Set Up and Join Your Valheim Server

Valheim

3 min readBeginnerLast updated Oct 29, 2026

Your Valheim server runs Iron Gate's official dedicated server. The panel installs and updates it from Steam; everything you'll normally change is on the Startup page.

What it needs


Memory	4 GB for a few players; 6–8 GB for 6+ players or a large explored world.
Ports	Your port and the next one up (e.g. 40020 and 40021), UDP. Ask us for the second port if Network shows only one. With crossplay on, players can also join through a join code.

Settings (Startup)

Setting	What it does
Server Name	Shown in the server list.
World Name	The world to load or create (`Dedicated` by default). Change it to start a new world; old ones stay in the save folder.
Server Password	Required: at least 5 characters, and it must not contain the server name. Valheim refuses to start otherwise.
Public Server	`1` lists it in the community browser; `0` hides it (join by address or code).
Enable Crossplay	`1` lets Xbox and PC Game Pass players join, through Valheim's relay, using a join code.
Backup Interval / Count / Shorttime / Longtime	Valheim's own world backups: how often it saves (seconds) and how many backup copies it keeps.
Auto Update	Keep on: players can't join an older server version.

Save, then Restart.

Join

Steam, by address: Start Game → Join Game → Join IP, enter gameprod1.crashcrafts.com:<port>, then the password.

Crossplay (Xbox, PC Game Pass, or Steam with crossplay on): the console prints a join code a minute after start (look for "join code"). In game, choose Join Game → Add server / join code, enter the code, then the password. The code changes every time the server restarts.

Make yourself admin

Find your platform ID: on Steam it's your SteamID64 (17 digits, e.g. from steamid.io); on Xbox, ask us or read it from the server log when you join ("Got connection SteamID …" / "PlayFab ID").
Stop the server.
Open adminlist.txt in the save folder (see below) and add one ID per line. For crossplay IDs use the full platform form shown in the log, e.g. Steam_76561198000000000.
Start. In game, press F5 for the console. Admin commands: kick <name/ID>, ban <name/ID>, unban <ID>, banned, save, ping, lodbias, info.

Next to adminlist.txt are bannedlist.txt (bans) and permittedlist.txt: if it has any IDs in it, only those players can join.

Your files

Path	What's in it
`.config/unity3d/IronGate/Valheim/worlds_local/`	Your worlds: `<World>.db` and `<World>.fwl`, plus Valheim's own backups. Back these up.
`.config/unity3d/IronGate/Valheim/adminlist.txt`	Admins.
`.config/unity3d/IronGate/Valheim/bannedlist.txt`	Bans.
`.config/unity3d/IronGate/Valheim/permittedlist.txt`	Whitelist (empty = everyone allowed).

Upload a world from your own game

On Windows your worlds are in %USERPROFILE%\AppData\LocalLow\IronGate\Valheim\worlds_local\ (or worlds for older Steam-cloud worlds).
Stop the server. Upload both <World>.db and <World>.fwl to worlds_local on the server.
Set World Name to that world's name and Start.