Upload a World to a Minecraft Server

Q: Where is my single-player world saved?

On Java Edition, in the saves folder inside the .minecraft directory. In Minecraft, choose a world, press Edit, then Open World Folder.

Q: What should the zip contain?

The world folder's contents, with level.dat and the region data. Whether level.dat sits directly in the zip or inside one folder depends on the tool you use. The panel's Worlds page handles both.

Q: Why did the server generate a new world instead of mine?

level-name in server.properties didn't match your folder name, so the server created a fresh world with that name. Fix the name and restart.

Q: Will my player data and inventory carry over?

Your single-player inventory is stored in level.dat and works for the player who owns the world only when they join with the same UUID. Other players start fresh. Offline-mode and online-mode UUIDs differ.

Quick answer

Zip your world folder (the one with level.dat inside).
On FreeGameHost open Game → Worlds, upload the zip, and switch to it while the server is offline.
Elsewhere: upload the folder, set level-name in server.properties to its name, and start the server.

Before you start#

Back up the current server world if you want to keep it. See the backup guide.
Use a matching or newer Minecraft version. A world from a newer version can't be opened by an older server, and worlds are upgraded one way when loaded.
Stop the server before replacing world files.

Find and zip your world#

Locate it
Single-player: in Minecraft select the world, press Edit, then Open World Folder. Another server: the folder named by its level-name, usually world.
Check the contents
The folder should contain level.dat, a region or dimensions folder and often playerdata.
Zip it
Compress the folder to a .zip. Avoid RAR or 7z; the panel and most hosts expect zip.

Upload on FreeGameHost (Java)#

Open the Worlds page
In your server menu choose Game → Worlds.
Upload the zip
Use the upload button. The panel unpacks it into a new world folder and detects which dimension layout it uses (Nether and End show as badges).
Switch to it
With the server offline, choose the uploaded world and switch. The page updates level-name for you.
Start the server
Join and check your builds. If something is wrong, switch back; your old world isn't deleted.

Upload manually (any host)#

Upload the zip
Use the file manager or SFTP to put the zip in the server's main folder.
Unzip
Extract it so you get a folder with level.dat inside, for example myworld/level.dat.
Set level-name
Edit server.properties and set level-name=myworld.
Start the server
It loads the folder instead of generating a new one.

server.properties

level-name=myworld

Free Minecraft server Upload your world from the panel's Worlds page.

Create a free server

Nether and End folders#

How dimensions are stored depends on the version:

Layout	Where the Nether lives
Minecraft 26.x (Paper)	Inside the world: `dimensions/minecraft/the_nether` and `the_end`.
Older Paper and Spigot	Separate folders: `world_nether` and `world_the_end`.
Older vanilla, Fabric, Forge	Inside the world folder as `DIM-1` and `DIM1`.

On 26.x Paper, a leftover world_nether folder next to an existing world can make the server try to migrate it and crash on start. The Worlds page flags this and can move the old Nether aside. If you do it by hand, rename or remove the old folder first.

Bedrock worlds#

Bedrock servers keep worlds in worlds/<level-name>. A .mcworld file is just a zip: rename it to .zip, unzip it into worlds/MyWorld, and set the level name to MyWorld. On FreeGameHost the level name is the World name variable on the Startup page. Java worlds need converting first.

Troubleshooting#

A new empty world appeared. level-name doesn't match the folder. Fix it and restart.
Server won't start after upload. The world is from a newer version, or a stale Nether folder exists. Read the first error line in the console.
Spawn is in a strange place. The spawn point stored in level.dat was kept. Use /setworldspawn.
Upload is slow or fails. Large worlds take time. Delete old region data you don't need (for example huge unexplored areas) before zipping.

Frequently asked questions#

Where is my single-player world saved?

On Java Edition, in the saves folder inside the .minecraft directory. In Minecraft, choose a world, press Edit, then Open World Folder.

What should the zip contain?

The world folder's contents, with level.dat and the region data. Whether level.dat sits directly in the zip or inside one folder depends on the tool you use. The panel's Worlds page handles both.

Why did the server generate a new world instead of mine?

level-name in server.properties didn't match your folder name, so the server created a fresh world with that name. Fix the name and restart.

Will my player data and inventory carry over?

Your single-player inventory is stored in level.dat and works for the player who owns the world only when they join with the same UUID. Other players start fresh. Offline-mode and online-mode UUIDs differ.

Can I use a Java world on a Bedrock server?

Not directly. Java and Bedrock use different world formats. You need a conversion tool such as Chunker, and the result should be tested.

Is it safe to overwrite my server's current world?

Only after a backup. See how to back up a Minecraft server.