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Getting started with your Terraria server

Boot your server, connect via IP, and control world size, name, difficulty, and passwords via startup variables. Includes world upload tips.

Updated July 24, 2026
Terraria

Your Terraria server can run as three different server types: vanilla TerrariaServer (the classic experience), TShock (commands, permissions, and anti-grief), or tModLoader (modded content like Calamity and Thorium). You switch between them any time from the Startup tab; this guide covers the vanilla boot and basic setup, and the type-specific guides cover the rest.

Initial Boot (Vanilla)

  1. Open your Terraria server in the panel and click Start.
  2. First boot creates your world using the Startup tab variables (world name, size, and difficulty).
  3. Once you see Listening on port in the console, the server is ready.

How to Connect

In the Terraria client: Multiplayer, Join via IP, then enter the IP and port from the Address at the top left of your panel, and the password if you set one. On our plans the assigned port is often not the game default of 7777, so always use the panel value.

Configuration: Startup Variables

Your server is configured through the Startup tab variables rather than a config file. Change a value, save, and restart to apply it:

Variable What it does
Server Type vanilla, tshock, or tmodloader. Changing this requires a Reinstall; see TShock Setup or TModLoader and Mods
Server Version latest, or pin a specific build. See Maintenance
World Name The world file to load from worlds/. Created automatically on first boot if it does not exist
World Size Used when creating the world: 1 = small, 2 = medium, 3 = large
Difficulty Used when creating the world: 0 = Classic, 1 = Expert, 2 = Master, 3 = Journey
Max Players Up to 255, capped by your slot purchase
Server Password Blank for a public server
MOTD The message players see when they join

World Size and Difficulty only apply when the world is first created; an existing world keeps its settings. There is no seed variable: worlds generate with a random seed, so for a specific or special seed (like the secret seeds), generate the world in your own game first and upload it as described below.

World Management

Worlds live in worlds/, each a single .wld file (plus a .bak file that Terraria writes automatically).

To upload a single-player world: find it at Documents\My Games\Terraria\Worlds\, upload the .wld to worlds/ via SFTP, set the **World Name** variable to the file name (without .wld), and restart.

To wipe, stop the server and delete the .wld file. The next start generates a fresh world from your World Size and Difficulty variables.

Special World Seeds

Terraria's secret seeds work on servers too: put one in the Seed Startup variable before the world generates.

Seed What it does
for the worthy Brutally hard remix of the whole game
not the bees The world is bees. All of it
celebrationmk10 Anniversary world with festive generation and loot
the constant Don't Starve crossover rules, including darkness damage
no traps The opposite of its name: traps everywhere
dont dig up The remix seed. You start in hell and climb
getfixedboi The everything seed, combining all of the above

A new seed only applies to newly generated worlds; existing worlds keep their rules.

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