7 Days to Die Dedicated Server: Setup and Settings
Published on 27 October 2026
A 7 Days to Die dedicated server runs your world without a player having to host it. You install the free 7 Days to Die Dedicated Server tool from Steam, fill in serverconfig.xml, forward the game port (26900 by default) and start it. One thing changed in 2026: since version 3.0, difficulty, day length and the blood moon no longer have their own lines in that file. They now live in a single SandboxCode that you copy from the game.
As of 27 October 2026, the current stable version is V3.4.0, released on 26 October. Below you’ll find what the server needs, the setup step by step, the settings that matter, players and memory, mods, crossplay and what to check when friends can’t find your server. Rather not run it at home? You can also rent a 7 Days to Die server from us.
What does a 7 Days to Die dedicated server need?
| What | Details |
|---|---|
| Software | 7 Days to Die Dedicated Server tool, free, Steam app 294420 |
| Version | V3.4.0 stable; server and players must run the same version and branch |
| Game port | 26900 (setting ServerPort) |
| Players | 8 by default; the config calls 8 the maximum supported |
| Settings | serverconfig.xml, with difficulty and more in SandboxCode |
| Remote console | Telnet on port 8081 |
You also need a computer that stays on whenever people want to play, because the world only runs while the server does.
Set up your server step by step
- Install the server. In Steam, set your Library to show Tools and install 7 Days to Die Dedicated Server. With SteamCMD it’s app 294420.
- Edit
serverconfig.xmlin the server folder with a text editor such as Notepad++. Set at least ServerName, ServerPassword and GameWorld. The 7 Days to Die wiki says you shouldn’t need to change the start file. - Paste your SandboxCode if you want another difficulty or blood moon than the default (see below).
- Start the server. On Windows you use
startdedicated.bat. It starts the game without graphics, as a dedicated server, with-configfile=serverconfig.xml. With a random world, the first start takes a while, because the server generates the world first. - Forward the game port (26900 unless you change ServerPort) in your router to the PC with the server.
- Make yourself an admin. In the server console, type
admin addfollowed by your name or Steam ID and permission level0, the highest level. The list is stored inserveradmin.xmlin the save folder.
Difficulty, day length and the blood moon: SandboxCode
Version 3.0, Dead Hot Summer (stable since 29 June 2026), added over 150 Sandbox Options. At the same time, The Fun Pimps moved a long list of old serverconfig.xml settings into one new property: SandboxCode. Among them are GameDifficulty, DayNightLength, DayLightLength, BloodMoonFrequency, BloodMoonEnemyCount, LootAbundance, LootRespawnDays, AirDropFrequency, XPMultiplier, DropOnDeath and the zombie speed settings.
- Open the Sandbox Options menu in the game and set everything the way you want.
- Copy the code the game gives you.
- Paste it as the value of the SandboxCode property in
serverconfig.xmland restart the server.
The default value, AAAJABJACJADJARFBNC, matches the old default difficulty Adventurer (1). Continuing a save from V2.6? Then rebuild your old settings in the Sandbox Options menu and paste that code into the new V3.0 config, as The Fun Pimps advise.
The settings in serverconfig.xml that matter
| Setting | What it does |
|---|---|
| ServerName, ServerDescription | Name and description in the server browser |
| ServerPassword | Password to join |
| ServerPort | Game port, 26900 by default |
| ServerVisibility | 2 public, 1 friends only, 0 not listed |
| ServerMaxPlayerCount | Players at once, 8 by default |
| GameWorld | Navezgane (default), RWG for a random world, or the name of a world in the Worlds folder |
| WorldGenSeed, WorldGenSize | Seed and size of a random (RWG) world |
| GameName | The name of your game |
| EACEnabled | EasyAntiCheat on (default) or off |
| ServerAllowCrossplay | Lets PlayStation 5 and Xbox players join |
| MaxSpawnedZombies | Most zombies on the whole map at once, 64 by default |
| TelnetEnabled, TelnetPort, TelnetPassword | Remote console on port 8081; without a password it only listens locally |
Want PCs on your own network to see the server as a LAN game? Then keep ServerPort between 26900 and 26905 or between 27015 and 27020, the config advises. Restart the server after every change.
How many players and how much RAM?
ServerMaxPlayerCount is 8 by default, and the comment in the config calls 8 the maximum supported player count. It also warns that anything over 30 corrupts save data. So for a normal group, 8 is the number to plan for.
The Fun Pimps don’t give a fixed memory figure for the server in the sources we checked. What weighs most is the world size, the number of players and the number of zombies at once: the wiki warns that a high MaxSpawnedZombies costs performance, and the blood moon horde is the busiest moment of the week. We start 7 Days to Die at 8 GB, enough for a group on a standard world. On a large random world or with mods, choose SuperCake 12 GB or MegaCake 16 GB.
Install mods on your server
- Where they go: mods, also called modlets, go in the
Modsfolder of the server. - EAC: many mods, especially ones with their own code, only work with EACEnabled set to false. Check the page of each mod.
- No crossplay: consoles can’t load mods, so a server with mods is a server for PC players.
- Backups first: stop the server and make a backup before you add or remove a mod, see Create and restore a backup.
Crossplay with PlayStation 5 and Xbox arrived for dedicated servers in V2.0. You turn it on with ServerAllowCrossplay. Since V2.1 the server logs settings that consoles don’t accept, and since V2.3 it refuses to start when crossplay is on and the config isn’t compatible. So read the log if a crossplay server won’t start.
Rather skip the port forwarding? A 7 Days to Die server at CakeHosting has 8 slots and starts at €8.95 a month. Automatic updates and the branch are in the Startup tab, and you edit serverconfig.xml in the file manager. For crossplay, consoles need a few extra ports that aren’t part of your server by default: open a ticket first and we’ll see whether we can set them up.
Friends cannot find the server
- Not listed: check ServerVisibility. With 0 the server doesn’t appear in the browser, with 1 only friends see it.
- Different version or branch: after an update, players and server must be on the same version. When V3.1 went stable, The Fun Pimps reminded server owners to pick the right branch, Default Public Version, before players could connect. On our servers you keep Auto Update on in the Startup tab, see Change your server settings under Startup.
- Still starting: on the first start with a random world, the server is still generating. Wait until the console says it’s ready.
- Port or address: when you host at home, the game port must be forwarded, and friends need your public IP address, not one that starts with 192.168.
- Wrong password: check that friends use the ServerPassword from your config, copied exactly.
