Install it with SteamCMD
The dedicated server app ID is 294420. One line downloads or updates it:
steamcmd +force_install_dir "your\install\path" +login anonymous +app_update 294420 -validate +quit
Swap in -beta latest_experimental for the experimental build, or a named branch such as -beta a20.4 to pin an older version. On Windows the server needs the Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributables from 2022 onward, which is a dull dependency that produces a confusing failure if it is missing.
On Linux, SteamCMD is the documented way to install and maintain the server too. Check the start script points at the 64-bit build.
Copy the config file before you touch it
This is the single piece of advice that matters most. The server ships with serverconfig.xml, and the guidance is to never run the default file. Rename your copy to something unique, and point the start script at it by editing -configfile= to match. A game update can overwrite the shipped file. It will not overwrite myserver.xml.
Inside the file, change only what sits inside value=. Edit anything else in the line and you risk more than that setting: in our test a property name the server did not know stopped it from starting.
The start script itself, startdedicated.bat, usually needs no editing. It writes a steam_appid.txt, launches the server with -quit -batchmode -nographics -configfile=serverconfig.xml -dedicated, waits, and then opens a connection to the service interface on port 8081.
The settings people actually change
| Property | Default | What it does |
|---|---|---|
ServerName | My Game Host | The name shown in the browser. |
ServerPassword | empty | Password required to enter. Leave blank for an open server. |
ServerPort | 26900 | Keep it in 26900 to 26905, or 27015 to 27020, if you want machines on the same network to find it as a local server. |
ServerVisibility | 2 | 2 public, 1 friends only, 0 not listed. The wiki notes that 1 is close to useless on a dedicated server, since nobody can be its friend. |
ServerMaxPlayerCount | 8 | 8 is the supported maximum. The wiki warns that anything over 30 corrupts save data. |
GameWorld | Navezgane | The handcrafted map, a shipped world such as Pregen06k01, or RWG for a generated one. |
WorldGenSeed, WorldGenSize | MyGame, 6144 | Seed and size for a generated world. The shipped file supports sizes from 6144 to 10240, in multiples of 2048. |
GameName | MyGame | Sets the save game name and the seed used for placing scenery. |
SandboxCode | AAAJABJACJADJARFBNC | V3's Sandbox Options, which replaced GameDifficulty, DayNightLength, BloodMoonFrequency and 27 other old properties. The 7 Days to Die server settings reference lists every property and explains how to make a code. |
Two settings carry warnings in the shipped file itself. Changing MaxSpawnedZombies, 64 by default, "can have a huge impact on performance", and ServerMaxAllowedViewDistance is marked as having a high impact on performance. BloodMoonEnemyCount, which older guides list here, moved into the Sandbox Options in V3.
Networking has one setting worth understanding rather than copying. ServerDisabledNetworkProtocols ships with SteamNetworking disabled, which is right when your ports are forwarded properly, because Steam's relay routes traffic through its own network and adds delay. LiteNetLib is the primary protocol and should only be disabled while troubleshooting.
Ports
On the machine's own firewall, open TCP 26900, and 8080 to 8081 only if you plan to administer the server remotely on the default ports. On UDP, open 26900 to 26903.
On a router, forward 26900 TCP and 26900 to 26903 UDP. Some devices need a restart before the rule takes effect, which is worth ruling out before you assume the config is wrong.
The remote console is telnet, on port 8081 by default. One detail deserves attention: if TelnetPassword is empty the server only listens on the local loopback interface. That is a sensible default, and it also means a remote telnet connection that refuses you is probably telling you to set a password rather than open a port.
Saves, worlds and admins
One setting in the config moves your data: UserDataFolder, which overrides where the server keeps everything it generates, generated worlds and saves included. It ships commented out, and the file carries the reminder that matters: uncomment the entry, or the override does nothing. Older guides also name SaveGameFolder, but V3 no longer knows it, and in our test that line stopped the server from starting with "Unknown config option".
Admins live in serveradmin.xml, named by AdminFileName and found relative to the save game folder. Keep that list to people you would trust with the world, because that is what it is.
The file's closing note says there are several game settings you cannot change when starting a new game, but console commands can change at least some of them in game, in the shape setgamepref BedrollDeadZoneSize 30. Decide your world size, seed and game name before the first launch rather than after.
Self-hosting or renting
If you have a machine that stays on, self-hosting 7 Days to Die is free and you keep every file. For a group of friends on one map, that is often the right answer and you should take it.
The honest costs are these. The world is the most demanding thing on the machine on horde night, which is exactly when you least want it to stumble, and it should not be the computer somebody is playing on. Many home connections cannot accept incoming connections at all, no matter how the router is configured. Updates, crashes and restarts are yours to catch. And the wiki's own warnings about corrupted save data are a reminder that this world can be lost, so keep copies somewhere off the machine.
Renting moves those chores rather than removing them. The map, the difficulty, the blood moon schedule and the admin list are still your decisions.
Where ForgeWorld Gaming fits
Prefer renting to keeping your own server machine online? ForgeWorld Gaming currently offers 7 Days to Die Standard: 4, 8 player slots at CA$16.49–CA$20.49/month. Hosted in Iowa, United States. Prices are in Canadian dollars, with no setup fee and cancel any time. Your server is set up automatically after payment. Continue to secure billing, 7 Days to Die · Dedicated server, CA$16.49 / month (Standard, 4 slots), or compare 7 Days to Die plans.