Why does the host lose their character on a dedicated server?

In invite-code co-op the host's character is always keyed to 00000000000000000000000000000001, while a dedicated server assigns every player an ID of its own. Once the world files are moved across, the server finds no host ID it recognizes and that character effectively doesn't exist — bases, buildings and everyone else's characters survive, only the host starts over. Other players are unaffected because their IDs were real all along.

Can I bring a world off my server back to co-op?

Yes. Switch the direction at the top of the page to Dedicated server → Co-op and that's exactly what it does — the same job in reverse, swapping your server ID back for the fixed co-op host ID, with guild membership, pal ownership and Dimensional Pal Storage following along. You need somewhere to land: create a new co-op world in game, enter it once so it saves, then overwrite its folder with the converted files.

Does this modify my original save?

No. The tool only reads the folder you select and produces a new zip; your original save isn't touched. Keep a copy of your own before you start anyway — that's basic save hygiene, with or without this tool.

Do I have to upload my save to your servers?

No, and there is no upload step. Parsing and rewriting happen locally in your browser, and none of your save's bytes are sent anywhere. The first time you load a world the page fetches one more file — a ~130 KB decompressor — so stay online until that's done; after it, nothing else goes over the network.

What happens to the other players' characters and pals?

They're kept as they are. The conversion touches only references tied to that one host ID: the host's character, their guild membership, the pals they own and their Dimensional Pal Storage. Everyone else's player files go into the zip untouched and behave exactly as before.

Does it work with Xbox or Game Pass saves?

Not yet. Xbox saves use a different container format that needs its own reader. For now this handles Steam saves, including the newer compressed format introduced in the 2026 update.

Free browser tool

Palworld co-op to dedicated server save converter

Move an invite-code co-op world onto a dedicated Palworld server and the host's character disappears — co-op gives the host a fixed ID of zeros ending in 1, and a dedicated server doesn't recognize it. This tool swaps that ID for the real one your server assigned, and repairs guild membership, pal ownership and Dimensional Pal Storage along with it. Bringing a world off your server back to co-op is the same job in reverse, and both directions live on this page. All of it runs in your browser.

Your save stays on your PC

Parsing and rewriting both run in your browser. Our server sends you this page and the decoder that runs in it — not one byte of your save leaves your PC.

No account, no charge

Open the page and use it. No sign-up, and no limit on how many times you run it.

Your original is read-only

The tool reads the folder you pick and hands back a new zip. The files you selected are never written to.

It checks its own work

After writing, it parses the result again. If any layer didn't apply it fails outright rather than handing you a save that only looks fine.

Direction

Co-op → Dedicated serverMove your local world onto a server that stays upDedicated server → Co-opBring the world on your server back to your own PC

Pick your co-op world folder

Drop your whole SaveGames folder in and we'll list the worlds inside it. Keep a backup copy of your own before you start.

Choose Co-op World FolderChoose Files

Or drag the folder in here

Identify your character

Pick the character you played in the co-op world. The host's ID is a run of zeros ending in 1, which is usually the one already selected.

Once a world is loaded, its characters are listed here.

Enter the new ID from your server

Enter the host's Steam ID and we work the new ID out on the spot — no server needed yet. If you already have one, drop its save folder (or just the new player file) in and we'll read the real ID straight off it. Fill in both and they check each other.

The server runs with -nosteamServers started without Steam authentication work the ID out differently. Leave this off if you're not sure.

No Steam ID, or an Xbox / PlayStation / Mac crossplay player?

Choose Server World FolderChoose Files

Or drag the folder in here

Need a machine to put it on afterwards?

The tool doesn't need you to host with us — converting is free and takes no account. If you do want a machine: ready in minutes, on a machine of its own that isn't shared with anyone else, with automatic backups you can roll back to at any time.See Palworld Servers

Convert and download

One click starts it. The conversion runs in your browser, so bigger worlds take longer — leave the page open until it finishes.

Built on the open-source community's save-format research — cheahjs/palworld-save-tools and quadrantbs/palworld-hostfix-toolkit — and bundles their JavaScript port zlmitchell/palworld-save-toolkit together with SnosMe/ooz-wasm, both GNU GPL v3 and used unmodified.

What actually changes

One ID, plus everything that points at it.

Co-op world

Players/

00000000000000000000000000000001.savHost — fixed ID, unknown to a dedicated server
3F9AC2B70E5D41886BA47C21D9F0E7D4.savFriend — a real ID all along

After conversion

Players/

A71E63D80C2F4B95A0E8172D45BC93F6.savHost — the ID your server assigned
3F9AC2B70E5D41886BA47C21D9F0E7D4.savFriend — kept as is

Every reference to the old ID moves across with it: guild membership and admin rights, pal ownership, party and palbox slots, Dimensional Pal Storage (the file is renamed and its records inside are re-pointed), the build records on your structures, chest password locks and death drops. Everyone else's files, bases and buildings go into the zip untouched. Going the other way is the same operation with the two IDs swapped — nothing in it knows which direction you picked.

Putting the world back

The zip you get is a complete world folder. It replaces the one at whichever end you're moving to.

Onto the dedicated server

1
Stop the server first. Replacing a save while it runs achieves nothing: the server autosaves roughly every 30 seconds and will write over the files you just put there.
2
Don't move the server's world folder aside — WorldOption.sav exists only on the server side and would go with it, leaving the server to fall back to PalWorldSettings.ini. Copy the folder for a backup instead, then put the converted files into it. The folder inside the zip is named after your co-op world and won't match the server's, so either rename it to the server's world folder name (the DedicatedServerName value in GameUserSettings.ini) or just copy its contents into that folder. If the name doesn't match, the server sees no save at all and starts a brand-new world.
3
Check that file ownership and permissions match what was there before (on Linux the server usually runs as its own user). With the wrong permissions the server can't read the save and starts a fresh world instead.
4
Start the server and check that your character, pals and guild are all there. If something's off, stop it immediately — before an autosave locks the bad state in, the copy you set aside is still good.

Back onto your own PC

1
Quit Palworld first — don't leave the game running. It writes a save on the way out and would overwrite the files you just put in.
2
Open the co-op world folder you just created: under %LOCALAPPDATA%\Pal\Saved\SaveGames\ there is first a numeric folder named after your Steam ID, and the newest folder inside that one is the world. Copy that world folder somewhere as a backup.
3
Put the contents of the zip into that world folder. The folder at the top of the zip is named after the server's world, so don't carry that name over — you want what's inside it. When you're done the folder should hold Level.sav and a Players directory.
4
Load that world in game and check your character, pals and guild are all there. If something's off, quit and put the copy you set aside back.

Common questions

Why does the host lose their character on a dedicated server?: In invite-code co-op the host's character is always keyed to 00000000000000000000000000000001, while a dedicated server assigns every player an ID of its own. Once the world files are moved across, the server finds no host ID it recognizes and that character effectively doesn't exist — bases, buildings and everyone else's characters survive, only the host starts over. Other players are unaffected because their IDs were real all along.
Can I bring a world off my server back to co-op?: Yes. Switch the direction at the top of the page to Dedicated server → Co-op and that's exactly what it does — the same job in reverse, swapping your server ID back for the fixed co-op host ID, with guild membership, pal ownership and Dimensional Pal Storage following along. You need somewhere to land: create a new co-op world in game, enter it once so it saves, then overwrite its folder with the converted files.
Does this modify my original save?: No. The tool only reads the folder you select and produces a new zip; your original save isn't touched. Keep a copy of your own before you start anyway — that's basic save hygiene, with or without this tool.
Do I have to upload my save to your servers?: No, and there is no upload step. Parsing and rewriting happen locally in your browser, and none of your save's bytes are sent anywhere. The first time you load a world the page fetches one more file — a ~130 KB decompressor — so stay online until that's done; after it, nothing else goes over the network.
What happens to the other players' characters and pals?: They're kept as they are. The conversion touches only references tied to that one host ID: the host's character, their guild membership, the pals they own and their Dimensional Pal Storage. Everyone else's player files go into the zip untouched and behave exactly as before.
Does it work with Xbox or Game Pass saves?: Not yet. Xbox saves use a different container format that needs its own reader. For now this handles Steam saves, including the newer compressed format introduced in the 2026 update.
The tool errors out after a Palworld update — now what?: Palworld has changed its save format before and may do so again. After writing the files the tool reads them back and verifies them, so if any layer didn't apply it fails outright rather than handing you a save that looks fine until you're in the server. That means your original is safe when it errors. Try again in a few days, or contact support.

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