How To Upload Your Existing Factorio Save To Your Server

If you have already poured hours into a local Factorio world and want to move it to a dedicated server so your friends can join in 24/7, you do not have to start over! Transferring your existing save file to your MintServers host is a simple process of locating your local file, uploading it, and telling the server to load it.

Important Warning: Always make sure your server is completely stopped before making file changes. Uploading or editing files while the server is running can corrupt your world data!

Step 1: Locate Your Local Save File

First, we need to find where Factorio stores your single-player worlds on your computer.

1. On your PC, open your File Explorer.
2. In the address bar at the top, paste the following path and press Enter: %appdata%\Factorio\saves
3. You will see a list of .zip files. Each .zip file represents one of your saved worlds.
4. Locate the .zip file for the world you want to transfer (for example, MyFactory.zip). Leave this window open for the next step.

Step 2: Upload the Save to Your Server

Next, we will move that save file onto your MintServers panel.

1. Log into your MintServers panel and click the Stop button to shut down your server.
2. Navigate to the Files tab on the left-hand sidebar.
3. Click to open the saves folder. If this folder does not exist, you can create it by clicking "New Folder" at the top of the file manager and naming it exactly saves.
📁 factorio (or your main server directory)
📁 saves
📄 MyFactory.zip (Upload your file here)
4. Drag and drop your local save .zip file from your computer directly into the saves folder on the panel.
5. Wait for the upload progress bar to reach 100%. If your save file is very large and fails to upload via the web panel, we highly recommend using an SFTP client like FileZilla instead. You can find instructions in our SFTP Connection Guide.

Step 3: Tell the Server to Load Your Save

Now that the file is on the server, we need to instruct the server to load that specific world when it starts up, instead of generating a new one.

1. On the left-hand sidebar, click on the Startup tab.
2. Scroll down until you locate the Save Name text box.
3. Type in the exact name of your uploaded save file, but do not include the .zip extension. For example, if you uploaded MyFactory.zip, you will only type MyFactory. Keep in mind this is case-sensitive!
4. The panel will automatically save your changes when you click outside the text box.
5. Return to the Console tab and click Start.

As the server boots up, watch the console logs. You should see it mention loading your specific save file. Once it says the server is running, connect in-game and you will be right back in your factory! If the server generates a new world instead, double-check your spelling in the Startup tab to ensure it perfectly matches the uploaded file name. Open a support ticket if you run into any issues!