Set up your Terraria server (Vanilla and tModLoader)

There are two editions: Vanilla and tModLoader (for mods). Both were tested on a real OmneHosting server.

What happens on first start

Your server creates a world by itself the first time it starts. Do not stop it while it is generating. During this step:

• The Console fills with tens of thousands of progress lines (for example Finalizing world). This is normal.
• The server may use a lot of CPU and memory for a short while.
• When it is done you will see lines like these:

Terraria Server v1.4.5.8
Listening on port <your port>
Type 'help' for a list of commands.
: Server started

Which version is my server?

Edition	Server version we saw
Vanilla	Terraria 1.4.5.8
tModLoader	Terraria 1.4.4.9 base game, with tModLoader v2026.8.2.1

The versions can change as updates are released. Players on the modded edition must use the tModLoader client, not the regular game. A version mismatch is the most common reason a player cannot join.

Join the server

1. Start the server and wait for Server started.
2. Find your address and port on the Network page. See Network and ports.
3. In Terraria, choose Multiplayer, then Join via IP, and enter the address and the port.
4. If you set a password, enter it when asked.

Where things are saved

• The world is saved at saves/Worlds/world.wld.
• The server settings file is serverconfig.txt in the main folder.

Default settings

The generated serverconfig.txt starts with these values:

Setting	Default
World name	world
Max players	8
Password	blank (no password)
Seed	blank (random)
Message of the day	Welcome!
Automatic world creation	on

The panel writes your assigned port into this file each time the server starts. Most of these are also settings on the Startup page. See Terraria server settings and options.

Backups

Terraria worlds are files, so you can back them up. Stop the server, then download saves/Worlds/world.wld from Files, or create a backup from the Backups page. See Backups.

Problems? See Terraria server problems.