Move a Singleplayer Factorio Save to Your Server

Overview

Starting a new Factorio server does not mean your old factory has to be abandoned to the biters. If you already have a singleplayer world with hours of progress, you can move that save to a dedicated server and continue playing it with friends.

Factorio stores saves as `.zip` files, which makes the transfer fairly direct. The main work is finding the save on your computer, uploading it to the server's saves folder, then telling your server panel which world file to load.

Find Your Factorio Save

1. Close Factorio on your computer.
2. Press `Windows Key + R` to open the Run window.

1. Paste this path into the box:

`%appdata%/Factorio/saves`

1. Press `Enter` to open the save folder.
2. Locate the `.zip` save file you want to upload and note its exact name.

Do not extract the save file. Factorio reads save games in `.zip` format, so unzipping it is a fast way to make the server ignore it.

Upload the Save File

For very large worlds, use an external FTP client such as FileZilla. Smaller Factorio saves can usually be uploaded through your panel's file manager, but large uploads are less likely to fail when handled through FTP.

1. Log in to your server panel.
2. Stop the Factorio server.
3. Open FTP or the file manager in your panel.
4. Enter your panel password if prompted.
5. Open the `Saves` folder.

1. Select `Upload`.
2. Drag and drop the save `.zip` file into the upload area.
3. Wait until the upload reaches 100%, then return to the main server page.

Set the Server World

1. From the file manager, click the server name or return to the main panel page.
2. Find the `World` setting.
3. Replace the current world name with the uploaded save file's name.

Enter the save name without the `.zip` extension unless your panel specifically asks for the full filename. Capitals, spaces, symbols, and spelling must match, because servers are not known for generous guessing.

1. Save or apply the world setting.

1. Confirm the restart prompt to launch Factorio with the uploaded save.

Troubleshooting

The world does not load after changing the name

Check that the save file was uploaded directly into the `Saves` folder. If it is inside another folder or placed elsewhere in the server files, Factorio will not find it. Also confirm the save is still a `.zip` file and was not extracted during upload.

The save is uploaded, but the server still starts a different world

Return to the main panel page and check the `World` field again. The value must match the save file name exactly, usually without `.zip` at the end. If the name includes special characters or is easy to mistype, rename the `.zip` file to something simple, upload it again if needed, then update the world setting to match.

Helpful Links

• FTP guide
• Factorio Steam page