How to upload your own world to a Minecraft server
Move a singleplayer world (or a world from another server) to your Minecraft server so friends can join it, and download your server world to play offline.
Updated 3 November 2026 · 4 min read
Built something great in singleplayer? You can put that world on your server so your friends can play in it too. These steps are for Java Edition worlds.
1. Find and zip your world
On Windows, press Win + R, type %appdata%\.minecraft\saves and press Enter. Each folder there is one world. If you use the Modrinth App, CurseForge or another launcher, open the profile's folder and look for saves inside it.
- Close Minecraft first, so the world isn't in use.
- Right-click the world folder and choose Compress to ZIP file (or Send to → Compressed folder).
Check that your server runs the same or a newer Minecraft version than the world. Opening a world in an older version can break it.
2. Back up and stop the server
- Make a backup on the Backups page, in case you want the old world back. See How to back up your server.
- Stop the server from the Console page.
3. Upload and unzip
- Open the Files page. You are in the main server folder.
- Upload your zip file.
- Use the zip's menu to unzip it here. You now have a folder with your world's name.
4. Tell the server to use it
The server loads the folder named in level name (by default world). Pick one:
- Easy way: open Properties and set Level name to your world folder's exact name.
- Or rename the old
worldfolder to something likeworld-old, then rename your folder toworld.
Start the server and join. Your world is now online.
On a Paper server, the Nether and End are kept in separate folders (
world_nether,world_the_end). Paper moves them out of a singleplayer world by itself on the first start, so just let it finish starting.
Download your server world
Want to play the server world offline? Stop the server, open Files, use the world folder's menu to make a zip, then download it. Put the unzipped folder into your saves folder.
Coming from another host
Most hosts let you download your world or a full backup. Download it, then follow the steps above. If your world used mods or plugins, install the same ones here first.