Your Project Zomboid 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
Your world is saved in the .cache folder inside Files, in .cache/Saves/Multiplayer/<Server Name>/. Settings are in .cache/Server/ as <Server Name>.ini and <Server Name>_SandboxVars.lua. Player accounts, the whitelist and bans are kept in a .db file named after the server, normally in .cache/db/ if that folder is present. <Server Name> is the Server Name setting (default PlayNHost).
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
Stop the server first. Then copy the whole .cache/Saves/Multiplayer/<Server Name>/ folder together with .cache/Server/<Server Name>.ini and <Server Name>_SandboxVars.lua, and the .db file in .cache/db/ if it is there, so players keep their accounts. The panel backup copies the whole server folder, which is mostly large game files; if your backup Storage is tight, use Ignored files to leave the game files out and keep the .cache folder.
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 Project Zomboid world.
