Project Zomboid Server Settings Explained (servertest.ini and SandboxVars.lua)

Project Zomboid server settings live in two files in Zomboid/Server: servertest.ini for the server and servertest_SandboxVars.lua for the world. The first holds the name, password, player limit, PvP, mods and backups. The second holds zombies, loot, day length and XP. To change server settings, stop the server, edit the file and start it again, or edit servertest.ini and run /reloadoptions. Sandbox changes always need a restart. Below is what each file controls, the options worth changing, and why edits sometimes don’t stick.

Where the server settings live

Every server has a set of files named after it in the Server folder of your Zomboid data directory. On Windows that’s C:\Users\<you>\Zomboid\Server, and on Linux ~/Zomboid/Server. The default server name is “servertest”. Start the server with -servername friends and the files become friends.ini, friends_SandboxVars.lua and so on.

File	What it controls	Format
servertest.ini	Server rules: name, password, players, PvP, safehouses, mods, ports, backups, Discord	Key=value lines
servertest_SandboxVars.lua	World rules: zombies, loot, utilities, day length, XP, start date	Lua table
servertest_spawnregions.lua	Which towns players can spawn in	Lua
servertest_spawnpoints.lua	Exact spawn points	Lua

A game started with the Host button uses the same kind of files. The Host screen’s Manage settings… edits them for you. The server writes a comment above every option with its range and default, so the file doubles as its own manual.

How to change server settings

There are three ways to change Project Zomboid server settings. You can stop the server, edit the files and start it. You can edit servertest.ini while it runs and apply it with /reloadoptions. Or you can change one option from chat or the console with /changeoption. Sandbox settings in SandboxVars.lua are read only when the server starts, so they always need a restart.

1. Stop, edit, start (safest). Type quit in the console so the server saves and stops. Edit the file and start it again.
2. Edit and reload. Save your changes to servertest.ini, then run /reloadoptions straight away. The server re-reads the file and sends the new options to players.
3. One option at a time. /changeoption MaxPlayers "16" changes the value and writes it to the file in one step. /showoptions lists the current values.

Can you change server settings mid game? Yes. Most servertest.ini options apply after /reloadoptions without kicking anyone. Sandbox settings apply at the next restart and carry on in the existing world. Options that only describe how a world begins, like the start month and time, don’t rewind a world already in progress. The world seed is the same: the file says to change Seed and delete map_worldgen.bin in the save folder.

servertest.ini: the settings worth changing

Setting	Default	What it does
PublicName	My PZ Server	The server name in the in-game browser and the Steam browser
PublicDescription	empty	Description in the in-game public server browser
ServerWelcomeMessage	a chat guide	First chat message after login. <LINE> starts a new line; <RGB:1,0,0> colours it
Password	empty	The password everyone needs to join (ignored by the Host button)
Public	false	Shows the server in the in-game browser. Steam servers always show in Steam’s
Open	true	False makes the server whitelist-only (see below)
MaxPlayers	32	Players at once, not counting admins. The game warns that above 32 can mean poor map streaming and desync
PVP	true	Players can hurt each other. Note it starts on
SafetySystem	true	Players toggle PvP mode themselves (the skull icon); false means anyone can be hit any time PvP is on
PauseEmpty	true	Game time stops while nobody is online
PingLimit	0	Kicks players above this ping in milliseconds; 0 turns it off
SpawnItems	empty	Items new players start with, comma-separated, e.g. Base.Axe,Base.Bag_BigHikingBag
SpawnPoint	0,0,0	Forces every new player to spawn at x,y,z (ignored at 0,0,0)
PlayerSafehouse / AdminSafehouse	false / false	Whether players (and admins) can claim safehouses, or only admins
SleepAllowed / SleepNeeded	false / false	Lets players sleep, and whether they have to
MapRemotePlayerVisibility	1	Who shows on the map: 1 hidden, 2 friends, 3 friends and nearby, 4 everyone
SaveWorldEveryMinutes	0	Saves loaded map areas every X real minutes; 0 saves an area when players leave it
BackupsCount / BackupsPeriod	5 / 0	Backups to keep, and minutes between timed backups (0 = off). Backups on start and on version change are on by default
WorkshopItems / Mods / Map	empty / empty / Muldraugh, KY	Mods to download, mods to load, and map folders. See how to add mods to a Project Zomboid server
DiscordEnable	false	Mirrors global chat to a Discord channel using your bot’s DiscordToken
DoLuaChecksum	true	Kicks players whose game files don’t match the server’s
ShowCoordinates	false	Shows each player’s coordinates on screen (added in 42.20)

SandboxVars.lua: the world rules

Sandbox options are numbered choices or multipliers inside the SandboxVars = { … } table. Keep the commas and braces intact. A typo in this file stops the server at start-up with Exiting due to errors loading …_SandboxVars.lua.

Option	Values
Zombies	Population: 1 Insane, 2 Very High, 3 High, 4 Normal (default), 5 Low, 6 None
Distribution	1 Urban Focused (default), 2 Uniform
ZombieRespawn	How often new zombies appear: 1 High, 2 Normal, 3 Low, 4 None (default)
ZombieLore.Speed	1 Sprinters, 2 Fast Shamblers, 3 Shamblers, 4 Random (with SprinterPercentage)
ZombieLore.Transmission	1 Blood and Saliva (default), 2 Saliva Only, 3 Everyone’s Infected, 4 None
ZombieLore.Mortality	How fast infection kills: 1 Instant … 5 2–3 Days (default) … 7 Never
ZombieConfig.PopulationMultiplier	Fine-tune the population: Normal is 0.65, Insane 2.5 (set by Zombies unless you change it)
DayLength	1 is 15 minutes, 4 is 1 hour 30 (default), 5 is 2 hours … 27 is real time
WaterShut / ElecShut	When water and power go off: 2 cuts them within the first 30 days (default), 9 Disabled keeps them on
FoodLootNew / WeaponLootNew	Loot multipliers from 0 to 4; defaults 0.8 and 0.6
HoursForLootRespawn	Refills town containers after X hours once looted; 0 (default) turns respawn off
MultiplierConfig.Global	XP rate for every skill, default 1.0, while GlobalToggle is true
StarterKit	true gives new characters chips, a water bottle, a small backpack, a baseball bat and a hammer
CharacterFreePoints	Extra trait points at character creation, -100 to 100

Private and whitelisted servers

A private Project Zomboid server takes two settings: a Password, and Public=false, which is already the default. Then only people you give the address and password to can join. For tighter control, make it whitelisted with Open=false. Players can no longer create their own accounts, and an admin adds each one with /adduser "name" "password". The Indie Stone recommended whitelisted servers when Build 42 multiplayer launched, and roleplay groups usually run this way.

• DropOffWhiteListAfterDeath=true removes a player’s account when they die, so they can’t start over on an Open=false server without asking.
• MaxAccountsPerUser limits how many accounts one Steam user can create. 0 means no limit.
• The old AutoCreateUserInWhiteList option was removed in 42.18 to close a hole that let someone log in to another player’s character with only the username. Ignore older guides that use it.

Project Zomboid server settings for beginners

For a small group of friends, change these and leave the rest at their defaults until you know what you want:

# servertest.ini
PublicName=Knox Survivors
Password=pick-a-password
MaxPlayers=8
PVP=false
PlayerSafehouse=true
SleepAllowed=true

-- servertest_SandboxVars.lua
DayLength = 5,
StarterKit = true,

That gives you a passworded co-op server, no friendly fire, safehouses players can claim, optional sleep, 2-hour days and a starter kit. Stop the server before you edit, and keep each sandbox line’s trailing comma. Rather not edit files at all? On Project Zomboid server hosting from GameTeam you can ask for these in plain English (more on that below).

Why your Project Zomboid server settings are not saving

Usually one of five things happened:

1. The server overwrote your edit. It keeps every servertest.ini option in memory, and /changeoption writes that whole set back to the file. If you edit the file while the server runs and someone changes an option before you run /reloadoptions, your edit is gone. Edit with the server stopped, or reload straight away.
2. You edited the wrong server’s files. A server started with -servername ignores servertest.ini. Check which name it runs under.
3. You changed it in the wrong file. Zombie, loot and day-length options in servertest.ini do nothing. They belong in SandboxVars.lua.
4. The sandbox file has a typo. The server then won’t start at all. Check the end of Zomboid/server-console.txt.
5. You didn’t reload or restart. servertest.ini needs /reloadoptions, and sandbox changes need a restart.

“Wrong server password given”

The Join screen has two password boxes. Server Password is the one everyone shares, and it must match Password= in servertest.ini. Account Password is your own and protects your username. Putting your account password in the server box, or a stale saved password in a favourite, gives “Wrong server password given”. After you change Password, run /reloadoptions or restart, and tell your players.

How to change the server name

To change the name players see, set PublicName. To change the name of the files and save folder, start the server with -servername newname. That starts a separate server with its own .ini, sandbox file and world, so copy or rename the old files first if you want to keep the world.

The easy way: change settings by asking

On Project Zomboid server hosting from GameTeam, the built-in AI copilot knows which file each option lives in. Type “make it whitelist-only, PvP off, sprinters off, 2-hour days” and it sets Open and PVP in servertest.ini, ZombieLore.Speed and DayLength in SandboxVars.lua, restarts the server and reads the values back, so nothing silently reverts. You pay per GB of RAM, from $0.49/GB a week, with unlimited slots.

Setting up a server from scratch? Start with the Project Zomboid dedicated server guide. The admin side is in Project Zomboid server commands.

FAQ

Where is the Project Zomboid server config file?

In Zomboid/Server/ inside your user folder: servertest.ini for server options and servertest_SandboxVars.lua for sandbox options, named after the server.

Does changing sandbox settings reset the world?

No. The server loads the sandbox file at every start and applies it to the world you already have. Only settings about how the world began, such as the start date and the seed, don’t change an existing world.

How do I make zombies sprinters, or add more of them?

Set ZombieLore.Speed = 1 for sprinters, or 4 with a SprinterPercentage for a mix. For more zombies, lower the Zombies number (1 is Insane) or raise ZombieConfig.PopulationMultiplier. Restart afterwards.

Can players see the server settings?

Admins can list them with /showoptions. Passwords and RCON details are left out of that list.