How to back up and restore a Hytale server world
Hytale saves server worlds in the universe/ folder. To back up, stop the server and copy universe/ plus config.json, permissions.json, whitelist.json, bans.json, and mods/. To restore, stop the server, keep a copy of the current files, replace universe/, and start it.
Hytale saves a server's worlds in universe/, with each world in
universe/worlds/<name>/. To back up, stop the server and copy universe/
along with config.json, permissions.json, whitelist.json, bans.json,
and mods/. To restore, stop the server, put the backed-up universe/ back,
and start it.
Chapter 1 (October 12, 2026) upgrades existing worlds the first time they load. Take a backup with the server stopped before that first start. See Backups and Chapter 1.
What a complete backup contains
| Path | What it holds | Back it up? |
|---|---|---|
universe/ | World and player save data. Each world is in universe/worlds/<name>/ | Always |
config.json | Server settings | Yes |
permissions.json | Permission settings, such as admins and groups | Yes |
whitelist.json | Whitelisted players | Yes, if present |
bans.json | Banned players | Yes |
mods/ | Installed mods | Yes. Your world can depend on them |
logs/ | Server log files | Optional. Handy for troubleshooting |
Back up the whole universe/ folder, not just one world inside it. It holds
player data too, so copying a single world folder can leave player progress
behind.
On Update 6 and later, you may find whitelist.json.migrated instead of
whitelist.json. See enable a whitelist
for what changed.
If you're moving files to a different server, leave out authentication files
such as auth.enc and auth.key. The new server should authenticate on its
own.
Where Hytale saves worlds
| Setup | World folder |
|---|---|
| berrybyte | universe/worlds/<name>/ at the root of Files |
| Self-hosted with the official start scripts | Server/universe/worlds/<name>/, because the scripts run the server from Server/ |
| Singleplayer | In the launcher, Settings → User Data, then Saves/<your save>/universe/ |
Defaults.World in the root config.json picks which world folder loads.
To bring a singleplayer world to a server, follow
upload or migrate a world.
Back up on berrybyte
Stop the server
Ask players to leave, then stop the server and wait until it's offline. Backups copy files, and progress the server still holds in memory isn't in those files yet. Stopping first gives you a complete, consistent copy.
Create the backup
Open Backups and press Create Backup. Give it a name you'll recognize, such as
Before Chapter 1, and confirm with Create Backup.
Wait for it to finish
Watch the progress in the dashboard. Don't start the server or change files until the backup is complete.
Keep a copy on your computer (optional)
Choose Download on the backup to get a ZIP. The download link expires after 48 hours. You
can also download single files from Files, or copy the universe/ folder over
SFTP.
berrybyte also takes automatic System Backups about every 24 hours and stores them off-site, keeping the last seven days of them. You can restore them the same way. They're a safety net, so still make your own backup right before an update, a new mod, or a world swap. The full dashboard workflow is in back up and restore your server.
Back up a self-hosted server
Hytale can make backups on its own. Start the server with --backup and a
backup folder:
java -jar HytaleServer.jar --assets Assets.zip --backup --backup-dir backups --backup-frequency 30| Flag | What it does |
|---|---|
--backup | Turns on automatic backups |
--backup-dir <path> | Folder to store backups in |
--backup-frequency <minutes> | Minutes between backups (default 30) |
The official start.sh and start.bat scripts already pass
--backup --backup-dir backups --backup-frequency 30. They run the server from
Server/, so the backups end up in Server/backups/.
A backup folder also matters for updates. RunBackupBeforeUpdate in
config.json (on by default) runs a full backup before the built-in updater
applies an update, but only when a backup directory is configured. See
update your server.
The Hytale Server Manual doesn't document the format of these backups or a restore command. Look inside your backup folder once, before you need it, so you know what you'd be restoring from.
For a manual copy, stop the server first, then copy the files from the table above to another drive. Stopping matters because Hytale writes its files while it runs, including config files when in-game actions happen.
Restore a Hytale world
Stop the server
Wait until it's fully offline, so nothing writes to the world while you replace it.
Keep a copy of the current files
On berrybyte, create a fresh backup. Self-hosted, move the current universe/ to another
folder. If the restore isn't what you wanted, you can go back.
Put the backed-up files in place
On berrybyte, open Backups and choose Restore on the backup you want. Use Browse
files to restore only universe/ (and any configs you need), or restore the whole backup
over current files. Self-hosted, copy the backed-up universe/ into the server folder.
Check the folder and world name
The result should be universe/worlds/<name>/, not universe/universe/worlds/. Check that
Defaults.World in config.json matches the folder name.
Start and check in-game
Start the server and join. Check a known build, your inventory, spawn, and another player's progress before inviting everyone.
On berrybyte, restoring over current files keeps any files that aren't in the backup, unless you choose Delete all existing files first. To inspect a backup before it touches your live world, restore it Into a new folder instead.
Backups and Chapter 1
Chapter 1 releases on October 12, 2026. Hypixel's Update 7 pre-release notes say existing worlds upgrade themselves the first time they load on the new version. So back up with the server stopped before the first Chapter 1 start. A backup taken afterwards already holds the upgraded world.
Restoring a backup changes the world files, not the server version. A world
opened by Chapter 1 may not load on the old version, and a pre-Chapter 1
backup restored on a Chapter 1 server upgrades again when it loads. A real
rollback needs the old server files too. Self-hosted servers keep those in
updater/backup/ after a built-in update. On berrybyte,
contact support before you try one.
The Chapter 1 update guide has the full launch checklist.
If the restored world looks wrong
| Problem | Fix |
|---|---|
| A brand-new world loads | Check the folder nesting and that Defaults.World matches the world folder name |
| Builds are back but player inventories aren't | Only one world folder was restored. Restore the whole universe/ |
| Modded blocks or items are missing | Restore the matching mods/ from the same backup |
| The world won't load after a version change | A newer build may have opened it. Contact support with the backup date and startup log |
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Where are Hytale worlds saved on a server?
In the server's universe/ folder, with each world in universe/worlds/<name>/. On berrybyte, universe/ is at the root of Files. With the official self-hosted start scripts, it's inside the Server/ folder.
How do I back up a Hytale server?
Stop the server, then copy universe/ along with config.json, permissions.json, whitelist.json, bans.json, and mods/. On berrybyte, stop the server, open Backups, and choose Create Backup.
How often does a Hytale server back up automatically?
A self-hosted server started with --backup and a backup directory makes a backup every 30 minutes by default, and --backup-frequency changes the interval. The official start scripts turn this on. On berrybyte, automatic System Backups run about every 24 hours.
How do I restore a Hytale world from a backup?
Stop the server, keep a copy of the current files, and replace universe/ with the backed-up copy. Start the server and check a known build, your inventory, and spawn before inviting everyone.
Can I restore a pre-Chapter 1 backup after updating?
Restoring changes the world files, not the server version. On a Chapter 1 server, the old world upgrades again the first time it loads. Going back to the old version also needs the old server files, so on berrybyte contact support first.