Valheim The WinterNode Game Control Panel provides a few easily configurable options under the Server Options tab on your server page. These options make use of common command line arguments and are needed for the server to function as expected, but may be changed as needed using the fields provided in the modals.
Server Name
The name of your Valheim server in the server list.
Server Password
The password players enter to join. Valheim checks it on every start when Public Server is 1, and the server exits if the check fails, so a bad password looks like a server that will not start. Two rules:
- At least 5 characters. Shorter, including blank, logs
Error bad password:The password is too shortand the server stops - Not contained in the World Name (or the world seed). A world named
Vikingswith the passwordVikinglogsError bad password:Invalid passwordand stops. Letters have to match case for this to trigger
Only an unlisted server (Public Server 0) can run without a password.
World Name
The name of your world. Since 1.0, Valheim uses it unchanged as the folder name of your save under worlds_local (before 1.0 it was the .db and .fwl file name) and does not check it for characters that break a path. Keep to letters, digits, spaces, - and _.
We have seen a : in the world name let the server start while every player hung at the loading screen with no error, which looks exactly like a corrupt world. Reinstalling does not clear it, because the install never touches the worlds folder. Rename the world in this field and restart. To load a world you already have, enter its exact name; see Import Your Valheim World.
Auto Update
Whether or not your server should update on start. Defaults to true. Setting this to 1 enables auto update and 0 disables it.
Enable Crossplay
Panel label: [REQUIRED] Enable Crossplay. A toggle that controls whether players on platforms other than Steam can join. It is on by default and we recommend leaving it on, both so console players can join and because the 6 digit join codes rely on it. If everyone plays through Steam and the server will not accept connections or desyncs with it on, turning it off is a known fix. See the connecting guide before you change it.
Public Server
Whether your server is advertised in the in-game Community server list. Setting this to 1 lists the server, 0 keeps it unlisted. Players can still join an unlisted server by IP or invite code.
Beta Branch
This specifies which, if any, beta branch you’d like your server to run on.
Beta Password
The password for the beta branch you’ve selected. Found as part of the update logs.
Server Modifiers
Panel label: [ADVANCED] Server Modifiers. Appends world modifier flags to the server’s startup command, letting you change combat difficulty, resource rates, raid frequency, portal rules, and the toggle keys without touching a config file. Leave it blank to run default settings.
Enter the flags exactly as Valheim expects them, for example:
-modifier combat hard -modifier resources moreFor the full list of modifiers, valid values, toggle keys, and which changes an existing world will accept, see How to Change Valheim World Modifiers.
Player Limit
There isn’t one. Valheim caps every server at 10 players in the game’s own code, so no option here changes it and no plan raises it. See Valheim Player Limit for what a mod can and can’t do about that.
Backup Interval
Panel label: [REQUIRED] Backup Interval. Despite the name, this field is the world save interval, not a backup setting. It sets how often in seconds the server writes the live world to disk, and maps to -saveinterval on the startup command. The default is 1800, or 30 minutes.
Lowering it narrows the window of progress you can lose to an unclean shutdown, which is why support sometimes suggests dropping it after a world loss. The trade-off is that each save pauses the server briefly, so a low value on a large world shows up as a regular lag spike. Raising it does the opposite.
Backup Count, Shorttime, and Longtime
These three control Valheim’s own automatic backups, which are written next to the live world in .config/unity3d/IronGate/Valheim/worlds_local.
| Panel field | Startup flag | Default | What it sets |
|---|---|---|---|
[REQUIRED] Backup Count | -backups | 4 | How many automatic backups are kept before the oldest is rotated out |
[REQUIRED] Backup Shorttime | -backupshort | 7200 (2 hours) | How long after startup the first automatic backup is taken |
[REQUIRED] Backup Longtime | -backuplong | 43200 (12 hours) | The interval between every automatic backup after that first one |
On the defaults that works out to one backup roughly 2 hours old and three more spaced 12 hours apart.