How to Upload a Singleplayer World to a Factorio Server

Last modified on Nov 3, 2022 in factorio

By Dalton Whalen

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Overview

When you first own a Factorio server, starting over from scratch can be daunting if you have a previous world filled with all of your progress. Whether you have spent a few or several hundred hours playing, starting from scratch may not be desired. Luckily, Factorio has easy access to save files, allowing you to add any singleplayer save file to a dedicated server for use. This can be beneficial for letting your friends join an existing world or simply to carry over the items you worked hard to achieve. With Apex Hosting, loading a singleplayer world is as easy as adjusting a text field, so this tutorial will guide you through all the necessary steps to achieve this goal.
 

Locating your World

1. While on your computer, ensure Factorio is closed.
2. On the keyboard, use the Windows Key + R.
   
3. In the new dialogue box, paste the following:

   %appdata%/Factorio/saves

4. Press Enter to open the save file location.
5. Here, locate and make note of the .zip save you wish to upload.
   

Uploading to the Panel

When loading large files, we advise using an external FTP Program, such as Filezilla. While most Factorio saves can be uploaded in the panel’s file browser, large saves should make use of external applications to prevent errors.

1. Log into the Apex Server Panel, then stop the server.
2. In the left-hand menu, select the FTP File Access.
3. Enter your panel password to log into the FTP area.
4. Here, locate and enter the Saves folder.
   
5. Afterwards, press Upload in the top-left.
6. On the new page, drag + drop the save .zip into the right-hand side.
7. Once at 100%, return to the main panel page.
   

Configuring the Server

1. Press the server name at the top of the screen to return to the panel page.
2. Scroll down and locate the World section.
3. In the text field, replace the world name with the name of the .zip file.
   
4. After this is adjusted, press Change World to confirm this adjustment.
   
5. Finally, press Restart in the next pop-up to start Factorio with your desired save file.

Common Issues

My world does not appear after changing the name:
Oftentimes, this can occur if the save file was not properly uploaded. When uploading your save file, ensure it is inside of the Saves folder itself. If the file is in any other location, the server will be unable to find it. Additionally, ensure you do not unzip the file at any point during the upload. Since Factorio reads all saves in the .zip format, extracting it will result in the world being undetectable by the server.

It is uploaded correctly, but is still not working:
If everything is in the correct spot, then the server may not be looking for the correct file. Return to the main panel page, then return to the World change field. Here, ensure the name entered matches the file name exactly, excluding the .zip at the end. If symbols, capitals, or anything else are not included in the name, it will not be loaded up. If issues are still occurring, change the name of the .zip file to something easier, then try again.
 

Helpful Links

FTP Guide
Factorio Steam Page