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. For everything else, see the [Valheim guide index](https://www.gameserverkings.com/knowledge-base/valheim/). ## First Boot 1. Open your Valheim server 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. ## 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. If the server does not appear, connect by IP directly rather than relying on the community list, which can take several minutes to refresh. ## The One Setting You Must Get Right Valheim requires a server password of **at least 5 characters**. An empty or too-short password is the single most common reason players cannot connect. Set it in the **Startup** tab before you share the server. Full field reference is in [Server Configuration](article:443). ## What to Read Next - [Server Configuration](article:443) for the Startup fields, admin setup, and world management - [Mods: BepInEx and Thunderstore](article:442) to install BepInEx and popular mods - [Maintenance](article:444) for restarts, backups, and troubleshooting --- Made with 💜 by GameServerKings