How to Upload a World Save to Your Palworld Server

What You Need

Every Palworld world save consists of three essential pieces:

Method 1: Transferring from Another Dedicated Server

Step 1: Locate Your Save Files

On your old server, find the save data at:

Palworld/Saved/SaveGames/0/{WorldGUID}/

The {WorldGUID} is a long alphanumeric folder name — there will be one folder per world. Inside it, you'll find Level.sav, LevelMeta.sav, and the Players/ folder.

Step 2: Upload to Your New Server

1. Log into your new server's control panel
2. Stop the server
3. Open File Manager and navigate to: Palworld/Saved/SaveGames/0/
4. Delete (or rename) the existing world folder
5. Upload your save folder — maintaining the same directory structure
6. Start the server

Tip: Keep the original world folder's GUID name if possible. If you rename it, the server will create a new world on next start unless you update the server settings to point to the correct folder.

Step 3: Character File System Mismatch

If characters don't load correctly after upload, your old server may have used a different Character File System (Steam vs. Epic):

1. Go to Settings in your control panel
2. Find Character File System
3. Toggle between Steam and Epic and reboot — try both to see which restores characters

Method 2: Transferring from a Co-op Session

Co-op saves use a different file structure and player GUID format than dedicated servers. Direct file copy will not work — you must use the community tool:

palworld-host-save-fix by xNul converts co-op save files to dedicated server format.

Process:

1. Find your co-op save folder — on Windows it's typically:

   %LOCALAPPDATA%\Pal\Saved\SaveGames\{SteamID}\{WorldID}\
   

2. Run the tool per its README instructions to convert the GUID format
3. After conversion, upload Level.sav, LevelMeta.sav, and the Players/ folder to your server's save directory via the panel File Manager
4. Skip WorldOption.sav — leave it out entirely, it conflicts with dedicated server config and will cause problems

Heads up on characters: The co-op and dedicated server formats use different player GUID schemes. The tool bridges this gap, but a small percentage of transfers still end up triggering the "create a new character" prompt. Always have a backup before you start, and don't panic if it happens — see Palworld Characters and Progress Lost.

Troubleshooting

World loads but is empty / a new world

• The server is loading the default new world instead of your upload
• Confirm files are in the correct path: Saved/SaveGames/0/{WorldGUID}/
• Check that the world GUID matches what the server expects

Characters missing or new character prompt appears

• Try toggling the Character File System between Steam and Epic
• Ensure the Players/ folder contains the correct .sav files with matching GUIDs

Related

• Palworld Backups — protect your save before transferring
• Palworld Characters and Progress Lost — if characters disappear after transfer
• How to Connect to Your Palworld Server