Getting Started with Palworld

Complete guide to deploying your Palworld server on Witchly.host, connecting to it, and inviting friends to play.

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Getting Started with Palworld

Palworld is a creature-collection survival game where you explore a vast open world, capture mysterious creatures called Pals, and put them to work building bases, farming, manufacturing, and even fighting alongside you. Running your own dedicated server gives you full control over the world settings, who can join, and how the game plays out.

This guide walks you through deploying a Palworld server on Witchly.host, connecting to it, and inviting your friends.

Choosing a Plan

Witchly.host offers two Palworld server plans:

  • Assembly Line (10 GB RAM) — Great for small groups of friends exploring and building together. Handles moderate base complexity and Pal counts comfortably.
  • The Syndicate (16 GB RAM) — Our best seller. Designed for larger groups, more elaborate bases, and higher Pal counts. Recommended if you plan to run a community server or play with more than 8 players regularly.

Palworld is memory-intensive, especially as players build larger bases with more working Pals. When in doubt, go with The Syndicate for the best experience.

You can start with the free tier — sign up and deploy instantly with no payment needed. Upgrade to Elite when you want dedicated hardware.

Deploying Your Server

  1. Log in to Dashboard using your Discord account
  2. Click Deploy Realm from the dashboard
  3. Select Palworld as the game
  4. Choose your server type (egg) and name your server
  5. Allocate resources from your pool (free tier) or select an Elite plan and pay via Stripe

Your server will be provisioned automatically within a few seconds. Once it appears in your dashboard, click on it to access the server management panel.

First Startup

When your server is created, it comes pre-configured with default Palworld settings that work well for most players. Here is what happens on first boot:

  1. Click the Start button in your server’s console
  2. The server will download and install the latest Palworld dedicated server files — this takes a few minutes on the first run
  3. Once you see a message indicating the server is ready and listening for connections, you are good to go

The initial startup is the longest one. Subsequent starts are much faster since the game files are already downloaded.

Finding Your Server Address

Your server address is displayed in the control panel. You will need two pieces of information to connect:

  • IP Address — The server’s public IP
  • Port — The port number assigned to your server

Together, these form your connection address in the format IP:Port (for example, 123.45.67.89:8211). You can find this on your server’s main page in the panel, or under Settings.

Connecting to Your Server

There are two ways to connect to your Palworld server:

  1. Launch Palworld
  2. From the main menu, select Join Multiplayer Game
  3. At the bottom of the server browser, find the connection fields
  4. Enter your server’s IP address and port number
  5. Click Connect

Option B: Community Server List

If you want your server to appear in the in-game community server list:

  1. Open your server’s file manager or SFTP
  2. Navigate to Pal/Saved/Config/LinuxServer/PalWorldSettings.ini
  3. Set bIsUseBackupSaveData=True and configure your server name and description
  4. Restart the server

Note that it can take several minutes for your server to appear in the community list after a restart.

Setting a Server Password

To restrict access to your server:

  1. In the control panel, go to the Startup tab
  2. Find the Server Password field
  3. Enter your desired password
  4. Restart the server

Players will need to enter this password when connecting. Share it only with people you want on your server.

Inviting Friends

Once your server is running, inviting friends is straightforward:

  1. Share your server address (IP:Port) with your friends
  2. If you set a password, share that as well
  3. Have them follow the Direct Connect steps above

There is no friend limit beyond what your plan supports. The Syndicate plan comfortably handles 16 or more concurrent players, while the Assembly Line plan is best suited for groups of up to 8.

Admin Access

To manage your server in-game (kicking players, adjusting settings on the fly), you need admin access:

  1. In the control panel, go to the Startup tab
  2. Set an Admin Password — this is separate from the server password
  3. Restart the server
  4. In-game, open the chat and type /AdminPassword YourAdminPassword
  5. You will receive confirmation that you have been granted admin privileges

Admin commands let you ban players, teleport, spawn items, and more. Keep your admin password private and separate from the server connection password.

What to Do Next

Now that your server is running, here are some recommended next steps:

  • Configure your world settings — Adjust experience rates, capture rates, and difficulty to match your group’s preferences. See our Server Settings guide.
  • Set up automatic restarts — Palworld servers benefit from periodic restarts to manage memory. See our Schedules and Auto-Restarts guide.
  • Create a backup — Before making any major changes, create a backup from the Backups tab in the panel.
  • Join our Discord — If you need help or want to connect with other server owners, visit Discord.

Troubleshooting First Connection

If you cannot connect to your server:

  • Make sure the server is fully started — check the console for the “ready” message
  • Double-check the IP and port — copy them directly from the panel to avoid typos
  • Ensure you are entering the connection password if one is set
  • Verify that Palworld is updated to the latest version on your client
  • If issues persist, check our Known Issues and Fixes guide or open a ticket on Discord

Next

Server Settings

All Docs Need help? Ask on Discord