Valheim Save File Location
Where Valheim stores world save files on the server, and how to access them through the GameGrid File Manager.
Where Saves Are Stored
On GameGrid, Valheim world saves are stored in the worlds_local directory inside your server folder. Access this from the Files tab in the control panel.
Self-hosted default paths:
Windows: %USERPROFILE%\AppData\LocalLow\IronGate\Valheim\worlds
Linux: ~/.config/unity3d/IronGate/Valheim/worlds
With -savedir flag: wherever you specify. On GameGrid, the save directory is managed automatically.
What a World Looks Like on Disk
Since Valheim 1.0 each world is a FOLDER inside worlds_local, named after the world, rather than a pair of loose files. The world data inside it is split into chunk files, and only the chunks that changed are rewritten on each save - which is what makes saves faster and harder to corrupt half-way through.
The folder name must match your World Name setting. If it does not, the server will not load that world and will generate a fresh one instead.
Valheim's own rolling backups sit in separate folders with the same chunked structure, beside the live world.
Servers that predate 1.0 had a WorldName.db and WorldName.fwl pair here instead. The first start after the 1.0 update takes a full backup and converts that old-format world to chunks, which can take several minutes on an established world. The conversion is one-way.
The three permission files are NOT in worlds_local. adminlist.txt, bannedlist.txt and permittedlist.txt sit one level up, at the root of your server folder beside valheim_server.exe. Each holds one Platform_UserID per line, and Settings > Player Management is the panel editor for them.
Accessing Save Files
From the GameGrid control panel:
1. Open the Files tab.
2. Navigate to the worlds_local directory for world files, or stay at the server root for the three permission lists.
3. You will see one folder per world in worlds_local, plus the backup folders, and the .txt lists at the root.
4. You can download any file by clicking it and selecting Download.
5. You can upload files by dragging them into the File Manager window.
Always stop the server before modifying save files. Never swap or delete files while the server is running - a save could overwrite your changes.
Backup Files
Valheim creates its own rolling backup folders based on your backup settings:
The first backup is taken at the "Short Backup Interval" (default 2 hours after start).
Subsequent backups are taken at the "Long Backup Interval" (default 12 hours).
The number of backups kept is controlled by the "Number of Backups" setting (default 4).
These are in addition to GameGrid's own backups, which are archived off the host, encrypted and checksummed. An automatic one is taken daily and before every update and reinstall, retained by default as the last 7 backups or 7 days, whichever comes first; you can take manual ones from the Backups tab at any time. A GameGrid backup covers worlds_local, the three permission lists, and BepInEx/config and BepInEx/plugins.
To roll back to one of Valheim's own backup folders by hand, see the Backup and Restore guide.