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How to Upload a World to a Vintage Story Server

Upload an existing Vintage Story world by stopping the server, copying its .vcdbs save into data/Saves, selecting it with default.vcdbs or serverconfig.json, and restarting to verify the correct world loads.
Length9 min Posted Quest giverVGSources Team
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To run an existing Vintage Story single-player world on a server, stop the server, copy the world’s .vcdbs file into the server’s data/Saves directory, then either rename that file to default.vcdbs or set the matching path in serverconfig.json. Start the server again and verify that it has loaded the intended save.

The exact control-panel labels and local folders can differ by operating system, hosting setup and game version. The file name, extension and path must match exactly; a successful upload alone does not make the server use that world.

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What you need before uploading

Prepare these items before touching the live server:

  • The local Vintage Story world you want to publish.
  • Access to the server’s file manager or FTP/SFTP credentials.
  • Permission to stop and start the server.
  • Access to serverconfig.json if you plan to use the original save name instead of default.vcdbs.
  • A backup of both the local save and any world currently on the server.

Do not overwrite a server world until you have copied anything you may need from it. Uploading a replacement save is a file operation, not a merge: the incoming world becomes the world the server opens, while the previous server save remains available only if you backed it up or moved it aside.

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A world can be large, especially after substantial exploration. A browser uploader is convenient for a small file; an FTP/SFTP client is generally more suitable when the transfer is large or must be repeated. Whichever method you use, wait for the transfer to finish before starting the server.

Find and copy the single-player world

Use the in-game Saves-folder shortcut

  1. Launch Vintage Story and open the Singleplayer menu.
  2. Choose Open Saves Folder. The label can vary between releases, so use the equivalent command if your installed version presents different wording.
  3. Locate the world file with the pattern <SaveName>.vcdbs.
  4. Copy the file to a separate backup location before uploading it. Keep the original untouched until the server has been tested.

The save is a single database file with the .vcdbs extension. Copy the file itself, not a shortcut to it. If your operating system hides extensions, enable visible file extensions so you can confirm that the name ends in exactly .vcdbs.

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Typical local paths

The shortcut is safer than guessing a path, but these wiki examples show the kind of location involved:

  • Windows example: C:UsersuserAppDataRoamingVintagestoryDataSavesdefault.vcdbs.
  • Linux example: a file under /home/user/.config/VintagestoryData/Saves/.

User names, installation choices and operating-system configuration can change these locations. Treat the examples as patterns rather than paths to paste blindly.

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Stop the server before changing its files

  1. Open your server control panel or use the server’s normal console controls.
  2. Choose Stop and wait until the process is fully stopped. A panel that still shows “stopping,” an active console, or a running process is not ready for file replacement.
  3. Do not upload over an actively written save. Stopping first prevents the server from writing to the same database while it is being copied and avoids a restart loading a partially transferred file.

If the panel offers separate Restart and Stop actions, use Stop for the upload stage. You will start the server only after the file and configuration are ready.

Upload the file to the server’s Saves folder

Identify the server directory

The usual destination is data/Saves. Depending on the host and installation, the panel may display it as /data/Saves or /home/container/data/Saves. Open the server’s data directory first, then open Saves; do not place the file in the game installation directory or in your local computer’s Saves folder.

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Upload with a browser file manager

  1. Open the stopped server’s file manager.
  2. Navigate to data/Saves.
  3. Decide what to do with the existing contents. If you are replacing the active world, download or move the old files to a backup location before removing them.
  4. Use Upload (or the panel’s equivalent) and select the copied .vcdbs file.
  5. Wait until the panel reports completion. Do not close the page or start the server while the transfer is still in progress.

Some panels leave an existing default.vcdbs in the folder. That file can cause confusion if you intend to load a differently named world, so either move it out of the way or use the configuration method below to point explicitly to the new file.

Upload with FTP or SFTP

  1. Connect to the server with the credentials supplied by your host.
  2. Open the server’s data/Saves directory in the remote pane.
  3. Transfer the backed-up local .vcdbs file.
  4. Wait for the client’s transfer queue to show that the file completed without an error.
  5. Disconnect only after the queue is clear, then verify the file name in the remote directory.

An FTP/SFTP client such as FileZilla or WinSCP can be useful for large saves or repeated transfers, but the destination and file-naming rules are the same as with a browser panel.

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Choose how the server will load the uploaded world

There are two supported approaches. Use one, not both at once.

Approach What you do Advantages Risk or requirement
Rename the save Rename the uploaded file to default.vcdbs. No configuration edit is needed. An existing default.vcdbs must be moved or deleted after you back it up.
Change SaveFileLocation Keep the original name and edit the WorldConfig entry in serverconfig.json. Preserves a descriptive file name and allows multiple saves to remain in the folder. The path, spelling, punctuation and .vcdbs extension must be exact; the server must be relaunched.

Method 1: rename the world to default.vcdbs

  1. In data/Saves, back up any existing default.vcdbs before changing it.
  2. Rename the uploaded file to exactly default.vcdbs. Do not add spaces, quotation marks or a second extension.
  3. Check the final listing. There should be one file with the exact name the server expects, unless you deliberately keep other saves for later use.
  4. Start the server and watch the startup console for errors.

This method is useful when you want the simplest possible setup or do not have an editor for the server configuration. Its limitation is that every replacement world must use the same default file name, and an overlooked old default can result in the wrong world loading.

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Method 2: set SaveFileLocation in serverconfig.json

Locate the configuration file

The default locations documented for the server are:

  • Windows: %appdata%/VintageStoryData/serverconfig.json.
  • Linux: /var/vintagestory/data/serverconfig.json.

Linux installations can use a different data directory. The install script’s datapath variable is the way to confirm the active location when the default does not exist. A hosting panel may expose the same file through its configuration editor rather than showing the operating-system path.

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Edit only the world-file setting

  1. Keep the server stopped while editing.
  2. Make a backup copy of serverconfig.json.
  3. Open the file as plain text and find the WorldConfig block.
  4. Change the value of SaveFileLocation so it points to the uploaded file. The documented pattern is ./data/Saves/UploadNAME.vcdbs.
  5. Preserve valid JSON syntax, including quotation marks, braces and commas. Do not remove unrelated settings.
  6. Save the file, then verify that the path includes the extension.

An illustrative entry looks like this:

"WorldConfig": {
  "SaveFileLocation": "./data/Saves/UploadNAME.vcdbs"
}

Edit the existing entry in your file rather than pasting a second WorldConfig object. Replace UploadNAME.vcdbs with the exact remote file name, including capitalization and punctuation. The path is relative to the server’s data directory in the documented example; do not silently change it to a local computer path.

Relaunch after saving

Configuration changes do not take effect until the server is relaunched. Start the server only after the upload and edit are complete. If the server was already running when you edited the file, stop it and start it again rather than relying on a live reload.

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Start the server and confirm the correct world

  1. Start the server from the panel or its normal launch command.
  2. Wait for startup to finish before connecting. A server that is still generating or loading may reject a connection temporarily.
  3. Join from Vintage Story and check recognizable features of the imported world: the spawn area, your builds, terrain and other known details.
  4. Check the server console for file-not-found, parsing or world-load errors.
  5. Only after verification should you invite players or delete the backup of the previous server world.

If the wrong world opens, stop the server before making another change. Check the selected method, the exact file name and the SaveFileLocation value. A typo or extra character can point the server at a different save or prevent it from finding the file at all.

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Move the world’s mods separately

The database does not automatically install the mods that were present in single-player. If the world depends on mods, place the required mod files in the server’s Mods folder as well as uploading the world. Use versions compatible with the server’s Vintage Story release and follow the server’s normal mod-loading procedure.

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Test the world with the server stopped while you correct a missing mod. Do not assume that a successful world-file upload proves that every block, item or behavior supplied by a mod is available on the server.

World settings: what can and cannot be changed in the config file

serverconfig.json can select the save file, but world-generation settings in that file apply only before a world is created. Changing those values after importing an existing world does not regenerate its already-created terrain.

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For an existing world, the documented in-game tools are:

  • /worldconfig name value for changing a world configuration value.
  • /worldconfigcreate datatype name value for creating a world configuration value with a specified data type.

Use the commands appropriate to the setting you need, with the syntax and permissions required by your server version. Keep the distinction clear: selecting a save is a startup path setting, while changing an established world’s behavior is an in-game world-configuration task.

Troubleshoot a world that does not load

Symptom Likely check Action
The server loads a different world. An old default.vcdbs is still present, or SaveFileLocation names another file. Stop the server, back up the old default, then use one loading method consistently and check the exact name.
The server says the save cannot be found. The file is outside data/Saves, the path is wrong, or the extension is missing. Verify the remote directory and set SaveFileLocation to the complete relative path ending in .vcdbs.
The configuration edit has no effect. The server was not relaunched, or a different serverconfig.json is being edited. Stop and start the server; confirm the active data path, especially on Linux installations with a custom datapath.
The upload appears with a strange name. The operating system or transfer tool may have hidden or appended an extension. Display full file names and correct the name so it ends once, exactly, in .vcdbs.
The server fails immediately after editing JSON. Invalid JSON syntax, such as a missing quote, comma or brace. Restore the backup, make the smallest possible edit to the existing key, and validate the file before restarting.
The world opens but content is missing. The world relied on mods that are not installed on the server. Stop the server and copy the needed mod files into its Mods folder, then restart and test again.
The transfer never completes. The file is large or the browser upload interrupted. Retry with a reliable FTP/SFTP client, confirm the completed remote file, and do not start the server until the transfer is complete.

When diagnosing, change one thing at a time and keep the original save untouched. That makes it possible to return to a known-good file if a rename or configuration change introduces a new problem.

Version and label differences to allow for

The official Server Config material used for these settings was verified against Vintage Story 1.22.0, while older translated material refers to 1.20.0. Menu labels, key names and folder presentation can change between releases. The file format and the need to relaunch after a server-configuration change should still be checked against the version installed on your server.

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If your panel uses a custom directory, follow its displayed data path rather than forcing the examples above. The reliable test is whether the server can resolve the configured SaveFileLocation to the uploaded file in its own data directory.

Repeatable migration checklist

  1. Open Singleplayer and use Open Saves Folder.
  2. Copy <SaveName>.vcdbs to a safe backup location.
  3. Stop the server completely.
  4. Back up the current contents of data/Saves.
  5. Upload the copied file to the server’s data/Saves directory.
  6. Either rename it to default.vcdbs or set WorldConfig.SaveFileLocation to its exact path.
  7. Copy required mods into the server’s Mods folder.
  8. Start or relaunch the server.
  9. Join and verify recognizable world features before treating the migration as complete.

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