# How to Find or Set the World Seed on Your Valheim Server (/docs/valheim/world-seed)



import { Step, Steps } from 'fumadocs-ui/components/steps';

Valheim seeds are **locked at world creation** — you can't change a world's seed after it's been generated. To use a different seed, you create a new world.

Find Your Current Seed [#find-your-current-seed]

The seed is stored in the world's `.fwl` metadata file.

<Steps>
  <Step>
    In-game (easiest) [#in-game-easiest]

    Join the server with admin access. Open the in-game console with **F5** and type:

    ```
    genloc
    ```

    This prints the current seed to the console.
  </Step>

  <Step>
    From the world creation screen [#from-the-world-creation-screen]

    You can also see the seed when creating a new world locally — paste the seed string into the seed field on Valheim's world creation screen.
  </Step>
</Steps>

Start a New World with a Seed [#start-a-new-world-with-a-seed]

Valheim doesn't have a `-seed` startup parameter. To use a specific seed, create the world **locally** first:

<Steps>
  <Step>
    Create the world locally [#create-the-world-locally]

    In Valheim's main menu, click **Worlds** > **New** and enter your desired seed in the **Seed** field. Choose a name and create the world.
  </Step>

  <Step>
    Find the world files [#find-the-world-files]

    Navigate to:

    ```
    %userprofile%\AppData\LocalLow\IronGate\Valheim\worlds_local\
    ```

    You'll find `<WorldName>.db` and `<WorldName>.fwl`.
  </Step>

  <Step>
    Upload to the server [#upload-to-the-server]

    Follow the [Upload a World](/docs/valheim/import-save) guide to transfer both files to your server.
  </Step>

  <Step>
    Update the World variable [#update-the-world-variable]

    In **Startup**, set the **World** variable to your uploaded world name. Restart the server.
  </Step>
</Steps>

Random Seeds [#random-seeds]

If you don't specify a world name on a fresh server, Valheim auto-generates a world with a random seed using the world name from `-world`. The seed is stored in the `.fwl` file when the world is first created.

Related Guides [#related-guides]

* [World Save Files](/docs/valheim/world-save-files)
* [Manage Worlds](/docs/valheim/manage-worlds)
* [Upload an Existing World](/docs/valheim/import-save)