Back Up and Restore Your Server
Create, manage, and restore backups of your Project Zomboid server world, player data, and configuration.
Regular backups protect your server from data loss, corruption, and accidental changes. This guide covers how to back up and restore your Project Zomboid server.
What to Back Up
Project Zomboid saves are located at:
Zomboid/Saves/Multiplayer/[servername]/This folder contains:
- Map data — chunk files, explored areas, building states
- Player data —
players.dbwith all character info - Vehicle data — vehicle positions and conditions
- Server config —
[servername].iniand_SandboxVars.lua
Create a Manual Backup
Via XGamingServer Panel
Create a backup
Go to Backups in your panel sidebar and create a new backup.
Download the backup
Download the backup file for off-site storage.
Via File Manager
Force save
Run /save in the console.
Download the save folder
Go to Files, navigate to Zomboid/Saves/Multiplayer/[servername]/, and download the entire folder.
Set Up Automatic Backups
On XGamingServer, automatic backups are available through the Backups page in your panel. You can configure:
- Backup frequency — how often backups are created
- Retention — how many backups to keep
💡 Tip: Set up daily backups and keep at least 7 days of history. This gives you a week of restore points if something goes wrong.
Restore from a Backup
Stop your server
Stop the server from the Dashboard.
Restore the backup
Go to Backups, find the backup you want to restore, and click Restore.
Start the server
Start the server from the Dashboard.
Restore Specific Files
If you only need to restore certain data:
Player Data Only
Restore just players.db from the backup to recover player characters without resetting the world.
World Data Only
Restore the map/chunk files while keeping the current players.db to reset the world but keep players.
Configuration Only
Restore [servername].ini and _SandboxVars.lua to recover server settings.
Best Practices
- Back up before major changes — mod updates, version updates, config changes
- Back up before wipes — always save a copy before resetting
- Keep off-site backups — download backups to your local machine periodically
- Test your backups — occasionally restore to a test instance to verify they work
Related Guides
See also: Reset Server | Reset World | Configure Your Server
If you need help, join our Discord.
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