Reviewed guide
How to Set Up a Palworld Dedicated Server
Configure a persistent Palworld server, choose sensible multiplayer settings, protect the save, and fix changes that do not apply.
A dedicated server keeps a Palworld world available without requiring the original co-op host to stay in the game. The exact control-panel labels vary between hosts, but the safe setup order is the same: choose the correct platform and region, secure the server, make a backup, change only the settings your group needs, then restart and test the connection.
Choose the platform, region, and capacity
Select the edition that matches the players joining the server, then choose a server region with low latency for most of the group. Size the player limit for the people who will actually play rather than selecting an unnecessarily large cap. More players, bases, and active workers increase the load on the server.
Set the server identity and password
Give the server a recognizable name and a short description so players can identify it in the browser. Add a server password before sharing the address. Keep the admin password private and different from the player password; anyone with admin access may be able to alter the world or connected players.
Create a backup before changing settings
Enable automatic backups and schedule them for a quiet period when few players are online. Also create a manual backup before importing a world, changing base or worker limits, enabling hardcore rules, or installing server modifications. A backup is only useful if you know where it is stored and how to restore it from the hosting panel.
Start with a small set of server settings
For a casual group, the most useful first adjustments are experience gain, egg-hatching time, work speed, day and night speed, death penalty, fast travel, and resource respawn. Keep the first change set small. Save it, restart the server, play one session, and adjust again only after the group can feel the result.
Base Camp Max Num and worker limits deserve extra care. Raising both aggressively can create a large number of active Pals and production tasks, especially on a populated server. Set limits that match the server hardware and increase them gradually while watching performance.
Save, review, and restart
Stop the server before major configuration work whenever the panel recommends it. Review the old and new values before confirming the save, then restart when the panel reports that a restart is required. Many gameplay settings are read during startup and will not affect the running world immediately.
Connect and verify the result
Start the server and wait until its status shows that it is running. In Palworld, open the multiplayer server browser or direct-connect flow, enter the server address and password, and save the entry to recent servers if the game offers that option. Test with one player before inviting the whole group.
Confirm the server name, password, player limit, and one easily observed setting such as day speed. If those values are correct, check a second account before assuming that permission or progression settings work for everyone.
Fix settings that do not apply
First confirm that the server was restarted and that you edited the configuration attached to the active instance. If a transferred world includes WorldOption.sav, that file can override settings entered elsewhere in the panel. Decide whether the world will be controlled by the panel configuration or by the uploaded world-options file; mixing both without a clear owner makes changes appear to be ignored.
If the server still uses old values, stop it, make another backup, verify the active save path, and check whether WorldOption.sav is present. Avoid deleting or replacing the file until the backup has been tested. After resolving the conflict, restart and verify one setting at a time.
Keep the server stable
Make configuration changes while no players are connected, maintain regular backups, and avoid raising every rate or limit at once. Server-only mods should be installed only when they match the server operating system and current game build. Follow each mod's client requirements exactly: a server-only mod may not need a client installation, while an incompatible client copy can cause connection or stability problems.