Terraria server FAQ

Short answers to the most common questions. Each links to the full guide.

Getting started

How do my friends join? Multiplayer, Join via IP, then the IP and the port from the Play with friends card. Full guide

How do I invite friends? Click Copy invite message on the Play with friends card. Full guide

How long does the first start take? A minute or more while the world is generated, longer for a large world. It is ready at Server started. Full guide

How do I make it private? Set Password (Terraria Vanilla) or Server Password (TShock, tModLoader) and restart. Full guide

How do I change the welcome message? MOTD in Game Settings. Full guide

How do I change the number of players? The Slots pencil on Overview, up to your plan's limit. Full guide

Can phone or console players join? The panel's join steps are for the PC game. Ask support before you count on other platforms. Full guide

Worlds

How do I choose the world size and difficulty? In Game Settings, before the world is created. Full guide

Can I make a Skyblock or Zenith world? Yes, on Terraria Vanilla, with the Special seed switches, and they can be combined. Full guide

Can I play Journey mode? Yes: Difficulty 3 for a new world. Full guide

How do I start a new world? Set a new World Name and restart. The old one stays on disk. Full guide

Can I keep several worlds? Yes, and World Name picks which one runs. Full guide

Can I upload my singleplayer world? Yes, into saves/Worlds. Full guide

Can I download my world? Yes, the .wld file from saves/Worlds. Full guide

Is my world backed up? Every night, if your plan has backup slots. Full guide

Can I undo the last save? Yes, with the .wld.bak copies the game keeps. Full guide

Server types, mods and plugins

Which server type should I use? Vanilla for the plain game, TShock for plugins and admin tools, tModLoader for content mods. Full guide

How do I switch type? Edit Server Type on Overview. Untick the clean start to keep your world. Full guide

Can I play Calamity or Thorium? Yes, on tModLoader, from the Workshop page. Full guide

Do players need the mods? They join with tModLoader and are offered the server's mods when they connect. Full guide

Why will tModLoader not open my world? It runs Terraria 1.4.4 and cannot open a 1.4.5 world. Full guide

How do I install a TShock plugin? Modding tab, Plugins, Install, then restart. Full guide

How do I become admin on TShock? /setup and the code from the Console, then create an owner account. Full guide

Can I turn off PvP or protect the spawn? On TShock, on the config.json page. Full guide

Players

Who is online? The Active players card on Overview. Full guide

How do I kick or ban? ... on the player's row, then Kick or Ban. Full guide

How do I unban? Bans on the Active players card, then Unban. Full guide

How do I message everyone? say and your message in the Console. Full guide

Can a friend help manage the server? Yes, with a role on Team & Roles. Full guide

Running the server

Does it update itself? Yes, at every start while the version is latest. Full guide

Does it restart by itself? No. Build a daily restart on Quick Tasks, which can wait for an empty server. Full guide

Which console commands work? Type help in the Console. Full guide

How much memory do I need? A plain server is light; big tModLoader mods need several GB. Full guide

Why is it laggy? Check the Usage card with players on. On Terraria Vanilla, Slow liquids helps around big water builds; on tModLoader, fewer big mods help most. Full guide

Something is broken. Terraria server problems and fixes