All Server Settings

Project Zomboid offers a lot of customization for running your server. From administration customization to your mods and spawnpoints, the settings are expansive. This is a comprehensive list of all of the server settings and how to use them. These are the .ini file settings. The .lua (Sandbox) settings are separate.

If you host your Project Zomboid server with Supercraft, then here's our guide for editing your .ini server settings.

Setting | Description | Values | Default | | PVP | Players can hurt and kill other players | True, False | True | | PauseEmpty | Game time stops when there are no players online | True, False | True | | GlobalChat | Toggles Global Chat on or off | True, False | True | | ChatStreams | Defines chat channels | s, r, a, w,y, sh, f, all | | | Open | Clients may join without already having an account in the whitelist. If set to false, administrators must manually create username/password combos. | True, False | True | | ServerWelcomeMessage | The first welcome message visible in the chat panel. This will be displayed immediately after player login. you can use RGB colours to chance the colour of the welcome message. You can also use to create a separate lines within your text. Use: RGB:1,0,0 This message will show up red! | || | AutoCreateUserInWhiteList | Add unknown usernames to the whitelist when players join. Clients will supply their own username/password on joining. (This is for Open=true servers) | True, False | False | | DisplayUserName | Display usernames above player's heads in game | True, False | True | | ShowFirstAndLastName | Display first & last name above player's heads | True, False | False | | SpawnPoint | Force every new player to spawn at these set x,y,z world coordinates. Find desired coordinates at map.projectzomboid.com. (Ignored when 0,0,0) | || | SafetySystem | Players can enter and leave PVP on an individual basis. A player can only hurt another player when at least one of them is in PVP mode - as shown by the unobscured skull and crossbones on the left of the screen. When SafetySystem=false, players are free to hurt each other at any time if PVP is enabled. | True, False | True | | ShowSafety | Display a skull icon over the head of players who have entered PVP mode | True, False | True | | SafetyToggleTimer | The time it takes for a player to enter and leave PVP mode | 0-1000 | 2 | | SafetyCooldownTimer | The delay before a player can enter or leave PVP mode again, having recently done so | 0-1000 | 3 | | SpawnItems | Item types new players spawn with. Separate multiple item types with commas. | |

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I change the difficulty in Project Zomboid?

Project Zomboid difficulty is controlled by multiple parameters. Set ZombieCount to adjust zombie population (1.0-5.0), ZombieDistribution to 1-5 for different difficulty presets, and adjust individual settings like ZombieStrength, Speed, and Cognition for fine control.

How do I enable PvP in Project Zomboid?

Enable PvP by setting PVP=true in your server.ini file. You can also configure PvpMelee and PvpFirearm to control specific combat types.

How do I set a server password?

Set Password=YourPasswordHere in the server.ini file. Leave it blank or remove the line for a public server. Also set ServerPassword for RCON admin access.

How do I configure admin access?

Add admin usernames to the Admins= line in server.ini, separated by semicolons. Example: Admins=Admin1;Admin2;Admin3. Admins have access to all server commands.

How do I set a custom world seed?

Use the Map= parameter to specify your world name. The seed is determined by the map name itself. To use a specific seed, name your map accordingly before first starting the server.

Why aren't my configuration changes applying?

Ensure you've restarted the server after editing server.ini. Verify the file syntax is correct (key=value format with no extra spaces). Check server console logs for configuration errors on startup.

Can I upload a custom configuration file?

Yes, upload your custom server.ini through the Supercraft file manager to the Zomboid/Server directory. Ensure proper formatting and restart the server.

Do I need to restart the server after changing settings?

Yes, Project Zomboid requires a full server restart for configuration changes to take effect. Use the Supercraft panel to restart after saving changes.