You don't have to start from scratch. A world you've been playing on your own, or the world of a server you keep somewhere else, can be moved here as it is. Everything happens in the panel — no file server access, no commands.

Prepare the zip correctly first

The panel expects a .zip that contains a level.dat file. Almost every mistake made during a move comes from ignoring that one sentence.

  • Single-player worlds live under .minecraft/saves/ on your computer. Zip the world folder itself.
  • If you select the folder's contents and zip those, level.dat ends up at the root of the zip, which is also accepted. What doesn't work is zipping the whole saves folder — then the zip holds several worlds and there's no telling which one you meant.
  • Close the game completely before zipping. A world copied while it's open can be missing the last few minutes.
  • If you're moving from another server, the world folder may sit next to <world>_nether and <world>_the_end folders. When they're large it's easier to keep everything in one zip than to move them separately.

Uploading and activating

Go to the Worlds section of the panel and use the Upload world (.zip) button. The uploaded world is added to the list but does not go live on its own — you decide which world you play on.

When you choose Make active, a stopped server will start with that world next time. A running server is stopped safely and restarted with the new world automatically; players connected at that moment briefly drop. Best not to do it during a busy hour.

The counter at the top of the section shows how many worlds you can keep at once. If the limit is full you have to delete one first; deletion is permanent and you're asked to type the world's name to confirm.

Upload size, and the other route

The upload limit isn't a fixed number; it depends on your package and the disk space free at that moment, and the panel shows you the current limit. If the world doesn't fit you have two options: move to a package with a larger disk, or make the world smaller. The most effective way to shrink one is to prune it with an editor that clears the empty regions generated in places nobody ever visited.

You can also move a world from the panel's Files section by uploading the folder and placing it yourself. The Worlds section is safer because it handles putting the world in the right place and adding it to the list for you. See the file manager article for detail.

What people most often lose in a move

When a world file moves, the things around the world stay behind. What you'll notice missing on the new server is usually this:

  • Plugin and mod data. Protected regions, economy balances, home points — these don't live in the world, they live in the plugin's own folder. You need to install the same plugins and bring those folders too.
  • Permissions. The operator list and the whitelist aren't inside the world; you set them up again on the new server. You can add them from the Players section.
  • Server settings. Difficulty, game mode, view distance and the like don't travel; you set them again under Settings.
  • Version differences. Moving a world to a newer Minecraft version usually works and the world is upgraded once. There is no way back: an upgraded world won't open on the older version. If you're unsure, keep a copy of the zip on your own computer before you move.

The first check after moving

Start the server and join. Is your spawn where you expected, is your inventory intact, are your builds there? If something looks wrong, read the last lines of the console — warnings raised while the world loads are printed there.

The good news: even if something breaks during the move, you have a way back. File Protection is on for every server, free, and cannot be turned off; an automatic backup is taken every day and, while your server runs, a restore point is created roughly every half hour. Taking a manual backup before the move is a good habit too.