Project Zomboid server settings for a friends server
A Project Zomboid server is set up in two text files: servertest.ini holds the server rules (who can join, PVP, saves) and servertest_SandboxVars.lua holds the world rules (zombies, loot, day length). This page covers 43 settings that matter for 2 to 10 friends, says in one sentence what each does, gives our opinion, and offers four presets whose lines you can copy. For the sandbox file we show the values the game’s own preset files write; for servertest.ini we show the default the official server wrote on its first run (see below).
Unofficial reference, not affiliated with The Indie Stone.
Project Zomboid Build 42 (stable 42.x). Sandbox-file keys, value forms and preset values: VERIFIED FROM PRIMARY SOURCE (plain files shipped in the dedicated-server install, Steam build 25485538, read 7 October 2026). servertest.ini defaults, ranges and types: VERIFIED FROM PRIMARY SOURCE (first-run output of the official dedicated server, Steam build 25485538, run on 7 October 2026 in an isolated container with the CEO’s permission, read 7 October 2026; randomly generated values are not defaults and are not shown). File locations and how to edit them are SECONDARY (pzwiki, a community wiki last updated for 42.20, and host guides, 7 October 2026). Effect sentences and presets are our own wording and opinion, INFERRED, not tested in a running game.
Where the files are and how to edit them
The server rules file is named after the server. With the default server name it is servertest.ini, in a Zomboid/Server folder: ~/Zomboid/Server/servertest.ini on Linux (the home folder of the user that runs the server) and C:\Users\<your name>\Zomboid\Server\servertest.ini on Windows (SECONDARY: pzwiki and host guides, 7 October 2026). These files appear only after the server has started once; before that there is nothing to edit. Starting the server under another name uses a separate set of files and a separate save. VERIFIED FROM PRIMARY SOURCE: when we ran the official server once under the name gen (7 October 2026, isolated container), it wrote its rules file as gen.ini, so the file is named after the server name; that “servertest.ini” is the file for the default server name is INFERRED, because we did not run it under the default name.
The world rules file sits next to it and is named servertest_SandboxVars.lua (SECONDARY: our run created no world, so it wrote no sandbox file). It is Lua code: a missing comma or brace can stop the server from starting, so edit one thing at a time and keep a copy.
The safest habit is to stop the server, edit the file, save it and start the server again. SECONDARY: pzwiki (42.20) says servertest.ini can also be saved while the server runs and then applied with the reloadoptions admin command, and that the sandbox file is read at the next start; we did not test either. Back up the save folder first.
Values in the game’s own presets
The game ships five sandbox presets as plain Lua files: Apocalypse, Extinction, Outbreak, Rising and SixMonthsLater. Under each sandbox-file setting below we show the value each preset writes, as the file writes it. VERIFIED FROM PRIMARY SOURCE: files shipped in the dedicated-server install (Steam app 380870, build 25485538), read on 7 October 2026. We read plain text only and ran nothing from the install.
Apocalypse is the preset a fresh sandbox file requires (INFERRED for the generated server file: we did not observe that file). We therefore do not call any preset “the default”. SixMonthsLater is a partial file: 118 keys against 268 in the other four, so some settings read “not in this file” for it, and it holds three keys the other four lack.
This page is a selection. The Apocalypse file holds 268 sandbox keys (not counting its Version line). The page covers 46 of them (10 entries, one of which is the XP block of 37 keys), so it does not cover 222. Open your own generated file for the rest.
servertest.ini options are not in any plain file of the install: the server generates that file on its first run. VERIFIED FROM PRIMARY SOURCE: we ran the official dedicated server once (Steam build 25485538, 7 October 2026, an isolated container with no network, 150 seconds, with the CEO’s permission) and read a copy of the rules file it wrote, in which the random and secret values (Password, RCONPassword, DiscordToken, ResetID, ServerPlayerID, Seed) had been replaced by a marker. It holds 144 options. This page shows 33 of 144 (it covers 33, it does not cover 111): the options that matter to a small friends server. Not read: the raw generated files, any other file of the run. No world was created, so the run wrote no sandbox file: that the generated sandbox file starts from Apocalypse stays INFERRED. SafetySystem, for example, is not in the sandbox preset files; it is a servertest.ini option. The enumerated sandbox choices (Zombies, DayLength, StartMonth) appear in the files only as numbers; the Zombies labels we give are pzwiki’s (SECONDARY).
43 settings for a friends server
In each entry, “File” says where the line goes. For sandbox-file settings the type is read from the game’s own preset files, and each entry shows the value every preset writes. For servertest.ini settings the type is derived from the form of the value the official server wrote on its first run (true or false, whole number, decimal such as 10.0, text, or a list), and the default is that value exactly as written, with the range where the file states one (VERIFIED FROM PRIMARY SOURCE). Where the value is empty, or a secret, the form does not show the type and the entry says so. Secrets (Password, RCONPassword) show no default: set your own. A value the server generates randomly is not a default and is not shown. Your own file may differ if you or a host changed it. Each entry says what backs its effect sentence: a sentence that only restates the description written in the generated file is VERIFIED FROM PRIMARY SOURCE (description read in the file), and what we add on top is INFERRED. The explanations are in our own words. The “Friends server” note and the often/sometimes/rarely flag are our opinion about a small private group, not a measurement and not a recommendation by The Indie Stone.
Showing 43 of 43 settings
PauseEmptyGame time stops while nobody is online. We infer that crops and decay pause with it (INFERRED, not tested).
Effect sentence: partly restates the description in the generated file (VERIFIED FROM PRIMARY SOURCE); the rest is INFERRED
Friends server (our opinion). Worth knowing for a small group that plays in the evening: with it on, your base is not starving or rotting while you are at work. The generated file already has it on, so you only need to confirm it was not changed.
PVPAllows players to damage each other. Off means friendly fire is gone for everyone.
Effect sentence: restates the description in the generated file (VERIFIED FROM PRIMARY SOURCE); anything we add is marked INFERRED
Friends server (our opinion). The generated file has PVP on. For a co-op group, turn it off to avoid accidents with a shotgun in a corridor. For a group that wants the tension, leave it on and read the safety system below.
MaxPlayersThe most players allowed to be connected at the same time, not counting admins. The file’s own comment warns that counts above 32 can cause poor map loading and desync.
Effect sentence: restates the description in the generated file (VERIFIED FROM PRIMARY SOURCE); anything we add is marked INFERRED
Friends server (our opinion). Set it to your group size plus one or two spare slots. Host guides gave different defaults (16 and 64); the generated file wrote 32, so trust the file.
OpenControls whether a player can join without already having an account in the whitelist. On: joining is enough. Off: an admin must create each username and password combination by hand.
Effect sentence: restates the description in the generated file (VERIFIED FROM PRIMARY SOURCE); anything we add is marked INFERRED
Friends server (our opinion). On plus a password is simplest for friends, and it is what the generated file starts with. Off is stricter, but you must add each person by hand, and a forgotten step looks like a connection problem.
PasswordA secret: the generated value is not recorded, so its form is not shown. Read as text from its description.
The password players must know to join the server. It is a secret: set your own. We do not state a default for it.
Effect sentence: restates the description in the generated file (VERIFIED FROM PRIMARY SOURCE); anything we add is marked INFERRED
Friends server (our opinion). Set one, even for a private server, and do not reuse a password you use elsewhere: the file is plain text.
PublicLists the server in the in-game server browser. The file’s comment says Steam-enabled servers are always visible in the Steam server browser, so this key alone does not hide the server.
Effect sentence: restates the description in the generated file (VERIFIED FROM PRIMARY SOURCE); anything we add is marked INFERRED
Friends server (our opinion). The generated file has it off, which already suits a friends server: friends join by address. Set a Password: that is the actual protection, not this key.
PublicNameThe name shown for the server in the browser and in the connection screen.
Effect sentence: restates the description in the generated file (VERIFIED FROM PRIMARY SOURCE); anything we add is marked INFERRED
Friends server (our opinion). Cosmetic. Worth a name your group recognises if you keep several servers. The generated file starts with a placeholder name.
DefaultPortThe starting port for player data. The file’s comment says that with UDP this is one of two ports used. Players and your firewall must agree on it.
Effect sentence: restates the description in the generated file (VERIFIED FROM PRIMARY SOURCE); anything we add is marked INFERRED
Friends server (our opinion). Leave it unless something else on the machine already uses it. The file pairs it with UDPPort, so open both and change the firewall rules together.
SteamVACTurns Valve’s anti-cheat check (VAC) on for connecting players.
Effect sentence: restates the description in the generated file (VERIFIED FROM PRIMARY SOURCE); anything we add is marked INFERRED
Friends server (our opinion). The generated file has it on. We have not tested what it changes for a private group of people you know. If a friend cannot connect, it is one setting you could check (our opinion).
SafetySystemLets each player switch their own PVP mode on and off. A player can hurt another, or be hurt, when at least one of the two is in PVP mode. With it off, and PVP on, players can hurt each other at any time.
Effect sentence: restates the description in the generated file (VERIFIED FROM PRIMARY SOURCE); anything we add is marked INFERRED
Friends server (our opinion). The generated file has it on. Useful with PVP on and a mixed group. It is not an opt-out from fights: a player who stays out of PVP mode can still be hit by someone who is in it. Turn it off for a hardcore group where fights are the point.
SleepAllowedDescribes players being allowed to sleep when their character is tired, without needing to. The generated file has it off; what a player experiences with it off is not described by the file, and we did not test it (INFERRED reading of the comment: off switches the described behaviour off).
Effect sentence: restates the description in the generated file (VERIFIED FROM PRIMARY SOURCE); anything we add is marked INFERRED
Friends server (our opinion). Check it before the first session: the generated file has it off. Read it with SleepNeeded: the file says SleepNeeded is ignored when sleeping is not allowed.
SleepNeededWhether players get tired and need to sleep. The file says it is ignored when SleepAllowed is off.
Effect sentence: restates the description in the generated file (VERIFIED FROM PRIMARY SOURCE); anything we add is marked INFERRED
Friends server (our opinion). The generated file has it off, which removes a friction point for casual groups. On is more demanding and fits a group that wants the full survival loop (and needs SleepAllowed on).
GlobalChatTurns the server-wide text chat channel on or off.
Effect sentence: restates the description in the generated file (VERIFIED FROM PRIMARY SOURCE); anything we add is marked INFERRED
Friends server (our opinion). The generated file has it on. If your group talks on voice chat anyway, off cuts noise. In a PVP group it may also stop players from reading each other’s position by chat (our inference).
SaveWorldEveryMinutesSaves the loaded parts of the map every this many real minutes. The file’s comment says the map is otherwise usually saved only after clients leave a loaded area. That 0 means no timed save is INFERRED.
Effect sentence: partly restates the description in the generated file (VERIFIED FROM PRIMARY SOURCE); the rest is INFERRED
Friends server (our opinion). A shorter interval loses less after a crash. Because the generated file has 0, a preset that sets a number is a real change. Pick something your group would accept re-doing, such as ten to fifteen minutes.
BackupsCountHow many backup copies of the save the server keeps before it replaces the oldest.
Effect sentence: the generated file has no description for this key: our reading of host guides or of the key name (SECONDARY, INFERRED)
Friends server (our opinion). The generated file already keeps five. Raise it if you want to go back a few more sessions after a lost base or a damaged save. Disk use grows with the number.
BackupsOnStartMakes a backup each time the server starts.
Effect sentence: the generated file has no description for this key: our reading of host guides or of the key name (SECONDARY, INFERRED)
Friends server (our opinion). On in the generated file, so there is nothing to do; keep it on, as cheap protection before you try a settings change or a new mod.
BackupsPeriodHow often the server makes a backup while it runs. Neither the generated file nor the sources we read state the unit. The file’s value is 0; that 0 means no timed backups is INFERRED.
Effect sentence: the generated file has no description for this key: our reading of host guides or of the key name (SECONDARY, INFERRED)
Friends server (our opinion). Pair it with a sensible backup count, otherwise a short period fills the disk with near-identical copies. Without a stated unit, test a small value and watch the backup folder.
DropOffWhiteListAfterDeathRemoves a player’s account from the whitelist after their character dies. The file says this stops players creating a new character after death on servers where Open is off.
Effect sentence: restates the description in the generated file (VERIFIED FROM PRIMARY SOURCE); anything we add is marked INFERRED
Friends server (our opinion). A harsh rule. For friends it mostly creates a support chore. The generated file has it off; check it is still off before a hardcore weekend.
HoursForLootRespawnAfter how many in-game hours loot can reappear in containers that were already looted once. Zero means off (pzwiki, SECONDARY). It is a whole number, and it is a key of the game’s sandbox preset files, not of servertest.ini.
Friends server (our opinion). On a long-running shared world, some respawn keeps the map useful once the first towns are stripped.
WorkshopItemsThe file’s value is empty, so its form is not shown by the value. The type comes from the file’s description, which says the entries are separated by semicolons.
The Steam Workshop numbers of the mods for the server to download, separated by semicolons.
Effect sentence: restates the description in the generated file (VERIFIED FROM PRIMARY SOURCE); anything we add is marked INFERRED
Friends server (our opinion). Downloading a mod and turning it on are two separate steps, so this key alone does not activate anything.
ModsThe file’s value is empty, so its form is ambiguous: text or list. Its description does not state a separator.
The IDs of the mods to switch on, as given in each mod’s own info file (not the Workshop numbers). The file does not state the separator for several IDs; host guides say semicolons (SECONDARY).
Effect sentence: restates the description in the generated file (VERIFIED FROM PRIMARY SOURCE); anything we add is marked INFERRED
Friends server (our opinion). Each player’s game must load the same list. Add mods one at a time so you can tell which one breaks the world.
UDPPortThe second port of the pair the server uses for player data over UDP. The file gives no description for this key; reading it as the partner of DefaultPort comes from the DefaultPort comment (INFERRED).
Effect sentence: the generated file has no description for this key: our reading of host guides or of the key name (SECONDARY, INFERRED)
Friends server (our opinion). Open it together with DefaultPort and change both at once if you change either.
RCONPortThe port the RCON (remote console) listens on. We add that it is how another program sends admin commands to a running server (INFERRED from the name).
Effect sentence: restates the description in the generated file (VERIFIED FROM PRIMARY SOURCE); anything we add is marked INFERRED
Friends server (our opinion). Only open it to the internet if you really use remote administration, and then pair it with a strong RCONPassword.
RCONPasswordA secret: the generated value is not recorded, so its form is not shown. Read as text from its description.
The password for the remote console. The file’s comment asks for a strong one. It is a secret: set your own. We do not state a default for it.
Effect sentence: restates the description in the generated file (VERIFIED FROM PRIMARY SOURCE); anything we add is marked INFERRED
Friends server (our opinion). Never paste it in a screenshot or a public chat, and do not reuse a password you use elsewhere.
PlayerSafehouseLets both admins and players claim safehouses. We read a safehouse as a claimed building with its own rules (INFERRED from the neighbouring keys).
Effect sentence: partly restates the description in the generated file (VERIFIED FROM PRIMARY SOURCE); the rest is INFERRED
Friends server (our opinion). The generated file has it off, and AdminSafehouse is off too, so we infer nobody can claim one out of the box (INFERRED, not tested). Turn it on if your group wants a claimed base, then read the safehouse keys that follow.
SafehouseAllowLootLets players who are not members of a safehouse take items out of it.
Effect sentence: restates the description in the generated file (VERIFIED FROM PRIMARY SOURCE); anything we add is marked INFERRED
Friends server (our opinion). On in the generated file, so a claimed building does not protect its contents from other players. For a PVP or mixed group, off is stricter; for a trusting co-op group it changes little.
SafeHouseRemovalTimeA player is removed from a safehouse they have not visited for this many real-world hours.
Effect sentence: restates the description in the generated file (VERIFIED FROM PRIMARY SOURCE); anything we add is marked INFERRED
Friends server (our opinion). The generated value, 144 hours, is six days (arithmetic). A friend away for a long weekend keeps their claim; one away for longer does not. Raise it for a group that plays in bursts.
VoiceEnableTurns the in-game voice chat (VOIP) on or off.
Effect sentence: restates the description in the generated file (VERIFIED FROM PRIMARY SOURCE); anything we add is marked INFERRED
Friends server (our opinion). On in the generated file. If your group already uses an outside voice app, off avoids a second voice channel. The distance keys VoiceMinDistance and VoiceMaxDistance are not covered here.
FactionLets players create factions (player groups).
Effect sentence: restates the description in the generated file (VERIFIED FROM PRIMARY SOURCE); anything we add is marked INFERRED
Friends server (our opinion). On in the generated file. For a small co-op group a faction is optional; it matters more once there are rival groups.
PVPMeleeDamageModifierA damage multiplier for melee attacks between players.
Effect sentence: restates the description in the generated file (VERIFIED FROM PRIMARY SOURCE); anything we add is marked INFERRED
Friends server (our opinion). Only matters when PVP is on. We have not tested how the number feels in play: change it in small steps, and tell the whole group.
PVPFirearmDamageModifierA damage multiplier for ranged attacks between players.
Effect sentence: restates the description in the generated file (VERIFIED FROM PRIMARY SOURCE); anything we add is marked INFERRED
Friends server (our opinion). Only matters when PVP is on. The generated value differs from the melee one, so the two are tuned separately. We have not tested the feel in play.
LoginQueueEnabledTurns on a waiting queue for logins. The file gives no description for this key; the meaning is read from the key name (INFERRED).
Effect sentence: the generated file has no description for this key: our reading of host guides or of the key name (SECONDARY, INFERRED)
Friends server (our opinion). A friends server of two to ten players has little reason to need it. Off in the generated file.
UPnPAsks a UPnP-enabled internet gateway to set up port forwarding by itself. The file says the server falls back to its default ports if that fails.
Effect sentence: partly restates the description in the generated file (VERIFIED FROM PRIMARY SOURCE); the rest is INFERRED
Friends server (our opinion). On in the generated file. On a rented machine there is no home router to talk to, so rely on explicit firewall rules for the two UDP ports instead (INFERRED).
MapOne name here, with a comma and a space inside it; whether several maps are separated by commas or semicolons is not shown by the file, so the form is ambiguous between text and list.
Which map the server loads. The file describes the value as the folder name of a map found inside a mod’s files; the generated value is the base map’s name.
Effect sentence: restates the description in the generated file (VERIFIED FROM PRIMARY SOURCE); anything we add is marked INFERRED
Friends server (our opinion). Leave it unless a map mod tells you the exact value to use; a wrong value could stop the world from loading (INFERRED).
ZombiesHow many zombies the world starts with. It is a numbered choice, written as a whole number in the file. pzwiki (SECONDARY, 42.20) lists six choices: 1 Insane, 2 Very High, 3 High, 4 Normal, 5 Low, 6 None, so a lower number means a denser population. The game’s own files show only the numbers, not these labels.
Friends server (our opinion). A big lever on how stressful the game feels. A small group may want to start a notch below the middle of the scale and move it after a few sessions.
DayLengthHow long an in-game day lasts in real time. It is a numbered choice written as a whole number, not a number of minutes. The game’s files show only the numbers; the labels are not in them (pzwiki lists them, SECONDARY).
Friends server (our opinion). Short sessions with friends feel better with a day that is not too long, so the night does not eat the evening.
StartMonthThe month the world starts in, as a whole number in the file. It affects weather and what you can grow. The files give the numbers, and the labels are not in them.
Friends server (our opinion). A warmer start is gentler for a first run. A winter start is a deliberate challenge.
WaterShutModifierA whole number that sets when running water stops working after the outbreak begins. We infer the unit is days (INFERRED). A separate choice key, WaterShut, sits right next to it in every preset file; the files do not say how the two interact.
Friends server (our opinion). A late shut-off would let a new group settle in houses with plumbing for longer. Check WaterShut in your own file too.
ElecShutModifierA whole number that sets when the power grid fails after the outbreak begins. We infer the unit is days (INFERRED). A separate choice key, ElecShut, sits right next to it in every preset file; the files do not say how the two interact.
Friends server (our opinion). Same idea as water: later should give gentler first weeks. Check ElecShut in your own file too.
FoodLootNewA multiplier for how much food is found in containers, written as a decimal number such as 0.8. The range from 0 to 4 comes from pzwiki (SECONDARY, 42.20), not from the files.
Friends server (our opinion). Other loot categories have their own keys in the same file. Lower means scarcer food, higher means plentiful; change it one step at a time.
WeaponLootNewA multiplier for how many weapons are found in containers, written as a decimal number such as 0.6. The range from 0 to 4 comes from pzwiki (SECONDARY, 42.20), not from the files.
Friends server (our opinion). Fewer weapons makes melee and sneaking matter more; more makes the early game easier.
MultiplierConfigHow fast each skill levels up (XP, experience points). In the game’s preset files it is a nested block, MultiplierConfig = { ... }, holding Global (a decimal), GlobalToggle (true or false) and one decimal rate per skill, 35 skills in all. The flat XpMultiplier key that some guides give is not in the four full preset files. Whether Global is used only when GlobalToggle is true comes from pzwiki (SECONDARY), not from the files.
Friends server (our opinion). Raising Global is the simplest way to speed up every skill at once for a group with little time; the per-skill rates let you favour one. Edit inside the block and keep its braces and commas.
SpeedHow fast zombies move, as a whole-number choice. In the game’s preset files it sits inside the ZombieLore block, not at the top level of the file (VERIFIED FROM PRIMARY SOURCE).
Friends server (our opinion). Faster zombies change how a night feels; change it deliberately, not by accident.
No setting matches. Clear the filters to see the whole list.
Presets for a friends server
These are our own suggestions, not The Indie Stone’s: a starting point. Start the server once first so the files exist. Then paste the servertest.ini lines into that file, replacing the line of the same name if it exists, and do the same for the sandbox lines in the sandbox file (the Zombies line goes inside the main table, and the Lua entry ends with a comma). Stopping the server first is the safest habit. Check the keys against your own generated files: the Build may differ from the 42.20 we cross-checked. A key not listed keeps its current value. Set a Password yourself: we do not put one in a preset. A line marked “same as default” sets the value the official server already wrote on its first run (VERIFIED FROM PRIMARY SOURCE, build 25485538); it stays in the preset only so the preset states that value explicitly.
Relaxed co-op
Everybody on the same side, a gentler start, and a world that waits while you are away.
PauseEmpty=true(same as default): the world stops when nobody is connectedPVP=false: no damage between playersMaxPlayers=8: room for a group of up to eightPublic=false(same as default): not listed in the in-game server browser (set a Password too)SaveWorldEveryMinutes=15: an automatic save every fifteen minutesBackupsCount=5(same as default): keep five backup copiesZombies=5: fewer zombies than the middle of the scale (sandbox file; verify the label in the in-game sandbox screen)
Lines for servertest.ini
PauseEmpty=true
PVP=false
MaxPlayers=8
Public=false
SaveWorldEveryMinutes=15
BackupsCount=5Line for servertest_SandboxVars.lua
Zombies = 5,Standard co-op
The middle of the road: a closed group, normal zombie numbers, a safety net for accidents.
PauseEmpty=true(same as default): the world stops when nobody is connectedPVP=true(same as default): players can hurt each other...SafetySystem=true(same as default): ...but a player can only hurt another when at least one of them has switched PVP mode onMaxPlayers=10: room for a group of up to tenPublic=false(same as default): not listed in the in-game server browser (set a Password too)SaveWorldEveryMinutes=15: an automatic save every fifteen minutesBackupsCount=10: keep ten backup copiesZombies=4: the middle zombie level (sandbox file; verify the label in the in-game sandbox screen)
Lines for servertest.ini
PauseEmpty=true
PVP=true
SafetySystem=true
MaxPlayers=10
Public=false
SaveWorldEveryMinutes=15
BackupsCount=10Line for servertest_SandboxVars.lua
Zombies = 4,Hardcore with PVP
For a group that wants danger, from zombies and from each other. Expect lost bases.
PauseEmpty=true(same as default): the world still stops when nobody is connectedPVP=true(same as default): players can hurt each otherSafetySystem=false: no PVP mode switch: with PVP on, anyone can hurt anyoneGlobalChat=false: no server-wide text chatMaxPlayers=10: room for a group of up to tenPublic=false(same as default): not listed in the in-game server browser (set a Password too)SaveWorldEveryMinutes=10: an automatic save every ten minutesBackupsCount=10: keep ten backup copiesZombies=3: more zombies than the middle of the scale (sandbox file; verify the label in the in-game sandbox screen)
Lines for servertest.ini
PauseEmpty=true
PVP=true
SafetySystem=false
GlobalChat=false
MaxPlayers=10
Public=false
SaveWorldEveryMinutes=10
BackupsCount=10Line for servertest_SandboxVars.lua
Zombies = 3,Closed list, backups first
Only people whose account you create can join, and the save is protected with frequent copies.
Open=false: only accounts an admin creates by hand can joinPublic=false(same as default): not listed in the in-game server browser (set a Password too)PauseEmpty=true(same as default): the world stops when nobody is connectedPVP=false: no damage between playersMaxPlayers=6: room for a group of up to sixSaveWorldEveryMinutes=10: an automatic save every ten minutesBackupsCount=10: keep ten backup copiesBackupsOnStart=true(same as default): a backup at every start
Lines for servertest.ini
Open=false
Public=false
PauseEmpty=true
PVP=false
MaxPlayers=6
SaveWorldEveryMinutes=10
BackupsCount=10
BackupsOnStart=trueFAQ
Where is the Project Zomboid server settings file?
With the default server name, the rules are in servertest.ini inside a Zomboid/Server folder (~/Zomboid/Server on Linux, C:\Users\<your name>\Zomboid\Server on Windows), next to servertest_SandboxVars.lua for the world rules. The files only exist after the server has started once. This comes from pzwiki and host guides read on 7 October 2026 (SECONDARY), not from The Indie Stone. VERIFIED FROM PRIMARY SOURCE: our one run of the official server under the name gen wrote gen.ini, so the file takes the server name.
Should I stop the server before editing the settings?
Stopping it first is the safe default: stop, edit, start. SECONDARY: pzwiki (42.20) says servertest.ini can also be edited while the server runs and applied with the reloadoptions admin command; the sandbox file is read at the next start. We did not test either.
How do I make the server pause when nobody is online?
Set PauseEmpty=true in servertest.ini. Game time then stops while nobody is online. It is already true in the file the official server generated on its first run (VERIFIED FROM PRIMARY SOURCE, build 25485538, 7 October 2026), so you usually only need to confirm it. It is in all four presets here, marked “same as default”.
What are the default values?
For servertest.ini, each setting on this page shows the value the official dedicated server wrote on its first run (VERIFIED FROM PRIMARY SOURCE: Steam build 25485538, run on 7 October 2026 in an isolated container with the CEO’s permission). A random value such as a world seed is not a default, and a password is a secret, so neither is shown. For the sandbox file we show the values of the game’s five own presets; Apocalypse is the preset a fresh sandbox file requires (INFERRED for the generated server file, which our run did not create). Your own file may differ if someone changed it.
What is the default player limit?
The file the official server generated has MaxPlayers=32 (VERIFIED FROM PRIMARY SOURCE, build 25485538, 7 October 2026), not counting admins. Its own comment warns that more than 32 can cause poor map loading and desync. Some host guides gave 16 or 64: the generated file wins.
Is a new server listed publicly?
Not by this key: Public is false in the generated file (VERIFIED FROM PRIMARY SOURCE, build 25485538). The file’s comment also says Steam-enabled servers always show in the Steam server browser, so set a Password too.
Can I turn off PVP?
Set PVP=false in servertest.ini; the generated file has it true (VERIFIED FROM PRIMARY SOURCE, build 25485538). With PVP on, the SafetySystem key lets each player switch their own PVP mode, and a player can be hurt when at least one of the two is in PVP mode. SafetySystem is also true in the generated file.
Sources
- Server settings (pzwiki.net, community wiki) (read 7 October 2026, secondary, last updated for 42.20)
- Dedicated server (pzwiki.net, community wiki) (read 7 October 2026, secondary, last updated for 42.20)
- Servertest.ini Project Zomboid server explained (xgamingserver.com) (read 7 October 2026, secondary)
- Project Zomboid server settings reference (winternode.com) (read 7 October 2026, secondary)
- Best Project Zomboid server settings (low.ms) (read 7 October 2026, secondary)
These are hosting companies’ guides, listed because they are where the key names, files and types come from. Key names, files and types were cross-checked against pzwiki (a community wiki, updated for 42.20) and the host guides; where they disagreed, the wiki won. The servertest.ini defaults, types and ranges, and the descriptions our effect sentences restate, are read from the file the official server generated on its first run, and the sandbox-file part is read from the game’s own preset files (see above); the file locations and the editing habits are secondary. We copied no text. The effect sentences are our own wording, and no setting was tested in a running game. Project Zomboid is a game by The Indie Stone.
Unofficial reference, not affiliated with, approved by or endorsed by The Indie Stone. Project Zomboid is the property of its owners. The presets and the friends-server notes are Arcadyo’s own opinions, not statements by The Indie Stone.