7 days to die default serverconfig.xml

Most of the gameplay settings that guides tell you to change in serverconfig.xml are not in that file any more. V3.0 "Dead Hot Summer" removed thirty legacy properties and folded them into a single new SandboxCode value. The file still exists and still matters — it holds server identity, world selection, slots, spawn caps and remote access — but the difficulty, loot, zombie and blood moon dials moved out. This page covers what stayed, what moved, and how to set the moved ones now.

Version this page was checked against

V3.1.0 "Henpocalypse", the stable release of 27 July 2026. The property removals landed in V3.0 (stable 29 June 2026) and V3.1.0 changed several sandbox options again. The serverconfig.xml shipped on your own server is the final authority — every property carries an explanatory comment in the file itself.

The file sits at the root of your server volume. Open it through the File Manager in your panel.

Changes need a restart

Save the file and restart the server before any change takes effect.

The thirty properties V3.0 removed

These are the properties the official V3.0 release notes list as removed or converted. Setting any of them in serverconfig.xml on a V3 server does nothing — the server boots normally, logs no error, and uses the value from your SandboxCode instead.

The names in the right-hand column are the in-menu labels from the official list of 150 sandbox options. A few are regrouped rather than renamed one-for-one, so treat the in-game menu as the authority when you go looking.

Editing a removed property fails silently

This is the trap. Add <property name="BloodMoonEnemyCount" value="32"/> to a V3 serverconfig.xml and the server starts cleanly, reports nothing unusual, and runs an eight-zombie horde anyway. There is no warning that the setting was ignored. Most guides and several hosting providers' own documentation still list these properties.

Setting the moved options: SandboxCode

The replacement is one property holding an encoded string:

That value is the shipped default. The official release notes describe it as the equivalent of the old default GameDifficulty of Adventurer (1).

The code is not editable by hand — it is generated by the game. The workflow:

1. Open 7 Days to Die and start creating a new game, or open the preset editor.

2. Go to Sandbox Options and set everything the way you want it. This is the same menu that holds the official presets (Undead Matinee, Bite Club, Legacy Survival and the rest), so you can start from one and adjust.

3. Copy the generated code.

4. Paste it as the SandboxCode value in serverconfig.xml, replacing whatever is there.

5. Restart the server.

If you are carrying a V2.6 save forward, this is a required migration step: your old gameplay settings do not survive the upgrade, and you have to rebuild them in the menu and paste the resulting code.

V3.1.0 invalidated some existing codes

V3.1.0 split enemy and animal Density and Respawn into separate day and night settings, and added options for the chicken coop, Infection Chance, Hunger Multiplier, Thirst Multiplier and Stack Size Multiplier. The release notes are explicit that older codes should be re-checked: an invalid code "may default some or all settings". The Fun Pimps updated the official preset codes for this change, so re-copy yours rather than assuming a V3.0-era string still applies.

To confirm what the server actually loaded, run getsandboxoptions (alias gso) in the console — add true to print every option rather than only the non-default ones. Sandbox settings are also written to the log at startup. V3.1.0 fixed a bug where clients could not see the output of this command, so run it on an up-to-date build. The console and admin command reference covers the rest of the command set.

What still lives in serverconfig.xml

Everything below is genuine server configuration rather than gameplay tuning, and is still set in the file.

Identity, access and slots

World selection

Spawn caps and performance

These are server-side ceilings and are separate from the gameplay-side Enemy Density option, which now lives in your SandboxCode. Lowering MaxSpawnedZombies caps how many zombies can exist at once no matter what the sandbox settings ask for.

PvP, land claims and bedrolls

Admin and remote access

AdminFileName names the admin file, serveradmin.xml by default. Its path is relative to SaveGameFolder, not the server root — see How to Add Administrators. The telnet and web dashboard properties also live here; the command reference covers running commands remotely.

Map selection: RWG vs Navezgane vs custom

• Navezgane is the hand-crafted vanilla map. Same layout every time, and the predictable choice for a first server.
• RWG (Random World Generation) builds a fresh world from WorldGenSeed. Set GameWorld to RWG and the seed to any string. A seed change only takes effect on a new world.
• Custom maps are pre-generated community worlds. Place them in GeneratedWorlds/ or Mods/ depending on how the map is distributed, then set GameWorld to the map's exact name, capitalisation included. Overhauls often ship their own — see How to Install Modlets and Overhaul Mods.

Wiping the world

1. Stop the server.

2. In the File Manager, open Saves/ (or the path set by SaveGameFolder if you changed it).

3. Delete the world folder, named after your game world and save name.

4. Start the server. A new world generates on boot.

There is no map-only wipe

A partial reset that keeps player levels but regenerates the map is not really supported — 7 Days to Die ties player data to the world save.

What to Read Next

• How to Add Administrators for serveradmin.xml, and the console and admin command reference for getsandboxoptions and the rest
• Managing your 7 Days to Die server for restarts and horde-night performance
• How to create a backup before any wipe or config change
• Your first 7 Days to Die boot and connection if the server is not running yet

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