How to Manage Worlds and Saves on Your Project Zomboid Server

Project Zomboid saves all your progress as a world on your server. Knowing how to manage that world from the RiverHosting panel means you can protect your progress, start fresh when you want to, and keep everything organised without touching any files by hand.

This guide walks you through the tools available on your Project Zomboid server page so you can handle your saves with confidence.

Before you start

• You need an active Project Zomboid server with RiverHosting.
• Log in to the panel at panel.riverhosting.com and open your server.
• Stop your server before making changes to worlds or saves. This prevents file corruption.

1. Finding your world saves in the panel

The RiverHosting panel gives you a dedicated page for managing your Project Zomboid saves.

1. Log in to panel.riverhosting.com.
2. Click on your Project Zomboid server from the list.
3. In the left-hand menu, click Saves.
4. You will see your current world save listed here, along with options to manage it.

2. Backing up your world before making changes

Before you delete or replace a world, it is a good idea to create a backup. This gives you a safe copy you can restore from if anything goes wrong.

1. In the left-hand menu, click Backups.
2. Click the button to create a new backup.
3. Wait for the backup to finish. This usually only takes a moment.
4. Your backup will appear in the list. You can download it or restore from it at any time.

3. Deleting your world to start fresh

If you want to wipe your server and generate a brand new world, you can delete the current save from the Saves page.

1. Make sure your server is stopped.
2. In the left-hand menu, click Saves.
3. Find the save you want to remove and click the delete option next to it.
4. Confirm the deletion when prompted.
5. Start your server again. Project Zomboid will automatically generate a fresh world on the next startup.

4. Adjusting world settings before generating a new world

Before you start your server on a fresh world, you can adjust how that world is generated. The panel gives you a dedicated page for this.

1. In the left-hand menu, click World Settings.
2. Review the available options. These typically include settings like sandbox rules, zombie population, loot rarity, and respawn behaviour.
3. Adjust any settings you want to change.
4. Save your changes.
5. Start your server. The new settings will apply when the world generates.

5. Downloading a save for safekeeping

You can download your world save directly from the panel if you want to keep a local copy on your computer.

1. In the left-hand menu, click Backups.
2. Create a backup if you have not already done so.
3. Once the backup appears in the list, click the download button next to it.
4. Your browser will download the backup file to your computer.

6. Uploading a save or restoring from a backup

If you have a backup saved in the panel, you can restore it directly from the Backups page.

1. Stop your server.
2. In the left-hand menu, click Backups.
3. Find the backup you want to restore and click the restore button next to it.
4. Confirm the restore when prompted.
5. Start your server. It will load from the restored backup.

If you have a save file from outside the panel that you want to upload, you can use the File Manager to place it in the correct folder.

1. Stop your server.
2. In the left-hand menu, click Files to open the File Manager.
3. Navigate to the folder where Project Zomboid stores its world data. This is typically inside the Saves directory.
4. Upload your save files using the upload button.
5. Start your server once the upload is complete.

Troubleshooting

• The server generated a new world instead of loading my save. Check that your save folder is in the correct location in the File Manager and that the folder name matches the world name set in your server configuration.
• World Settings changes did not apply. Most world generation settings only take effect on a new world. Wipe the current save and restart the server to apply them.
• The restore button is greyed out or unavailable. Make sure your server is stopped before trying to restore. Restoring while the server is running is not allowed to protect your data.
• I cannot find my save in the Saves page. If no save appears, your server may not have been started yet and no world has been generated. Start the server once to let it create the world, then stop it and check again.
• The backup download is taking a long time. Large world saves can take a moment to compress and prepare for download. Wait for the panel to finish preparing the file before clicking download again.

Need help?

If you run into any issues managing your Project Zomboid worlds or saves, the RiverHosting support team is here to help.