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1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteA Terraria dedicated server is controlled by a plain-text configuration file and started with the server executable. The reliable setup is: choose or create a world, set the server options in key=value form, launch with -config, then allow the listening port through the host firewall and, for most home Internet connections, forward that port from the router.
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This guide covers Windows, Linux and macOS launch commands, existing and newly generated worlds, port forwarding, UPnP, multiple isolated servers, command-line overrides and the failures that most often prevent a connection.
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What you need before starting
Prepare these items before editing a configuration file:
- The Terraria dedicated-server executable for your operating system. Windows uses
TerrariaServer.exe; Linux and macOS use the platform executable, commonly invoked as./TerrariaServer. - A location for the configuration file. It may be outside the executable directory if you provide its path when launching the server.
- Either an existing
.wldworld file or a plan for automatic world creation. - A TCP port that is free on the host computer. The official reference uses
7777as the standard example. - Permission to edit the operating-system firewall and, when hosting from home, the router that sits between the host and the Internet.
Decide whether players will connect only from the same network or from the Internet. A local-only server still needs the host firewall configured, but it normally does not require router forwarding. Internet players need the host’s external IP address, and a typical home network also needs a forwarding rule on the router.
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Choose how the world will be supplied
| Approach | Configuration | When to use it | Important consideration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Load an existing world | Set world= to the full path of a .wld file. |
You already have a world, or you want to move a world between machines. | The path must identify the file the server can read; a typo causes the world-load step to fail. |
| Create a world at startup | Use autocreate=1, 2 or 3, plus optional seed= and worldname=. |
You want a new small, medium or large world. | Record the seed and resulting path so another administrator can reproduce the intended setup. |
| One server on the computer | One configuration file, one world and one listening port. | Most private or family servers. | Simplest to operate and troubleshoot. |
| Several servers on one computer | Separate configuration files, worlds and port numbers. | Distinct communities, maps or difficulty settings. | Every instance must have its own port; reusing a port prevents the later process from binding. |
Create the configuration file
Use one key=value entry per line
Terraria’s server configuration is a text file. A line beginning with # is a comment and is ignored. Keep the equals sign between the key and value, and put each setting on its own line. The file can be named serverconfig.txt or another name that you remember; the launch command supplies the exact path.
This is a practical minimal configuration for an existing world:
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port=7777
maxplayers=8
password=change-this
motd=Welcome
secure=1The path above is an example of an absolute path. Replace it with the real path on your machine. maxplayers=8 limits this instance to eight simultaneous players; the documented default maximum is 16. password= protects the join attempt, motd= supplies the message of the day, and secure=1 enables the server’s secure mode.
Useful keys beyond the minimum
worldpath=selects the directory used for world files.banlist=points to the ban-list file.upnp=1asks a compatible router to create the port mapping automatically.language=selects the server language when supported by the executable.priority=sets the process priority option documented by the server reference.- Journey Mode permission settings control which Journey-specific powers are available.
Keep comments beside settings that are easy to forget, but do not put explanatory text after a value unless the syntax for that option explicitly permits it. A safe pattern is to place comments on their own lines:
# The world loaded by this instance
world=/srv/terraria/Worlds/MyWorld.wld
# Standard example port
port=7777Start the server with the config file
Windows
- Find the Terraria installation folder that contains
TerrariaServer.exe. - Save the configuration file, noting its full path. It may be in another directory.
- Open a command prompt in the installation folder, or use a fully qualified executable path.
- Run
TerrariaServer.exe -config <serverconfigfile>, replacing<serverconfigfile>with the actual configuration-file path.
For example, if the file is named my-server.txt, the command must identify that exact file rather than relying on an assumed default name.
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Linux and macOS
- Change to the directory containing the platform server executable.
- Run
./TerrariaServer -config <serverconfigfile>. - If the configuration file is elsewhere, pass its absolute or correctly resolved path after
-config.
The executable prints startup information in its terminal window. Leave that process running while players are connected; closing the terminal or stopping the process stops the server.
Why the -config path matters
The official setup procedure specifically requires the executable and the configuration-file path together when using a pre-made configuration. This also makes separate instances manageable: each process can be launched with its own file instead of repeatedly editing one shared file.
Load an existing Terraria world
- Locate the intended
.wldfile. - Put its full path after
world=in the configuration file. - If you want world files kept in a particular directory, set
worldpath=as documented and ensure the selected directory is accessible to the server process. - Start the server with
-config. - Read the startup output and verify that the named world is the one being loaded before giving the address to players.
Do not combine an existing-world setup with an automatic-creation plan unless you understand which startup value is being used. For a known map, the unambiguous choice is a valid world= path and no accidental creation setting.
Generate a new world automatically
If the selected world does not yet exist, the server can create one at startup. Set the size with autocreate:
| Setting | World size |
|---|---|
autocreate=1 |
Small |
autocreate=2 |
Medium |
autocreate=3 |
Large |
Add seed= for the seed string and worldname= for the generated world’s name. A creation configuration can look like this:
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autocreate=2
seed=My recorded seed
worldname=Community World
difficulty=expert
worldpath=/srv/terraria/Worlds
port=7777
maxplayers=8
motd=Welcome
secure=1The documented difficulty choices are normal, expert, master and journey. Use the value corresponding to the mode you want, and record the exact seed, name, size and world directory in your deployment notes. That record is what lets another administrator recreate the intended setup rather than guessing which generated world was used.
Set the port and make the server reachable
Choose the listening port
Set the same port in the server configuration and in every network rule that protects or forwards it. port=7777 is the standard documented example, but another unused port can be assigned when a different service already occupies 7777 or when several Terraria instances share one computer.
Changing the port changes the number players must use when connecting. It does not by itself make an Internet connection possible; the host firewall and, on a NAT home network, the router must also pass that port.
Allow the port in the host firewall
- Open the operating-system firewall management tool on the computer running the server.
- Create an inbound rule for the server’s listening TCP port, such as 7777.
- Apply the rule to the network profile appropriate for your setup.
- Restart the server if you changed the port after it was already running.
- Test from another device on the same network before testing from the Internet.
The firewall rule must match the configured port. Allowing 7777 while the configuration says 7780 leaves the actual listener blocked.
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Forward the port on a home router
Most home Internet connections use NAT. In that arrangement, players outside the home cannot reach the private address of the server computer until the router forwards the chosen TCP port to that computer.
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- Give the server computer a stable private address, using the router’s address reservation feature or another method appropriate to your network.
- Open the router’s port-forwarding page.
- Create a TCP rule for the external port selected in
port=. - Set the destination to the server computer’s private address and the same internal port.
- Save the rule, confirm the host firewall allows the port, and keep the Terraria process running.
- Give Internet players the host’s external IP address and the configured port when the client asks for it.
Router interfaces use different labels, so the exact menu name varies. The essential mapping is external TCP port to the host computer’s private address and identical internal TCP port.
When UPnP is appropriate
Set upnp=1 if you want Terraria to ask the router to create the mapping automatically and your network permits UPnP. This can remove the manual forwarding step, but the setting is a request, not a guarantee: routers may disable UPnP, restrict it by policy or fail to implement it consistently. If automatic mapping does not work, use a manual TCP rule or disable the attempt with the documented -noupnp command-line option.
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A machine on a non-NAT connection generally does not need router forwarding. It still needs the host firewall rule, and the address players use must be reachable from their networks. A hosted environment may provide its own firewall or network policy; apply the same principle by allowing the configured TCP port at every layer.
Run more than one Terraria server
The official setup guidance requires different configuration files, different worlds and different port numbers for multiple servers on one computer.
- Copy the base configuration into a separate file for each instance.
- Set a unique
world=path or a unique creation/world directory for each instance. - Assign a unique
port=to every file. - Create a matching firewall rule and, for Internet hosting, a matching router-forwarding rule for each port.
- Launch each executable with its own
-configargument.
For example, one process might use server-a.txt, WorldA.wld and port 7777, while another uses server-b.txt, WorldB.wld and port 7778. The names are illustrative; the required property is isolation of files and ports.
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Do not point two instances at the same world file while both are running. Separate files and ports prevent accidental cross-loading and make it clear which process should be stopped or backed up.
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The server reference documents command-line parameters that can supply or override startup values. Relevant options include:
-configfor the configuration-file path.-portfor the listening port.-worldfor the world file.-autocreatefor automatic world size.-worldnameand-seedfor generated-world identity.-banlistand-securefor administration and security settings.-noupnpto prevent an automatic UPnP request.- Steam and lobby options when using the corresponding server features.
Use a configuration file for stable, reviewable defaults and command-line arguments for instance-specific launch scripts. If a value appears in both places, treat the command-line value as the intended startup override and verify it in the server’s startup output.
Operational controls worth setting
Player capacity
maxplayers controls the number of simultaneous players. The documented default maximum is 16, compared with 8 in versions before 1.4.0.1. Set a lower value when the server should have a deliberate cap; do not assume the default matches your community’s needs.
Password and message of the day
A non-empty password= keeps an otherwise reachable server private. motd= gives connecting players a short instruction or welcome message. Avoid putting sensitive information in the message because it is displayed to every joining player.
Secure mode and moderation
secure=1 enables secure mode. Pair it with a maintained banlist= when you need persistent moderation across restarts. Keep the ban-list path separate for each isolated server so an action on one instance does not silently affect another.
Backups and reproducibility
Back up the world file while the server is stopped or at a point when the file is not being written. Keep the configuration, world path, world name, seed, difficulty, size and port in the same administrative record. The seed alone is not enough if the generated-world size, name or destination directory differs.
Troubleshoot the common failures
| Symptom | Likely cause | Checks and fix |
|---|---|---|
| The executable starts but no intended world loads. | The world= path is wrong, inaccessible or points to a different file. |
Use the full path to the intended .wld file, check spelling and permissions, and confirm the startup output names the expected world. |
| A new world is created unexpectedly. | An automatic-creation option is active or the selected world path does not contain the expected file. | For an existing map, use a verified world= path. For a new map, keep autocreate, seed, worldname and worldpath together deliberately. |
| Players on the same home network cannot join. | The host firewall blocks the listener, the server is on a different port than expected, or the wrong local address is being used. | Confirm the process is running, match the client port to port=, allow that TCP port in the firewall, and test with the host’s private address. |
| Local players can join but Internet players cannot. | The router lacks a forwarding rule, the rule points to the wrong private address, or the external address is wrong. | Reserve the host’s private address, forward the configured TCP port to it, verify the firewall rule, and give remote players the current external IP and port. |
| UPnP does not open the port. | The router has UPnP disabled, does not support the request or restricts automatic mappings. | Enable UPnP only if permitted by the network; otherwise create a manual forwarding rule or launch with -noupnp. |
| A second server will not start. | Both processes are trying to use the same port, or the second configuration points to a conflicting resource. | Assign the second instance a different port, configuration file and world, then add matching firewall and router rules. |
| The server accepts more players than intended. | maxplayers is absent or set higher than the desired cap. |
Set an explicit value such as maxplayers=8 and restart the instance. |
| Changes appear to have no effect. | The process was launched with another configuration file, or a command-line option supplied a different value. | Inspect the exact -config path and launch arguments, then restart the correct process. |
A repeatable deployment checklist
- Choose the existing-world or automatic-creation approach.
- Create a text configuration with one
key=valueentry per line and comments beginning with#. - Set a valid world path, or set
autocreate,seed,worldname,difficultyandworldpathfor generation. - Set
port,maxplayers,password,motdand any moderation or security options required. - Launch with the platform executable and
-configpointing to that file. - Allow the same TCP port through the host firewall.
- For a home Internet host, forward that port from the router to the server computer, or test UPnP and confirm that it succeeded.
- Connect locally first, then test from outside the home network.
- Record the final configuration, world path, seed and network details for recovery.
Following that order separates world problems from network problems: first prove that the server loads the intended world, then prove that the host accepts a local connection, and only then troubleshoot router or external-address issues.
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