How to Connect to Your Project Zomboid Server

Project Zomboid asks for an account name and password when you join, which trips people up. The account name is the character login you are creating on that server, not a Steam account.

Find your address

Open your server at https://panel.playnhost.com. The overview shows the IP and the port assigned to SERVER_PORT. Project Zomboid also uses a separate STEAM_PORT which players never enter.

Join the server

1. Launch Project Zomboid and choose Join from the main menu.
2. Click Add Server or the favourites entry.
3. Fill in:
   • Name, anything you like, it is just your label for the entry.
   • IP, your server address without the port.
   • Port, your SERVER_PORT value, for example 16261.
   • Account name, the username your character will use on this server.
   • Password, the password for that character. On the first join this is what you are setting.
   • Server password, only if the owner set one.
4. Click Save, then Join.

Remember the account name and password you chose. They are how you get back to the same character.

What to send your friends

Send the IP, the port and the server password if there is one. Each player picks their own account name on first join.

If you cannot join

• Wait for the panel console to print that the server is listening. Project Zomboid takes a while on first boot because it generates the world.
• Wrong password when you know it is right usually means someone already claimed that account name on this server. Try a different account name.
• Connection lost during loading is normally a mod mismatch. Check that you are subscribed to every workshop item the server runs.
• A version mismatch after a game update needs a server restart so it pulls the new build. Also confirm you are on the same branch, since a server on the unstable branch will not accept a stable client.