How to Change Your Valheim Server Password
Changing your Valheim server password takes about 30 seconds — but there's one rule that will crash your server if you miss it.
Where the Password Lives
The server password is set via the -password flag in your startup command. There's no config file for it — it lives entirely in the launch arguments.
Find your startup command in the control panel (commonly labeled "Startup Parameters," "Command Line," or "Launch Arguments"). It will look something like:
./valheim_server.x86_64 -name "My Server" -world "MyWorld" -password "OldPassword" -nographics -batchmode
Changing the Password
Update the value in quotes after -password:
./valheim_server.x86_64 -name "My Server" -world "MyWorld" -password "NewPassword" -nographics -batchmode
Save the change and restart the server. The new password is active as soon as the server finishes starting up.
The One Rule You Cannot Break
The password cannot be the same as the world name.
This isn't a warning — if you set -password "MyWorld" -world "MyWorld", Valheim will silently fail to start. No error message in the control panel, the server just doesn't come up.
If your server is crashing immediately after startup and you can't figure out why, check this first. It's one of the most common "mystery crash" causes.
Setting a Public (No Password) Server
Pass an empty string:
-password ""
This makes the server joinable by anyone without a password prompt. Fair warning: public Valheim servers tend to attract griefers. Consider using the whitelist to keep things under control even without a password.
Password Requirements
- Minimum 5 characters
- Cannot match the world name (see above)
- No other restrictions — letters, numbers, symbols all work
After You Change It
Let your players know the new password. They'll enter it in the in-game join dialog the next time they connect. The game doesn't notify them automatically.