---
title: "Getting started with your Valheim server"
description: "Run your first boot, connect using the Join IP option, and configure the crossplay setting properly before inviting your friends."
url: "https://www.gameserverkings.com/knowledge-base/valheim/getting-started-with-your-server/"
category: "Valheim"
category_url: "https://www.gameserverkings.com/knowledge-base/valheim/"
published: "2026-03-20T00:02:45.503Z"
updated: "2026-08-19T05:35:32.767Z"
source_format: "markdown"
site: "GameServerKings"
---

# Getting started with your Valheim server

Valheim is a Viking-themed survival exploration game. Your server is lightweight and boots in moments, and modding is mature thanks to BepInEx.

This guide gets you booted and connected. It assumes you have never run a dedicated server before, which is the position most people are in — including everyone arriving on PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch 2 when Valheim 1.0 releases on **9 September 2026**. For everything else, see the [Valheim guide index](/knowledge-base/valheim/).

## Why a Dedicated Server

When you host a world from inside the game, that world only exists while your game is open. Everyone else gets kicked the moment you quit, and nobody can play ahead without you.

A dedicated server is the same world running on a machine that never closes the game. It changes three things:

- **The world is always up.** Friends in other time zones can play while you sleep, and progress carries across sessions rather than waiting on the host.
- **Nobody's connection is the bottleneck.** With in-game hosting, every other player's experience depends on the host's upload speed and CPU. A dedicated server takes that job.
- **It is the reliable way to mix platforms.** Xbox consoles cannot host a dedicated server at all — Iron Gate's own crossplay FAQ says so plainly — but they can *join* one. The same will be true of PlayStation 5 and Switch 2.

Valheim is designed for **1 to 10 players**, and Iron Gate has confirmed that stays the same at 1.0. That number is the game's ceiling, not your server's.

## First Boot

1. Open your [managed Valheim server](/games/valheim/) in the panel.

2. Click **Start**.

3. First boot downloads the server files (about 2 GB). Allow 5 to 8 minutes.

4. Watch for `Game server connected` in the console. That is the signal the server is ready.

> [!NOTE] Nothing appears to happen for the first few minutes
> The first boot is a download, not a startup. The console will sit quiet, then produce a burst of output. Iron Gate documents `Game server connected` as the line that means the server is genuinely accepting connections — anything before that is still setup.

Before you hand the address out, take two minutes over the next section. Getting the password wrong is the single most common reason a brand-new Valheim server looks broken.

## The One Setting You Must Get Right

> [!IMPORTANT] The most common reason players cannot connect
> A public Valheim server requires a password of **at least 5 characters**, and that password must not appear inside your world name or seed. Fail either rule and the server does not start at all — it writes `Error bad password:` to the console and exits. Public is the default, so this applies unless you deliberately set Public to `0`.

Set it in the **Startup** tab before you share the server. Full field reference is in [Valheim Server Settings and Launch Arguments](/knowledge-base/valheim/configuration-overview/).

Three other Startup fields are worth setting on day one, and all four are read only when the server starts — change them, then restart:

| Field | What to put | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| **Server Name** | Something searchable and unique | This is the name friends type into the in-game server list. Two-word generic names are impossible to find in a list this size |
| **World Name** | A name with no spaces | Valheim creates the world if it does not exist. Changing this later switches worlds rather than renaming one |
| **Server Password** | 5+ characters | See above |
| **Public** | `1` to be listed, `0` for join-by-IP only | `0` is fine for a private group who will connect directly, but console players generally search the list, so leave it at `1` if any of them are joining |

> [!NOTE] Do not set the port yourself
> Valheim binds the port you give it **and the next one up** — the stock 2456 means 2456 and 2457. Your allocation is on the **Network** tab and the panel handles both. Adding a `-port` argument of your own is one of the few ways to break a working server, because the second port will not be open.

## How to Connect

In the Valheim client:

1. Main menu, **Start Game**, pick a character.

2. **Join Game**, then **Join IP**.

3. Paste your server IP and port (shown in the **Address** at the top left of your panel).

4. Enter your server password if one is set.

> [!TIP] The community list lags behind
> If the server does not appear, connect by IP directly rather than relying on the community list, which can take several minutes to refresh.

Your character travels with you. Valheim keeps characters and worlds separately, so the Viking you made in singleplayer can walk onto the server with their skills intact — the world is the server's, the character is yours.

## Bringing In Console and Cross-Platform Players

If everyone you play with is on Steam, you can skip this. If anyone is on Xbox — or, from 9 September 2026, PlayStation 5 or Nintendo Switch 2 — your server needs to be running the crossplay backend.

Iron Gate documents this as the `-crossplay` launch argument. Without it, the server runs on the Steam backend and **only Steam players can see or join it**. With it, the server runs on Valheim's crossplay backend (PlayFab), which relays traffic and lets players from any platform in.

Turning it on changes how people connect:

- **A join code appears.** On a crossplay server, players see a **Join code** in the pause menu. Copy it and send it over; the other person goes to **Join Game → Add server** and pastes it in. Iron Gate's crossplay FAQ describes exactly this flow.
- **The join code changes every restart.** It is regenerated whenever the server restarts, so re-share it after a restart rather than assuming an old code still works. The IP address does not change.
- **Local IPs stop working.** On the crossplay backend you connect by public IP and port, by join code, or from the server list — but *not* by a local network or loopback address.

> [!TIP] Console players search, they do not type
> Console players generally find servers by name in the in-game list rather than entering an IP. Give your server a distinctive name, leave **Public** set to `1`, and tell them the exact spelling.

> [!WARNING] Xbox parental controls can hide crossplay
> Iron Gate's crossplay FAQ notes that an Xbox player who cannot find the option to enable crossplay may need to adjust their parental control settings. A patch note from February 2023 puts it more precisely: Xbox network users without the crossplay privilege can only host and join servers that do *not* support crossplay. If one Xbox friend cannot see a server everyone else can, check their account settings before you change anything on the server.

## Making Yourself Admin

Admin rights are not granted in game. Valheim reads a plain text file called `adminlist.txt` out of the save directory — which on your server is the server root, next to the `worlds_local/` folder, editable from the File Manager.

Add one ID per line, nothing else:

```text title="adminlist.txt"
Steam_76561197960287930
```

Iron Gate documents the format as a case-sensitive **Platform User ID** written `[Platform]_[UserID]`, and says it "can be obtained from the Server log or from within the game using the F2 panel". Press **F2** in game and copy the ID exactly as it appears, rather than guessing — this matters more with every platform that gets added, because a Switch 2 or PlayStation 5 player has no SteamID to fall back on.

Restart, then press **F5** in game to open the console. [Valheim Console Commands](/knowledge-base/valheim/valheim-console-commands/) covers what admins can actually run, and the fact that cheat commands are blocked on dedicated servers.

## Your First Day, In Order

1. **Start the server** and wait for `Game server connected`.
2. **Set the password** (5+ characters) and a distinctive **Server Name** in the Startup tab, then restart.
3. **Enable crossplay** if anyone is on a console.
4. **Join it yourself** by IP before you invite anyone, so you know it works.
5. **Add your ID to `adminlist.txt`** and restart.
6. **Turn on a daily restart and a daily backup** — both are covered in [Managing your Valheim server](/knowledge-base/valheim/managing-your-valheim-server/).
7. **Then** share the address, or the join code.

## Common First-Day Problems

- **"Incorrect password" for everyone, including you.** Check that you restarted after setting it — Startup fields do nothing until the server restarts. If the server quits on start instead of running, look for `Error bad password:` in the console: that means the password is under 5 characters, or it appears inside the world name or seed.
- **The server never appears in the list.** The community list can take several minutes to populate a newly started server. Connect by IP to confirm the server itself is fine, then wait.
- **You can connect but a friend cannot.** Almost always a version mismatch — Valheim requires client and server to be on the same build. The version number is in the bottom-right of the main menu; have them compare it with yours and update.
- **An Xbox friend cannot see the server at all.** Crossplay is not enabled on the server, or the crossplay privilege is off on their account. See the warning above.
- **You joined and the world is empty and unfamiliar.** You changed **World Name** to something that does not exist yet, so Valheim generated a fresh world. Set the name back exactly, including capitalisation, and restart.
- **Nothing you change has any effect.** Valheim reads its entire configuration once, at startup. Restart after every change.

## FAQ

### Do I need to keep my own game open for the server to run?

No. That is the whole point of a dedicated server — the world runs independently, so friends can play when you are offline and progress carries between sessions.

### How many people can play on a Valheim server?

Valheim is built for 1 to 10 players, and Iron Gate has confirmed this is unchanged at 1.0. A larger allocation gives you headroom for a big base and heavy world generation, not a higher player cap.

### Can I run a Valheim dedicated server from an Xbox, PS5 or Switch 2?

No. Iron Gate's crossplay FAQ states you cannot set up a dedicated server on an Xbox, and consoles generally do not run server software. You can *join* a dedicated server from a console, provided both the console and the server have crossplay enabled — which is precisely why console players rent one rather than host it.

### Will my existing world work when 1.0 arrives?

Yes. Iron Gate has confirmed old saves carry over and can be played as they are. New content appears in the world, but new biome generation only applies to areas you have not explored yet — which is why they still recommend a fresh world for the best experience. [Uploading an existing world](/knowledge-base/valheim/upload-your-existing-world/) covers moving a local one onto the server either way.

### Does my character transfer?

Characters and worlds are stored separately, so your character comes with you onto any server. Your *save file* does not sync between platforms, though: Iron Gate has confirmed there is no cross-platform save sync at 1.0, other than Xbox console to the PC Microsoft Store version.

### Why does the server need two ports?

Valheim uses the port you give it and the port immediately above it — 2456 and 2457 by default. The panel allocates both. This is also why setting `-port` yourself usually breaks connectivity.

## What to Read Next

- [Valheim Server Settings and Launch Arguments](/knowledge-base/valheim/configuration-overview/) for the Startup fields, admin setup, and world management
- [Console commands and cheats](/knowledge-base/valheim/valheim-console-commands/) to switch on the developer console and set up admins
- [Mods: BepInEx and Thunderstore](/knowledge-base/valheim/how-to-install-mods/) to install BepInEx and popular mods
- [Managing your Valheim server](/knowledge-base/valheim/managing-your-valheim-server/) for restarts, backups, and troubleshooting
- [How to Upload Your Existing World to Your Valheim Server](/knowledge-base/valheim/upload-your-existing-world/) if you already have a world you want to keep

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