How to move your existing server to PlayNHost

You can bring a server over from another host without losing your world, settings or mods. There are two ways: do it yourself, or ask us to do it. If you ask us, tell us in the ticket what you are moving and we will reply with the next step.

Before you start

1. Order a server for the same game, and for the same version if the game has versions.
2. Collect from your old host: the world or save files, the configuration files, and the mods or plugins you use. Note the exact game version and, for Minecraft, the server software and mod loader.
3. Keep your old server running until the new one works, so players are never left without a server.

Option A: move it yourself

1. In the panel, open your new server and click Stop if it is running. Wait until it shows Offline.
2. Open the Files tab. These are the server's own folders, so this is where the game looks for its files. Some games also need the world's name set in Settings.

3. Upload your files. For a few small files, click Upload and choose them. For a large world or a whole server folder, use SFTP instead. Click SFTP details, then connect with a client such as FileZilla or WinSCP. See How to connect to your server files with SFTP.
4. Put the files where the game expects them. Each game keeps its worlds in its own folder, so check that game's guide in this knowledge base for the exact location and any name the settings must match.
5. Open Settings and match the new server's options to the old ones. For many games the panel writes these settings into the game's own files every time the server starts, so change them in the panel and not by editing those files. See How to change your server settings.
6. Click Start, watch the console for errors, then join from the game to check the world and mods.

Option B: ask us to move it

Open a ticket in the category Worlds & backups, or Something else. Tell us:

• the game, your new server's name and the old host's name
• the version, and the mods or plugins you use
• anything that must be kept exactly, such as a world name or permissions

Then send us a download link to a full backup of your server. If you would rather give us access to the old server, ask in the ticket and we will tell you the safe way to share it. Never put a password in a ticket. We copy the files, start the server and check it boots, then tell you when it is ready to test. See How to open a support ticket.

After the move

• Test with a few players before cancelling the old server.
• Take a backup of the new server once everything works. See How to create, download and restore backups.
• Tell your players the new address. The address changes when you move host. See How to join your server.