Project Zomboid Server Settings Generator

How to use it on any server

1. Stop the server and back up the world and your current settings file.
2. Open Zomboid/Server in the home folder of the account that runs the server (Windows %USERPROFILE%\Zomboid\Server, Linux ~/Zomboid/Server). The file is named after your server: servertest.ini unless you started it with -servername.
3. Copy the ResetID, ServerPlayerID and Seed values from that file into the last tab of this page, so your players keep their characters.
4. Download the file, give it the same name as the old one, put it in place and start the server.

How to use it on PlayNHost

1. On a PlayNHost server you do not need to replace the file. Open your server in the Game Panel, go to Settings, then Server Settings under Config files, and set the values you chose here.
2. The panel sets max players, PvP, RCON, the ports, mods, Workshop items and maps for you at every start, so changes to those lines in the file are put back. Use the Settings and Workshop pages for them.
3. For a setting the editor does not show, stop the server, open .cache/Server/<server name>.ini in Files, change that line and start the server.

Every option is explained in our Project Zomboid server settings reference, and this guide walks through the panel step by step. Want a server? See Project Zomboid server hosting, with servers in Europe, North America, South America, Asia and Australia.

Questions

Where is servertest.ini?

In the Zomboid/Server folder of the account that runs the server. It is named after the server, so servertest.ini by default, or yourname.ini if you start the server with -servername yourname.

Will my players lose their characters?

Not if you keep ResetID and ServerPlayerID from your current file. Paste them into the last tab before you download. If they change, every player must make a new character.

Where are the zombie and loot settings?

In the sandbox file next to the .ini, named after your server and ending in _SandboxVars.lua. This page covers the server .ini.

Can I edit the file while the server runs?

Stop the server first. The game writes its settings file itself, so an edit made while it runs can be overwritten.

Good to know

• Sources. Key names, their order, defaults and the Min/Max ranges are the Build 42 list on the Project Zomboid wiki's Server settings page (revised for 42.20.0, archived 1 August 2026), which prints each key as the game writes it. The descriptions are ours, written from that page.
• Settings marked "Not described by the game" have no text in the game's file. Their descriptions say "inferred from the name" where we guessed from the name, so treat them with care.
• This is the server settings file only. Zombie, loot, time and other sandbox rules live in <server name>_SandboxVars.lua.
• MaxPlayers defaults to 32 in the game, and the game allows up to 100 but warns that more than 32 can cause desync.
• This list is for Build 42. Build 41 servers use an older list with fewer keys.