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How to Upload an Existing World to a Palworld Server

Transfer an existing Palworld dedicated server, single-player or co-op world to your GuavaHost server.

3 min read · Updated Sep 24, 2026 · By GuavaHost Team

You can upload a world from another Palworld server or a local single-player or co-op save.

Important: The world may transfer successfully while an existing player, particularly the original co-op host, is asked to create a new character.

Before You Begin

  1. Stop your GuavaHost server.
  2. Create a server backup.
  3. Keep an untouched copy of the original save.
  4. Compress the world folder into a .zip file.

A valid Palworld world folder normally contains:

Level.sav
LevelMeta.sav
Players

It may also contain:

WorldOption.sav
backup

Character Conversion Disclaimer

Warning: Single-player and co-op characters may require conversion

When moving a single-player or co-op world to a dedicated server, the world may load correctly while the original host is forced to create a new character.

Customers who want to preserve an affected character must perform the conversion themselves using a third-party tool such as:

Palworld Host Save Fix

This is an advanced third-party tool that is not created, maintained or supported by GuavaHost.

GuavaHost support cannot perform the conversion, guarantee that it will work or provide support for the conversion program.

Always keep an untouched backup before attempting any save conversion.

Finding a Local Steam World

On Windows:

  1. Press Windows Key + R.
  2. Enter:
%LOCALAPPDATA%\Pal\Saved\SaveGames
  1. Open the folder containing your Steam account ID.
  2. Open the folder belonging to the world you want to upload.

The world folder normally has a long name similar to:

2E85FD38BAA792EB1D4C09386F3A3CDA

Compress the entire folder into a .zip archive.

Step 1: Upload the World

Open the Files tab and go to:

Pal/Saved/SaveGames/0

Click Upload files to upload the archive into that folder, then click Unpack next to it. Unpack extracts into the folder you are in, so open 0 first.

The browser takes files up to 100 MB. For larger worlds, use Download from a link or follow our SFTP guide.

The final structure should look similar to:

Pal/Saved/SaveGames/0/2E85FD38BAA792EB1D4C09386F3A3CDA/Level.sav

Incorrect:

SaveGames/0/2E85.../2E85.../Level.sav

Correct:

SaveGames/0/2E85.../Level.sav

Step 2: Select the Uploaded World

Copy the exact name of the uploaded world folder.

Standard Palworld Servers

Open:

Pal/Saved/Config/LinuxServer/GameUserSettings.ini

Palworld Proton and UE4SS Servers

Open:

Pal/Saved/Config/WindowsServer/GameUserSettings.ini

Find:

DedicatedServerName=

Set it to the uploaded folder name:

DedicatedServerName=2E85FD38BAA792EB1D4C09386F3A3CDA

Save the file.

If GameUserSettings.ini does not exist, start the server once, allow it to load, then stop it and check again.

Step 3: Start the Server

Start the server and confirm that:

  • The correct world loaded
  • Existing bases are present
  • Storage containers contain the expected items
  • Guilds and Pals are present
  • Returning players can access their characters

Do not delete the original server or local save until everything has been checked.

Troubleshooting

The Server Created a New World

Check that:

  • DedicatedServerName exactly matches the uploaded folder
  • Level.sav is directly inside the world folder
  • The folder is inside Pal/Saved/SaveGames/0
  • You edited the correct Linux or Windows configuration
  • The folder is not nested twice

The World Loaded but My Character Is New

The world transfer worked, but your account was not matched to the original character file.

This commonly happens when transferring:

  • A single-player or co-op host save
  • Between different platforms
  • Between different server types
  • Between accounts with different player IDs

You will need to complete the character conversion yourself using a compatible third-party tool.

GuavaHost support cannot perform or troubleshoot this conversion.

My Settings Are Not Applying

The uploaded world may contain:

WorldOption.sav

This file can control some world settings.

Also check Startup settings on your server's Settings tab, as some settings may be overwritten when the server starts.

Do not delete WorldOption.sav without creating a backup first.

The Server Times Out After Uploading the World

Check that:

  • The archive extracted completely
  • Level.sav is not empty
  • The folder structure is correct
  • The world came from a compatible Palworld version
  • The server has enough available memory

Check the console for the first meaningful startup error.

Related Guides

  • palworld
  • world
  • save
  • upload
  • transfer

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