Valheim has no settings .ini — the whole server config is launch-script flags plus a few world modifiers. Here's every one that matters: name and password (with the rules that silently stop a server booting), ports, the difficulty modifiers, and the admin lists — each in plain English with a sensible default.
start_server.bat / start_server.sh plus the admin / permitted / banned list files — correct flag formatting, no typos. (Valheim has no INI; it's all launch-script flags + plain-text Steam-ID lists.)The basics players see — and the password rule that trips everyone up.
| Setting | What it does | Default | Recommended |
|---|---|---|---|
| -name | The name shown in the server browser. Your password cannot be a substring of it or the server won't boot. | My Valheim Server | your name |
| -password | Required. Minimum 5 characters, cannot be blank, and cannot appear inside the server name — or it silently refuses to start. | (none) | 5+ chars |
| -public | 1 = listed in the community browser; 0 = private (still joinable by IP + password). Modded/whitelist servers usually go private. | 1 | 1 |
World file and ports. The port gotcha is the #1 reason a server doesn't show in the browser.
| Setting | What it does | Default | Recommended |
|---|---|---|---|
| -world | The world file name (no extension). Creates it on first boot, loads it after. Changing it on a live server loads a fresh empty map. | Dedicated | Dedicated |
| -port | Base UDP port. Valheim actually uses three consecutive ports (port, port+1, port+2), so default 2456 opens 2456–2458 — forward all three. | 2456 | 2456 |
| -savedir | Custom save path. Leave blank for the default location; override only if you need saves elsewhere. | (default) | default |
Added in the Ashlands update. A -preset applies a bundled set; individual modifiers below override it on conflict.
| Setting | What it does | Default | Recommended |
|---|---|---|---|
| -preset | Bundled modifier pack. none = vanilla, casual = friendlier, hard = tougher. Custom modifiers below win on conflict. | none | none / casual |
| -modifier combat | Enemy damage, aggression, and how forgiving blocks/parries are. | default | default / easy |
| -modifier deathpenalty | Skill loss and tombstone behavior on death. casual = minimal; hardcore = permadeath skill loss, no tombstone. | default | default / casual |
| -modifier resources | Resource drop quantity. more/muchmore cut the grind; less punishes careless crafting. | default | default / more |
| -modifier raids | Base-raid frequency. none disables them (popular for build servers); muchmore = constant tower defense. | default | default |
| -modifier portals | Portal rules. casual lets you carry ores through portals (the most-requested tweak); veryhard blocks more items. | default | default / casual |
-preset for a quick baseline, but any individual -modifier you add overrides the preset on that setting. The most popular single tweak is -modifier portals casual so you can portal ores.On/off flags — they emit only when enabled (no stray "= false").
| Setting | What it does | Default | Recommended |
|---|---|---|---|
| -crossplay | Lets Xbox and PC players share the server. No downside; leave off if everyone's on Steam. | off | as needed |
| -nomap | Disables the in-game map entirely — navigate by landmarks only. Hardcore immersion; brutal on big servers. | off | Off |
| -nobosspowers | Disables the Forsaken Powers from defeating bosses. Niche. | off | Off |
| -passivemobs | All enemies ignore players. Creative/build-test flag — don't ship it on a survival server. | off | Off |
| -noportals | Portals don't work at all — sail-or-walk only. The "true Viking" preference. | off | Off |
Three plain-text files in your save directory — one SteamID64 per line.
| Setting | What it does | Default | Recommended |
|---|---|---|---|
| adminlist.txt | Full admin powers (kick, ban, save, teleport, no-clip). Add yourself first. | (empty) | your ID |
| bannedlist.txt | Blocked players. In-game bans also write here once you run save. | (empty) | — |
| permittedlist.txt | Whitelist — if it has any entries, only those IDs can connect. Leave empty for an open server. | (empty) | empty |
permittedlist.txt flips the server into whitelist-only mode — everyone not on it gets bounced. Leave it empty unless you mean to lock the server down. Crossplay servers may need platform-prefixed IDs (Steam_… / Xbox_…).These shape the .bat/.sh wrapper, not Valheim itself.
| Setting | What it does | Default | Recommended |
|---|---|---|---|
| Restart on crash | Wraps the script in a restart loop. Recommended unless your host (systemd/pm2) already auto-restarts. | on | On |
| Update on launch | Runs SteamCMD app_update 896660 before each boot to stay patched. Needs SteamCMD on PATH. | off | On |
| Log to file | Redirects output to server.log instead of the console — useful for unattended servers. Overwritten each restart. | off | Off |
No single "best" — but this is a comfortable group baseline. Set a 5+ char password (not inside the name), forward ports 2456–2458, and add yourself to the admin list.
| Setting | Value | Why |
|---|---|---|
| -modifier portals | casual | Carry ores through portals — the #1 quality-of-life tweak. |
| -modifier resources | more | Less grind without trivializing crafting. |
| -modifier deathpenalty | casual | Lose less skill on death — forgiving for mixed-skill groups. |
| -modifier combat | default | Vanilla fights still feel meaningful; drop to easy if your group's new. |
| -modifier raids | default | Keep base raids on for tension; set none for pure building. |
| Restart on crash | On | Valheim occasionally desyncs/leaks — auto-restart keeps it up. |
.ini — Valheim's config is launch-script flags on start_server.bat (Windows) or start_server.sh (Linux), plus three plain-text ID files (adminlist.txt, bannedlist.txt, permittedlist.txt) in your save directory. World modifiers (combat, death penalty, etc.) were added in the Ashlands update. Edit the flags or build them with the generator, then restart.-modifier portals casual. That's the single most-requested Valheim modifier — it removes the no-ore-through-portals restriction. hard keeps vanilla rules; veryhard blocks even more.-preset casual for a quick baseline, or tune individually: -modifier combat easy, -modifier deathpenalty casual, -modifier resources more, and -modifier portals casual. Individual modifiers override the preset where they conflict.adminlist.txt, bannedlist.txt, and permittedlist.txt live in your server's save directory — one SteamID64 (17-digit) per line. Add your own ID to adminlist.txt first. A non-empty permittedlist.txt turns the server whitelist-only.