Force a World Save on Your Valheim Server
Manually save your Valheim world to protect against data loss, plus how to configure auto-save intervals.
Valheim auto-saves every 30 minutes by default. You can force a save at any time to protect recent progress before maintenance, mod changes, or shutdowns.
Force Save
Open the Console
In the XGamingServer Panel, click Console in the sidebar.
Send the save command
Type:
saveThe server will save the current world state. Look for "Saving world" in the console output.
Connect as admin
You must be on the admin list.
Open the in-game console
Press F5.
When to Force Save
| Situation | Why |
|---|---|
| Before shutdown | Protect any unsaved progress |
| Before mod changes | Roll back if something breaks |
| Before configuration changes | Same as above |
| After major events | Boss fights, large builds, milestones |
| Before backups | Ensures the backup captures the latest state |
Note: The server saves automatically when shut down gracefully via the Stop button. Force-killing the server (or a crash) loses any unsaved changes.
Configure the Auto-Save Interval
The -saveinterval startup parameter controls how often the server auto-saves. The default is 30 minutes (1800 seconds).
Open Startup
Click Startup in the panel sidebar.
Set the save interval
Find the Save Interval variable and set it in seconds:
| Interval | Seconds |
|---|---|
| Every 10 minutes | 600 |
| Every 15 minutes | 900 |
| Every 20 minutes | 1200 |
| Every 30 minutes (default) | 1800 |
Tip: Shorter save intervals protect more progress but cause brief lag spikes when saving. 15–20 minutes is a good balance for most servers.
Backup Configuration
Valheim also creates automatic backup snapshots. Configure them via Startup:
| Parameter | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|
-backups | 4 | Number of backup files to keep |
-backupshort | 7200 | First backup interval in seconds (2 hours) |
-backuplong | 43200 | Subsequent backup interval (12 hours) |
Backups are stored alongside your world files with .old extensions. See Backup & Restore.
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