Whether you are moving a beloved single-player world to a server or trying out a downloaded adventure map, uploading a custom world is an essential skill. This guide will walk you through the entire process, from locating your world to configuring your server to use it.
To follow this guide, you will need your world save folder from your computer and an FTP client like WinSCP or FileZilla. If you are unsure how to use FTP, please see our guide on How to Connect to Your Server via FTP first!
Locate Your World File
First, you need to locate your world folder. The location depends entirely on whether you are using vanilla Minecraft or a custom modpack.
For Vanilla Minecraft:
- Open your Minecraft directory on your computer (On Windows, press Win+R and type
%appdata%\.minecraft\saves). - Find the folder with your specific world's name.
For CurseForge Modpacks:
- Open the CurseForge desktop application.
- Find your modpack in the My Modpacks tab.
- Click the three dots (⋮) next to the modpack.
- Select Open Folder.
- Navigate into the
savesfolder to find your world.
Upload the World via Game Panel
For worlds under 100MB, you can use our convenient Game Panel file manager:
- Log into your MintServers panel and stop your server.
- Navigate to the Files tab on the left sidebar.
- Drag your world folder from your computer directly into the main directory of your server, or click the Upload button to select it manually.
- Wait for the upload to complete fully before navigating away from the page.
Upload the World via FTP
Using FTP is the most reliable way to upload your world, and is absolutely required for larger save files:
- Ensure your server is stopped on the MintServers panel.
- Connect to your server using your preferred FTP client (like FileZilla or WinSCP).
- Navigate to your server's root directory in the right-hand window.
- Drag your entire world folder from your computer directly into the server window.
- Wait for all files to finish transferring in the queue at the bottom of the screen.
Configure the Server to Use the World
After the upload is completely finished, you need to tell the server to load your new world instead of the default one.
- In the game panel, navigate to the Server Properties tab.
- Find the
level-nameproperty. - Change the value to the exact name of the world folder you just uploaded (For example:
level-name=MyEpicWorld). - Save your changes and navigate back to the console to Start your server!
ℹ️ Important Naming Rule
It is critical that the name you enter in your server properties is an exact match for your world folder's name, including spaces and capitalization. If the server cannot find a perfect matching folder upon startup, it will generate a brand new empty world with that name. Do not worry, your other world folders will not be deleted; they are still safely stored on the server, just not actively being loaded.
Accessing Multiple Worlds at Once
The level-name setting only determines the main world that players will spawn in by default. If you have multiple world folders on your server (for example, your newly uploaded world and the old default 'world' folder), you cannot seamlessly access the other worlds without a special plugin or mod.
To manage multiple worlds and create portals or use commands to teleport between them, you will need a multi-world management plugin. The most popular choice for Spigot, Paper, and Bukkit servers is Multiverse-Core.
Uploading a custom world is a straightforward process that opens up endless possibilities for your server. By following these steps, you can bring any adventure map or legacy build you want to your MintServers host. If you run into any permission errors or your new world is crashing the server on startup, just open a support ticket and our team will be happy to help you get it sorted out!