How to Connect to Your Project Zomboid Server
Connecting to your Project Zomboid server takes about a minute: grab the IP and port from your GuavaHost panel, add it under Join in the main menu, and enter your username and password to drop into the world.
2 min read · Updated Sep 24, 2026 · By GuavaHost Team
Find your connect address
Sign in to your control panel at customer.guavahost.com, open My servers and click Manage on your server. At the top of the server page you will see the address, with a copy button next to it, shown as something like 123.45.67.89:16261. That is your connect address. The Ports & network card on the Overview tab lists it too. 16261 is the default Project Zomboid port, and unless you changed it, that is the number you will use.
If the status says Offline, press Start at the top of the server page, then watch the Console tab and wait for the log to finish loading before you try to join.
Add the server in-game
- Launch Project Zomboid and click Join on the main menu.
- Select the Favorites tab. On the right you will see a small form.
- In Server name type any label you like, for example your server's name.
- In IP paste the address from the panel (just the numbers before the colon).
- In Port enter
16261, or whatever port your panel shows. - Fill in your Account Username and Account Password. These are yours to choose.
- Click Save, then select the server and click Join.
About your username and password
Project Zomboid creates a character account per server the first time you connect. The username and password you type are what the server remembers you by, so use the same ones every time or you will start a brand new character. If the server owner set a join password (the Password line in servertest.ini), you will also be asked for that when you connect.
Use Favorites, not just the Internet list
The Internet tab shows public servers, but it can be slow to refresh and easy to lose your server in. Adding your server to Favorites by IP is the most reliable way to get in every time, and it works even if the server is set to private.
If you cannot connect
- Server still starting? A fresh boot, or one downloading mods, can take a few minutes. Watch the Console tab until you see the line saying the server is ready.
- Wrong password? The join password and your account password are two different things. Double check both.
- Mods out of date? If the server runs Workshop mods, Steam needs to finish downloading them on your PC before you can join. Let Steam update, then relaunch the game.
- Game versions differ? The server and your game must be on the same build. If the server runs the Stable branch, make sure your Steam copy is not opted into the Unstable beta.
- High ping? If the server is in a distant region, expect more lag. You can move your server yourself with Change location on the Location card on your server's Overview tab.
Still stuck? Jump into our Discord at discord.gg/GuavaHost and the team will help you out.
- project-zomboid
- connecting
- multiplayer
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