the destination world directory, or rename it to match the chosen DedicatedServerName method. Do not delete your external backup.
  3. Place the merged PalWorldSettings.ini in the active WindowsServer or LinuxServer directory.
  4. Preserve file ownership and permissions on Linux so the account that launches the server can read and write the save.
  5. Start the destination and wait for a complete save cycle before inviting players.

6. Verify the result before decommissioning the old host

Join with an administrator account and check the world name, map landmarks, structures, containers, character levels and inventories. Change one harmless gameplay setting only if you need to confirm that the edited PalWorldSettings.ini is active, then restart and verify the expected result. Keep the old server stopped but intact until players have connected successfully and the destination has produced a new backup.

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Moving a co-op or local world to a dedicated server

This route is more complicated than dedicated-to-dedicated migration. A co-op host character is associated with a co-op GUID; the dedicated server has a different identity. Copying the world files without changing that identity can leave the former host unable to use its character correctly, even when the map itself loads.

1. Close the source game completely

Exit Palworld on the source machine, not merely to the title screen. The game can keep save files open while it is running. Copy the local world’s save only after the process has closed, and work from that copy.

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2. Initialize the destination

Start the new dedicated server once and stop it so that SaveGames/0/, GameUserSettings.ini and the configuration directory exist. Then restore the copied world using the same folder-name matching procedure described above.

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3. Decide how to handle WorldOption.sav through a test, not a guess

Community sources disagree. One says not to copy WorldOption.sav because, on a dedicated server, it can silently override values in PalWorldSettings.ini. Another recommends carrying the world settings and deleting WorldOption.sav afterward so the INI values take effect. There is no confirmed universal rule.

Use two disposable test copies:

  1. Test copy A with the file retained.
  2. Test copy B with the file removed after preserving it outside the active save.
  3. Start each copy, inspect the loaded world and settings, and keep the variant that behaves as intended.

Never run this experiment against the sole original. If deleting the file changes the world unexpectedly, stop and restore the preserved copy.

4. Remap the host player’s GUID

Pocketpair does not provide an official converter for changing a co-op host identity into a dedicated-server identity. Community options include the xNul/palworld-host-save-fix script, which was last noted as untouched since 2024, and a tool called Palworld Save Pal’s Player UID Swap, described by one source as maintained in September 2026. The latter status is a single-source claim and was not independently verified.

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These tools modify save data. Use one only on a duplicate, follow its own documentation, and retain the untouched world in case the conversion damages player or guild records. After the conversion, check the former host’s character, inventory, pals, guild membership and other player-owned data before allowing the rest of the group to resume play.

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5. Reapply settings carefully

Use the destination server’s network fields and merge only the gameplay values you want from the co-op world. The same warning about PublicIP, PublicPort and RCON values applies here. If the co-op world used WorldOption.sav for settings, test both handling variants before settling on the production copy.

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Migration checklist

  • Backup: The world directory and PalWorldSettings.ini are stored off the old host.
  • Version: The destination runs the same or a newer Palworld version than the save’s last writer.
  • Initialization: The destination was started and stopped once before files were restored.
  • Path: The active WindowsServer or LinuxServer configuration directory has been identified.
  • Identity: The GUID folder and DedicatedServerName agree, using the community-reported method.
  • Settings: Gameplay options were merged; old host-specific network and RCON fields were not blindly copied.
  • Co-op only: The host GUID was converted on a copy, and WorldOption.sav handling was tested.
  • Validation: A player confirmed the map, structures, inventory and settings before the old host was retired.

Troubleshooting after the first start

Symptom Likely cause Safe response
A completely new world appears The server is using a different GUID folder or DedicatedServerName. Stop the server, compare the exact folder name with GameUserSettings.ini, and restore the backed-up world. Do not continue playing in the new world if you intend to keep the old one.
Gameplay settings revert The wrong configuration directory is being edited, the Default file was edited instead of PalWorldSettings.ini, or WorldOption.sav is taking precedence. Confirm the active WindowsServer/LinuxServer path, edit the non-Default file, and run the two-copy WorldOption.sav test.
The server is unreachable after migration Old PublicIP, PublicPort or RCON values were copied to the new host. Restore the destination’s network values and reapply only gameplay options.
The former co-op host has no usable character The co-op GUID does not match the dedicated-server identity. Restore the untouched copy and perform a GUID conversion with a community tool on a duplicate save.
Files are present but the server fails to load them The destination version is older than the version that wrote the save, or Linux permissions prevent access. Use the same or newer game version, verify ownership and permissions, and retry from a clean copy.

When you can safely retire the old host

Keep the old installation and the untouched backup until the new server has survived a restart, accepted player connections, and completed at least one fresh save or backup cycle. Once those checks pass, make another dated archive of the working destination. There is no published migration-success rate in the available documentation, so a reversible backup-and-test process is more dependable than assuming every save behaves identically.

What is officially documented and what is not

Pocketpair officially documents copying DefaultPalWorldSettings.ini to PalWorldSettings.ini, the WindowsServer and LinuxServer locations, the fact that configuration folders appear after the first start, and the OptionSettings format shown for dedicated servers. The GUID-folder lookup through DedicatedServerName, the correct treatment of WorldOption.sav, and available co-op conversion tools come from community reports. Apply those parts conservatively, preserve originals, and verify the loaded world rather than treating a hosting guide as an official guarantee.

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