Migrate a single player Palworld world to your dedicated server and keep your character, pals and bases: back up the save, upload it, join once, fix the host ID with a save tool and upload again.
This works for single-player and co-op worlds. Estimated time: 20 minutes.
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Why migrating a single player Palworld world needs extra steps
In a local world, your character is saved under a generic "host" ID. On a dedicated server, you get a unique ID tied to your Steam account. If you only copy the world files, the server won't recognise your character and you'd spawn as a brand-new level 1. The steps below fix that.
Step 1: Back up your world
- Close Palworld completely.
- Press Windows key + R, type
%LocalAppData%\Pal\Saved\SaveGamesand press Enter. - Open the folder named after your Steam ID. Inside, each world has its own folder with a long letter-and-number name.
- Find your world's folder. Sort by "Date modified": the most recent one is usually the world you last played.
- Copy the entire folder to your Desktop as a backup. Don't skip this: it's your safety net if anything goes wrong.
Step 2: Upload the world to your server
- Stop your dedicated server.
- On the server, go to
Pal/Saved/SaveGames/0/. You'll see a world folder there, most likely called GTXGaming (start the server once first if the folder doesn't exist yet). - Delete the contents of that folder and upload the files from your backed-up world folder in their place:
Level.sav,LevelMeta.sav, thePlayersfolder and anything else inside.
You can upload with File Manager in the game panel or with an SFTP client: see How to connect to your game server via SFTP.
Step 3: Join once with a temporary character
- Start the server and connect to it from your PC.
- Create a new character. This is just a placeholder: you'll get your real one back.
- Walk around and gain at least one level so the server saves your data.
- Disconnect, then stop the server.
- On the server, look in
Pal/Saved/SaveGames/0/<your world>/Players/. You'll see a new.savfile: its filename is your new player ID. Copy that name down (without the.savpart).
Step 4: Fix your character with a save tool
You have two options.
Option A: browser tool (easiest)
Use the Physgun Palworld Save Converter (physgun.com/tools/palworld-save-converter). It runs entirely in your browser, nothing is uploaded, and it can work out your new ID from your Steam profile automatically. Load your world files, run the conversion and download the fixed files.
Option B: PalworldSaveTools
- Download your server's
Level.savandPlayersfolder to your PC. - Download PalworldSaveTools (search "PalworldSaveTools" on GitHub, or go to its GitHub page) and run it.
- Choose Fix Host Save.
- Point it at your
Level.sav, set the old ID to00000000000000000000000000000001and the new ID to the filename you noted in Step 3. - Let it finish: it will produce a fixed
Level.savand player file.
The PalworldSaveTools GitHub page now says version 2.4.5 is its final release and that some features no longer work with newer Palworld versions. Its developers point to PalStudio (formerly Palworld Save Pal) as the successor. If Option B fails, use Option A.
Step 5: Upload the fixed files and play
- With the server stopped, upload the fixed
Level.savandPlayersfolder back toPal/Saved/SaveGames/0/<your world>/, replacing what's there. - Start the server and join. You should be back in your original character with all your pals and bases.
Step 6 (optional): Restore your explored map
Your discovered map is stored on your own PC, not in the world save. To bring it over:
- Join the new server once, then fully quit the game.
- On your PC, go to
%LocalAppData%\Pal\Saved\SaveGames\<your Steam ID>\. - Copy
LocalData.savfrom your old world's folder into the new server's folder (the one created when you joined).
Good to know
- Friends' characters transfer automatically. Only the world host needs the ID fix: other players' data already uses their Steam IDs.
- Playing on Xbox / Game Pass? Your save must be converted to Steam format first. The browser tool in Step 4 handles this: just point it at your Game Pass save folder.
- Keep your backup from Step 1 until you've confirmed everything works. If something goes wrong, restore the backup and try again.
Palworld world migration questions
How do I migrate a single player Palworld world to a dedicated server?
Back up your world from %LocalAppData%\Pal\Saved\SaveGames, upload its files into the world folder in Pal/Saved/SaveGames/0/ on your server, join once with a temporary character to get your new player ID, then fix the host save with a save tool and upload the fixed Level.sav and Players folder.
Why did I spawn as a new level 1 character?
In a local world the host is saved under the generic ID 00000000000000000000000000000001. A dedicated server gives you a new ID tied to your Steam account, so it doesn't recognise the old character until you fix the host save (Step 4).
Do my friends need to fix their characters too?
No. Friends' characters transfer automatically, because their data already uses their Steam IDs. Only the world host needs the ID fix.
Can I move a Game Pass Palworld world to a server?
Yes. The save has to be converted to Steam format first. The Physgun Palworld Save Converter does this: point it at your Game Pass save folder.
Want your own Palworld server? See our Palworld server hosting page.
Related guides
Need a hand with any step? Our support team is available 24/7 and happy to help: open a support ticket.
