Upload a Vintage Story World to a Server: Safe Steps

You can upload a single-player Vintage Story world to a dedicated server as a .vcdbs save file. Close the game, keep the original, back up the server’s current world, upload the file into the server’s data/Saves folder, then choose it and check that the next start loads the expected save. The official dedicated-server guide documents this copy-and-load process. The guide below separates the safe file steps from the later check that your players can join.

Back up both copies before changing either#

Make one copy of the solo save before you start and keep it outside the folder you plan to upload from. Then create a separate backup of the destination server’s current world before you upload or switch anything. These are two different recovery points: the first protects the world you are moving, and the second protects whatever the server is using now.

If your host provides downloadable backups, confirm that you can identify the right server and backup date, and download a copy if the panel allows it. In Game Hosting, the Backups panel has three slots with restore, download and lock controls; only the newest backup is copied off-node daily. A listed backup is useful only if you know which world it contains and how to recover it. Don’t click Restore as a way to test a backup: a restore replaces server data and can discard newer progress.

Write down the world name, its game version and the mods it uses. This gives you a reference if the selected world appears under a different filename or the server starts a new save instead. You can make the copy in your file manager, but do not use a live database copy while the game or server is still writing to it.

Check the world version and its mods#

The current stable Vintage Story release is 1.22.7, as listed by the official stable-version API on October 13, 2026. Check the client’s version and the server’s version before moving the save; if either one changes, recheck compatibility before you proceed. The self-hosted dedicated server for 1.22 uses .NET 10, but you do not need to install that runtime to upload a save through a host’s panel.

Make a short mod list from the world you are moving. For every mod, note its name, author, dependencies, version and supported Vintage Story versions from its ModDB page. A version tag that matches the server release is a useful check, not a guarantee that every mod combination works. The server must have the mods the world needs, and any client-side mod must also be installed by the players who need it. Vintage Story can offer server-side and universal mods to players when they join; client-side mods are not sent by the server.

Before changing versions or mods, preserve another backup. If a mod is missing or incompatible, don’t try random replacements on the only copy of the world. Check the author’s notes and dependencies, or restore a known copy if the server has already changed the save.

For the detailed install path and the difference between server-side, client-side and universal mods, use our Vintage Story server mod guide and ModDB installation walkthrough. They cover mod setup; this guide keeps the transfer itself in focus.

Find a closed .vcdbs save on your PC#

Vintage Story stores a world in a .vcdbs file. On Windows, the standard client data folder is %AppData%\VintagestoryData, and the saves are in its Saves subfolder. The official data-folder guide documents the game’s data locations. On macOS or Linux, use the data folder for that installation rather than copying a path from a Windows guide; the account, saves and mods still belong to Vintage Story, not Steam Workshop.

Find the file whose name matches your world. If you are unsure, open the world in the game first to confirm its displayed name, then quit the game fully before copying the file. Do not leave the world open to LAN or sitting at its pause menu: the application may still be writing to the save. A clean close lets the database finish its normal save work before you make the copy.

After closing, look at the matching filename. If files with -wal or -shm suffixes remain beside the .vcdbs, do not delete them or rename them independently. They are associated with the database file. Keep the original folder intact and ask support how to package the save if the sidecars remain; this walkthrough does not claim that separating or manually merging them is safe.

Stop the server and upload the save into data/Saves#

Stop the destination server and wait until the panel reports it is stopped. Make or confirm its backup before changing the current world. The upload should go into the server’s data Saves folder, not the server software’s install folder and not a player’s Mods folder.

1. Open the destination folder

   In Game Hosting, open the server’s Files tab, open data, then open Saves. The breadcrumb should end in data/Saves before you choose Upload. Uploads go into the folder that is open.

2. Upload the closed save

   Choose the .vcdbs copy you made after closing the game. Keep the filename distinct from other worlds already on the server. Leave the Files page open until it confirms the upload has finished.

3. Check the file list

   Confirm the uploaded filename and size appear in data/Saves. The Game Hosting file manager is web-based and does not provide SFTP. If the upload reports that the file is too large or does not finish, keep the source and destination backups and contact support about moving the world.

Do not overwrite default.vcdbs merely because that name looks familiar. First check whether it is the active server world. If you keep a separate filename, the official server configuration uses SaveFileLocation to choose which save it loads. On a self-hosted server, the official guide documents either naming the copied save default.vcdbs or pointing SaveFileLocation to the selected file, such as ./data/Saves/YourWorldNameHere.vcdbs.

Choose the uploaded world in the panel#

In the Game Hosting World tab, find the uploaded save in the world list and select Load this world. The panel lists .vcdbs files it finds in data/Saves; it does not run a separate SQLite header check at upload time. If the server is running, the panel says the world will load on its next restart. The active world remains in data/Saves when you switch to another one.

Before confirming, read the panel’s summary so you know which world will load and what will happen to the current one. Keep the server stopped while you select the save if the file was just uploaded. Do not remove or rename the previous world to make the list shorter; keeping it beside the new file gives you a way back if the new world is not the one you expected.

If the new filename does not appear, refresh the World list and confirm the breadcrumb is exactly data/Saves. The current panel only lists world filenames that match its .vcdbs rule. A zip file or a .vcdbs uploaded into a different folder won’t appear as a world to load.

Start the server and confirm which save opened#

Start the server after the selected world is queued. Check the panel’s World tab and console before inviting the group: the current world name or filename should be the save you selected. The game writes a load message in the server log. If you self-host, /info createdversion returns the version recorded for the loaded world; I confirmed the command on a disposable Vintage Story 1.22.7 server, where it returned 1.22.7.

That command is a version check, not proof that the game loaded the right map or that a player can join. If the panel shows a different world, the server reports a load error, or a fresh world appears, stop the server before anyone builds there. Recheck the filename and SaveFileLocation, keep the source and backups, and ask support to help identify the issue. Do not delete the old world to force the new one to load.

Once the panel identifies the intended save as loaded, compare something your group recognizes, such as the world name, settlement area or existing progress. Keep the original solo save and the destination backup until the group confirms the expected world is present. If you use a backup restore, review its date and target first because it replaces current server data.

Check player accounts and access separately#

Vintage Story’s official requirements list PC clients for Windows, macOS and Linux; no Xbox, PlayStation or Switch client is listed there. Each player needs their own Vintage Story account, and the server’s authentication must stay enabled. Do not share one account or turn off authentication to make a transfer work.

A loaded world is not the same thing as a successful multiplayer join. After the save check, test access with each player’s own account and confirm that the server version, whitelist and password allow them in. If the world loads but a player cannot connect, troubleshoot access as a separate step; do not replace the world again. For the server’s current whitelist commands and account checks, see the Vintage Story server commands reference.

If you would rather have a person handle the transfer, Game Hosting offers free world migration through support. The panel also lets you upload a .vcdbs through Files and select it in World, so you can either do the file steps yourself or ask support to move your save. See the Vintage Story hosting options for the current panel and plan details.

Frequently asked questions#

Can I move my single-player Vintage Story world to a server?

Yes. Close the source game, keep an original backup, then copy the .vcdbs into the server data folder while the server is stopped. The official guide documents this flow; still confirm the server opened the expected world before discarding any copy.

Where do I upload a .vcdbs file?

Upload it into data/Saves. In the Game Hosting panel, open Files, navigate to data/Saves, upload the file, and select it in World.

Do I need the -wal file too?

Close Vintage Story fully before copying so it can finish saving. If -wal or -shm sidecars remain beside the world after the close, keep them with the original database and ask support before separating or deleting anything.

Do mods have to match?

The server and clients need compatible game and mod versions. Check each mod’s supported game versions, side and dependencies; players may need client-side mods installed separately.

Can I delete the old world after the server starts?

Keep it. A startup message or a loaded filename confirms which file the server selected, but your own backup and a familiar in-world check are stronger reasons to retire the old copy.

Quick answers

Can I move my single-player Vintage Story world to a server?

Yes. The official dedicated-server guide says to copy the save into the server data folder while the server is stopped, then load that file. Keep the original and a second backup until you confirm the server opened the expected world.

Where do I upload a Vintage Story .vcdbs file?

Upload it into the server data folder named data/Saves. In Game Hosting, open Files, open data, then Saves; upload the closed .vcdbs there and select it in World.

Do the server and players need the same Vintage Story mods?

Use mod releases compatible with the server version and check each ModDB page for its side and dependencies. Server-side and universal mods are offered to players when they join; client-side mods need separate installation.

Should I delete the original save after uploading it?

No. Keep the source and your separate backup until the server shows the selected world loaded and your group has checked familiar progress.