Create a Terraria server backupBack up world and configuration - in five minutes

Published on August 9, 2026 · last updated on November 3, 2026

What needs backing up

Terraria is much more manageable here than most other games. Three things are enough:

• The world file with the extension .wld - it contains the complete world including everything that was built, mined and stored.
• The serverconfig.txt with world name, port, password, slots and difficulty.
• With tModLoader, also the mod list including the file that records the enabled mods - see tModLoader & Calamity.

Next to the .wld, there is often a .wld.bak. That is the automatic previous version Terraria creates itself - not a substitute for your own backup, because it is overwritten the next time the game saves. It can, however, save you if the main file is damaged.

An important difference from other games: characters are not stored on the server. In Terraria, every player brings their own character. So you back up the world, not your fellow players' saves.

Create a backup

1. Stop the server. Terraria writes the world when it shuts down - a backup while it is running would otherwise catch an intermediate state.
2. Connect via WebFTP or SFTP.
3. Download the .wld file and the serverconfig.txt.
4. Name them locally with the date, for example terraria-2026-08-09.zip.
5. Start the server again.

If stopping is not possible right now, a save command via the server console immediately before the download helps - then the state on disk is current. Which commands exist is listed in server commands.

Backups are self-service throughout with us. There are no automatic backups - instead, you decide yourself what is backed up and when, and the file stays with you.

When to back up?

• Before every server update. The most important moment - see update the server.
• Before changing mods. A removed mod takes its blocks and items out of the world; that cannot be undone.
• Before switching between Vanilla, TShock and tModLoader. With us, the server type can be switched with a click - but the new type starts on an empty directory, and your world is gone afterwards. The confirmation dialog points this out explicitly; making the backup beforehand is still your job.
• Before big boss fights - the Wall of Flesh, which permanently puts the world into Hardmode, or the Moon Lord.
• After big building projects that many hours have gone into.

The fourth point is often underestimated: the transition to Hardmode changes the world irreversibly - biomes spread and eat their way through existing builds. If you want to keep the state before that, back up first.

Restore a backup

1. Stop the server.
2. Rename the current .wld instead of deleting it - in case the backup turns out not to be the right one.
3. Upload the backed-up world file.
4. Check that the file name matches the world= entry in the serverconfig.txt.
5. Start the server.

Step 4 is the most common trap. If the name does not match, the server cannot find the world - and with autocreate active, it silently generates a new, empty one. That looks like data loss but is only a naming problem. How the two are connected is explained in upload a world.

With tModLoader, note also: a world from a modded server cannot be loaded in Vanilla. The mod state has to match the time of the backup.

Frequently asked questions