How to Make a 7 Days to Die Server, Step by Step

Downloading the server files with SteamCMD

For security, run the server as a separate user instead of root:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install lib32gcc-s1 curl tmux telnet
sudo useradd -m -s /bin/bash sdtd
sudo su - sdtd
mkdir ~/steamcmd && cd ~/steamcmd
curl -sqL "https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/client/installer/steamcmd_linux.tar.gz" | tar zxvf -

The Steam app ID for 7 Days to Die Dedicated Server is 294420:

~/steamcmd/steamcmd.sh +force_install_dir /home/sdtd/server +login anonymous +app_update 294420 validate +quit

Run the same command again after every game update to keep the server up to date.

Settings with serverconfig.xml

The serverconfig.xml file that comes in the server folder can be overwritten with every update. To keep from losing your settings, make a copy and edit that instead:

cd ~/server
cp serverconfig.xml myserver.xml
nano myserver.xml

Every setting in the file has the form <property name="..." value="..."/>. The most important settings:

Example:

<property name="ServerName" value="Your server name"/>
<property name="ServerPassword" value="secret123"/>
<property name="ServerVisibility" value="1"/>
<property name="GameWorld" value="RWG"/>
<property name="WorldGenSeed" value="nodesty"/>
<property name="WorldGenSize" value="8192"/>

Larger maps mean more RAM and a longer first startup. For a small group of friends, 6144 or 8192 is enough.

Starting the server

Start the server in a tmux session with your own settings file so it doesn't shut down when you close your SSH connection:

tmux new -s sdtd ./startserver.sh -configfile=myserver.xml

If you chose a random map, the world is generated on the first launch, which can take anywhere from a few minutes to half an hour depending on the map size and the CPU. Once the console shows the server is ready to accept players, you can connect. Press Ctrl + B and then D to leave the session, and use tmux attach -t sdtd to come back.

Ports and firewall

By default, a 7 Days to Die server uses these ports:

• 26900 TCP and UDP: The game and Steam query port.
• 26901–26903 UDP: Additional game traffic.

If you use ufw on Ubuntu:

sudo ufw allow 26900/tcp
sudo ufw allow 26900:26903/udp

Open the web dashboard and telnet ports (8080 and 8081 by default) only to your own IP address, not to everyone. We explain how ports work in What is a port?

Connecting to the server

In the game, go to the Join a Game screen and use the Connect to IP option to enter the server's IP address and port 26900. If the server is public, you can also search for it by name in the server list.

Admins and server management

The admin list is kept in the serveradmin.xml file in the save folder. The easiest way to make yourself an admin is through the server console. With the TelnetEnabled setting turned on, connect to the server with telnet:

telnet localhost 8081

Then add yourself at the highest permission level with your Steam ID:

admin add 76561198000000000 0

Permission level 0 is the highest. Other commonly used console commands:

Always use the shutdown command to stop the server; killing the process can lose the progress made since the last save. To manage the server from your browser, turn on the WebDashboardEnabled setting and use the web dashboard.

Mods

Mods go in the Mods folder in the server folder. Mods that only change the game's XML files (modlets) usually only need to be installed on the server. Large mod packs that add new models, interfaces or code (DLLs), however, also need to be installed by every player, and the EACEnabled setting must be turned off on the server. Before using a mod, check which game version it supports; after major updates, mods need to be updated too.

Backups and updates

World and player data are kept in the save folder (on Linux, ~/.local/share/7DaysToDie/Saves by default). Before major updates, make a copy of this folder:

tar -czf ~/7dtd-backup-$(date +%F).tar.gz -C ~/.local/share/7DaysToDie Saves

Major version updates are sometimes incompatible with old worlds. Read the release notes before updating; if a new world is needed, you can start a new game by changing the GameName value and keep the old save as a backup. We cover taking regular backups that are independent of the server in our Server backups guide, and restarting the server at set times in What is cron?

Nodesty for your 7 Days to Die server

On blood moon nights, 7 Days to Die is one of the most CPU- and memory-hungry game servers. Nodesty AMD Ryzen 9 9950X VPS plans deliver smooth gameplay even during zombie hordes with single-core speeds up to 5.7 GHz, and run in Frankfurt and New York with NVMe storage, L3–L7 nShield DDoS protection and free daily backups kept for 7 days. For other games, take a look at our Palworld, Valheim and Rust guides, and for a ready-made server, check out our game server plans.

7 Days to Die is a trademark of The Fun Pimps Entertainment LLC; Steam is a trademark of Valve Corporation. Nodesty is not affiliated with or endorsed by these companies.