DayZ Server Settings: What to Change for Each Goal

DayZ server settings do not all live in one file: server-wide rules go in the config selected at startup, while gameplay and loot settings belong to the active mission. This guide maps common goals to the right file, shows what the server settings panel can handle, and gives you a safe way to apply a change. It covers DayZ on PC through Steam. It does not set up an Xbox, PlayStation or Microsoft Store/Game Pass PC server; those platforms do not join a Steam PC server.

Find where DayZ server settings live#

Start by identifying the kind of setting you want to change. The root configuration controls server identity and broad rules. Mission files control how that particular world plays and how its economy runs. Bohemia’s server configuration reference explains that the file name is selected by the -config startup parameter; serverDZ.cfg is the common name and the one shown in our panel.

Goal	Where to look	What belongs there
Server name, connection password and broad rules	serverDZ.cfg	Server identity, access settings and other server-level values
Survival and gameplay behavior	mpmissions/<active mission>/cfggameplay.json	Gameplay values grouped into JSON sections
Item spawns	mpmissions/<active mission>/db/types.xml	Item economy entries for that mission
Global economy and cleanup	mpmissions/<active mission>/db/globals.xml	Mission-wide economy variables
Events, weather or spawn points	Other files in mpmissions/<active mission>/	Mission-specific event, weather and spawn configuration

The mission path matters: changing a file for another map will not change the active world. The panel exposes a supported subset in Settings and keeps other values in Files. Its Settings page writes into serverDZ.cfg, the active map’s cfggameplay.json and db/globals.xml, while preserving other file contents. It does not turn every XML mission file into a form. If you cannot confirm the active mission, find that out before editing.

Set access and the server identity in the right place#

Use the server config for its name and join password. In a self-managed setup those are hostname and password; enableWhitelist is also a server-config setting, but the whitelist itself has its own player list and procedure. A server name is what people find in the browser, while a join password limits entry to people who know it. These choices do not change whether the players own a compatible copy of DayZ.

What you want	Where it is set	Keep in mind
Recognizable server name	hostname in serverDZ.cfg	The server browser displays this name
Require a join password	password in serverDZ.cfg	Share it only with the intended group
Limit joining to an approved list	enableWhitelist and its whitelist file	Follow the dedicated whitelist instructions; do not treat the toggle as the whole setup
Set player limit or map	Server settings/startup controls	These are exposed separately in the Game Hosting Settings page

On Game Hosting, the Settings page handles the server name, join password, player count and map selector. It saves the supported values back into the server setup when it starts. The same page can edit the whitelist toggle; the player list is managed under Players. If you are changing admin access, use the panel’s admin controls and its current instructions. passwordAdmin is a config value, not a substitute for a permissioned in-game admin tool.

Keep this section to the decision: public with a password, or private to an allow-list. The DayZ server whitelist guide covers the identifier formats, safe setup order, and access test. If you are still deciding where to run the server, compare how to choose a DayZ host before putting a long-term world behind a provider-specific panel.

Choose the world and time behavior#

Time settings live in the server config; lighting behavior can live in the active mission’s gameplay JSON. The panel separates those controls so a lighting change does not get confused with the length of the in-game day. For a home server, edit only the matching values in the selected config or mission. For a hosted server, first check whether the control is available in Settings.

Desired result	Setting or file	What to check
Set the time used for a fresh start	serverTime in serverDZ.cfg	A saved persistent time can override the fresh-start value on later restarts
Make the in-game day pass faster	serverTimeAcceleration in serverDZ.cfg	The current Game Hosting panel allows 0.1× to 24×
Change night speed relative to day speed	serverNightTimeAcceleration in serverDZ.cfg	The panel allows 0.1× to 64×; it multiplies the day-speed value at night
Keep the in-game time between restarts	serverTimePersistent in serverDZ.cfg	When enabled, the saved world time carries across restarts
Choose brighter or darker night lighting	WorldsData.lightingConfig in cfggameplay.json	Bohemia documents 0 as brighter and 1 as darker lighting

Those numeric ranges are the current Game Hosting panel controls, not a claim that every value is a universal default. The official gameplay settings reference explains that cfggameplay.json must be in the active mission and enabled with enableCfgGameplayFile = 1; in the server config. If the JSON file is missing or invalid, correct the mission file before expecting its gameplay values to apply.

The map is selected through the server’s mission setting, not by changing a lighting or time value. Each map can have a different mission folder and its own saved world. Do not switch maps or wipe persistence to test a time setting. If you want exact day/night math or a map-specific procedure, use the focused guide for that topic when it is published.

Change survival rules without mixing files#

Some survival rules are in serverDZ.cfg; others are in cfggameplay.json. Use the file owner instead of searching every file for a similarly named value. For example, the current panel writes disableBaseDamage under GeneralData in the gameplay JSON, while its first-person-only and crosshair controls are server-config values. The JSON path is nested, so keep the surrounding structure valid when editing it directly.

Goal	Setting family	File
Disable damage to bases	GeneralData.disableBaseDamage	Active mission cfggameplay.json
Change stamina behavior	PlayerData.StaminaData values	Active mission cfggameplay.json
Hide the crosshair or enforce first person	Server rule values	serverDZ.cfg
Change respawn or logout delays	Server or mission-specific control	Confirm the exact setting in current docs before editing

The table shows where to start, not ready-made presets. Spawn behavior, whitelist setup, stamina tuning, base-building rules and perspective each need more than a single checkbox; keep those details with their dedicated guide. If a setting name appears in a forum post but not in the current server files or Bohemia’s documentation, do not add it just because it sounds plausible. A valid-looking file can still contain a misspelled key that the game ignores.

Find loot and cleanup controls#

Loot is part of the mission’s central economy, not a single “loot multiplier” in serverDZ.cfg. Bohemia’s Central Economy repository provides the mission file structure; db/types.xml holds item economy entries, while db/globals.xml carries global variables. Event spawning is defined separately in events.xml. Which file to edit depends on the change, so do not paste an XML fragment into the wrong one.

The Game Hosting Settings page exposes a small set of supported global values, such as infected and animal counts, food decay and body cleanup. More detailed loot tables and event behavior stay in the mission files under Files. The Settings page preserves other content in the supported files, but that is not a reason to overwrite a whole XML file with a snippet from another map or game build.

For a specific loot edit, start with Bohemia’s current Central Economy documentation and identify the exact file and field before changing it. Then change one value, restart, and check a known item or event before you invite the group back.

Apply a change and verify it safely#

Back up first, edit one setting in its owning place, restart the server, then join and confirm the result. For Steam PC groups that prefer a managed server, Game Hosting’s DayZ page offers a Settings page for supported fields and a Files area for the remaining mission edits. It includes three backup slots. A Steam PC server is not for Xbox, PlayStation or the PC Game Pass Xbox build.

1. Identify the active setting and file

   On a hosted server, open Settings and look for the control. If it is not there, open Files and identify the active mission before editing. On a home server, follow the actual config file selected by -config and its class Missions entry. Do not assume a default path from someone else’s setup.

2. Save a backup you can restore

   Create a backup of the relevant configuration and mission files before editing. For loot, map or persistence work, confirm that the backup includes the world data you intend to protect. Verify how to restore it before making a change that could affect existing structures or items.

3. Change one value and save

   Use the Settings form when it exposes the value; otherwise edit only the matching mission or server file. Keep JSON valid and XML well-formed. Avoid replacing an entire file if you only need to change one field.

4. Restart and check the result

   Saving a supported changed value in Game Hosting restarts a running server to apply it and displays a confirmation. A direct file edit needs a restart too. Rejoin on Steam and test the change in the world; if it did not apply, check that you edited the active mission and that the file parsed correctly.

If you are building the machine yourself, the complete Steam-PC self-hosting path covers installation and startup. For Workshop items, dependencies, order and signing keys, use the DayZ server mod installation guide; mod compatibility depends on the current game build and each item’s author. Keep those tasks separate from routine settings edits so you know what changed if the server fails to start.

Start with the file map, make a single backed-up change, and verify it in game. That small routine makes it easier to undo a typo and harder to mistake an economy edit, map change or version update for a simple server rule.

Quick answers

How do I change DayZ server settings?

Use the Settings page for supported fields, or edit the matching server or mission file. Back up first, then restart and check the result in game.

Where is serverDZ.cfg?

It is the server configuration file selected at startup. On Game Hosting, the Settings page writes supported fields into serverDZ.cfg and Files opens the remaining mission files.

Which DayZ settings need a restart?

Server and mission configuration changes take effect after a restart. Game Hosting restarts a running server after you save a changed supported setting; direct file edits need you to restart it.