How to Change the Settings on Your Project Zomboid Server

Looking to tweak your server's configuration? This guide will show you where you can locate your server's configuration files, how you can upload local settings to your server, and our recommended settings to check out!

Where to Adjust Your Settings in Nodepanel

If you have not already make sure to set a Server Name in the Game Settings tab. This setting determines the name of your server’s config files.

Nodepanel Game Settings highlighting the server name

Once that is finished go to the /config/Server folder in your File Manager. This folder contains all of your server config files. If it does not exist start the server at least once to generate the folder and files. Stop the server after if you want to edit your server configuration. Most of your settings can be edited in the .ini config file.

Nodepanel File Manager highlighting the ini config file

Creating and Uploading Local Custom Settings

Many new users may feel overwhelmed by the number of options in the .ini and .lua files. Fortunately, Project Zomboid provides a way to easily generate settings for a local world which can then be uploaded to the server. This method would provide a UI to use instead of editing the file directly.

In the Main Menu of Project Zomboid click Host and then Manage Settings next to the Server name.

Project Zomboid Host Game screen highlighting Manage Settings

On the new menu click Create New Settings and enter the same Server Name you set earlier in the Nodepanel.

Project Zomboid Create New Settings screen

Select Next at the bottom of your screen and a full interface for editing your desired settings will be shown.

Project Zomboid Edit Settings screen

Once you’ve completed your changes click Save at the bottom of the screen and your config files will be generated.

On the Manage Server Settings screen, you should see where these files will be saved too. Locate that folder on your PC.

Project Zomboid server settings screen highlighting where to locate the local config file

Windows: C:\Users\<username>\Zomboid\Server
Linux: ~/Zomboid/Server

Once you have found those you can now upload the files to your server in the /config/Server folder mentioned earlier. As long as your file names match the server name your setting will take effect.

Highlighted Server Settings

For your server to show on the public server list it is recommended to change and customize the following settings. The Project Zomboid server list does not update immediately and customizing the name and description helps others find your server.

Public - change to true
PublicName
PublicDescription

Project Zomboid ini config file showing where the recommended setting are