Your Arma 3 world is the thing you cannot get back if it is lost, so back it up before you change settings, install mods or update.
Before you start: stop the server so the backup holds complete files. See How to start, stop, restart and force-stop your server.
Where the world is stored
Arma 3 has no single world file. The mission decides what is played. Mission files live in the mpmissions folder at the top level of Files, named MissionName.TerrainName.pbo (or a folder with that name). Difficulty settings and the player profile are in the folder .local/share/Arma 3 - Other Profiles/server inside Files. The folder name .local starts with a dot, so it sits near the top of the file list, or you can find it with the Files search box. Server rules and the mission list are in server.cfg and basic.cfg at the top level. The ban list is ban.txt there once someone has been banned.
Make a backup
- Open your server in the panel and click Backups in the left menu.
- Click Start backup with Files selected. The backup copies the whole server folder, so the world is included.
- To keep a copy outside PlayNHost, open the ... menu of the backup and choose Download.
The server folder also holds the game's own files, which can be large, so check the size on the Backups page. If it does not fit your backup space, ask support what to leave out. Do not guess an ignore pattern, because a wrong one can leave your world out of the backup. See How to create, download and restore backups for scheduling, locking and limits.
What to make sure is included
A panel backup copies the whole server folder, which holds everything needed to restore fully: server.cfg, basic.cfg, the mpmissions folder, the keys folder, the whole .local/share/Arma 3 - Other Profiles/server folder, ban.txt if present, and any mod folders you uploaded yourself (names starting with @) together with your modlist file. Stop the server before the backup. Workshop mods that the server downloaded are in the backup too, and a restore brings those folders back as they were. Mod folders can be large, so check the backup size.
Restore a backup
A restore replaces the current files with the backup, and anything changed since is lost. Take a fresh backup of the current state first if you may want it back.
Choose Restore to server from the backup's ... menu, confirm, and start the server when it finishes.
To bring a world from another computer instead, see How to upload your own Arma 3 world.
