How to Upload an Existing World on Valheim

For those who want to upload their existing world to a Valheim server, you’re in luck! There’s a straightforward way to do that, which will only take a few minutes. This process involves you preparing and locating the world folder, uploading it to the server files, then activating the world. Since the release of 1.0, there have been changes to the file save structure. In this Apex Hosting guide, we’ll show you how to upload existing worlds to your Valheim server 👏
 

World Preparation

1. Launch Valheim and click Start Game in the menu.
2. Select Manage Saves at the bottom.
   
3. Click the Worlds button at the top.
4. Select your world, then press Move to Local at the bottom.
   
5. If it says Move to Cloud, then you don’t need to do anything.

 
⚠️ If you have a world that was created before Valheim 1.0, load it and save. Afterwards, you must ensure that it’s moved to your local saves folder. This process cannot be reversed.
 
Now you must locate the world files on your computer. Follow the instructions:

1. Press the Windows Key + R on your keyboard.
2. Copy and paste: %APPDATA%\..\LocalLow
   
3. Click OK to open the file explorer window.
4. Navigate to IronGate > Valheim > worlds_local
   
5. Locate your world save folder. Make sure the name matches.

Uploading Your World

1. Head towards your Apex server panel and stop the server.
2. Navigate to File Management > FTP File Access on the left.
   
3. Login with your FTP password.
4. Drag + drop your world save folder in the worlds_local directory.
   
5. Wait for everything to upload.
6. Return to the main panel, and click Change World
   
7. Enter the name of your uploaded world.
8. Click Change World, then Restart Now when prompted.
   
9. Join the server to confirm this worked.

FAQ – Valheim Uploading Worlds

Why am I not seeing a world folder in worlds_local?

If your existing world was using an older version of Valheim, pre-1.0, then it’s saved differently. You must load and save the world, then ensure you “Move to Local” to automatically convert it. This process cannot be undone, so we recommend taking backups on your computer.
 

Why isn’t my server using my uploaded world?

Double-check that you entered the same exact name in the server panel when changing worlds. The name needs to be identical to the world save you uploaded in the FTP panel. Otherwise, it will generate and use a new default world. Otherwise, you might have not fully uploaded the world.
 

Why is my world upload not working in FTP?

If your world save is too large, then the web-based FTP panel will bottleneck. In this situation, we strongly recommend using an external program to access the server files so you can do the transfer. Click here to learn more about that process.