Settings · 8 min read

Palworld server settings explained (PalWorldSettings.ini)

Every PalWorldSettings.ini setting with its default, where the file lives, why a typo undoes them all, and lines to paste for casual and hardcore servers.

Last checked 11 November 2026

Short answer

Palworld keeps every server setting on one line of PalWorldSettings.ini, in Pal/Saved/Config/WindowsServer/ on Windows or Pal/Saved/Config/LinuxServer/ on Linux. It starts as a copy of DefaultPalWorldSettings.ini. Stop the server, change the value on that line, start it again. One missing quote or bracket can make the server ignore the whole line. The defaults below are the game's own, read from a live server on Steam build 25247047 (v1.0.5).

Where the file is

Where PalWorldSettings.ini lives on a Palworld dedicated server
Server	Path inside the PalServer folder
Windows	Path inside the PalServer folder`Pal\Saved\Config\WindowsServer\PalWorldSettings.ini`
Linux	Path inside the PalServer folder`Pal/Saved/Config/LinuxServer/PalWorldSettings.ini`

The Config folders only appear after the server has started once, and the file starts out empty or missing. Copy DefaultPalWorldSettings.ini, which sits in the PalServer folder, to the path above and edit the copy. Pocketpair: “editing DefaultPalWorldSettings.ini will not affect the changes.” Our Palworld server setup guide has the copy commands.

Why it breaks so easily

Everything sits inside OptionSettings=( … ), separated by commas, on a single line under one header. Text values like the server name go in double quotes, true and false are written True and False, and numbers with decimals use a dot. A comma inside an unquoted value, or a stray quote, shifts everything after it.

[/Script/Pal.PalGameWorldSettings]
OptionSettings=(Difficulty=None,DayTimeSpeedRate=1.000000,NightTimeSpeedRate=1.000000,ExpRate=1.000000,PalCaptureRate=1.000000,...,ServerName="Friday Night Pals",...)

To change a setting, find its key on the line and change the value after the =. Don't add a second OptionSettings line or put a key on a line of its own.

The settings people change most

Common Palworld server changes, with the value to set and the game's default
To	Set	Default
Level faster	Set`ExpRate=2.000000`	Default1. A multiplier: 2 is double the XP
Catch Pals more easily	Set`PalCaptureRate=1.500000`	Default1. Higher is easier
Keep everything when you die	Set`DeathPenalty=None`	DefaultItem: only items drop
More Pals working at each base	Set`BaseCampWorkerMaxNum=20`	Default15. Pocketpair: 50 at most, and more adds server load
More bases for each guild	Set`BaseCampMaxNumInGuild=6`	Default4. Pocketpair: 10 at most
No raids on your bases	Set`bEnableInvaderEnemy=False`	DefaultTrue
Lighter items to carry	Set`ItemWeightRate=0.500000`	Default1. Lower is lighter
Let players see who's online	Set`bShowPlayerList=True`	DefaultFalse
More players in one guild	Set`GuildPlayerMaxNum=32`	Default20

The server reads the file when it starts, so stop it, make the change and start it again. The server accepts values outside the in-game slider ranges, but expect oddities with them.

World

World settings in PalWorldSettings.ini
Setting	Default	What it does
`DayTimeSpeedRate`	Default`1`	What it doesHow fast daytime passes, so a higher number means a shorter day.in-game range 0.1 to 5
`NightTimeSpeedRate`	Default`1`	What it doesHow fast night passes, so a higher number means a shorter night.in-game range 0.1 to 5
`PalSpawnNumRate`	Default`1`	What it doesHow many wild pals appear; more pals make the world busier but the server work harder.in-game range 0.5 to 3
`bEnableInvaderEnemy`	Default`true`	What it doesWhether enemy raiders attack your base.
`DropItemMaxNum`	Default`3000`	What it doesHow many dropped items can lie around the world at once before the oldest vanish.in-game range 0 to 5000
`BaseCampWorkerMaxNum`	Default`15`	What it doesHow many pals can work at one base; more workers make the server work harder.
`DropItemAliveMaxHours`	Default`1`	What it doesHours a dropped item stays in the world before it disappears.
`bBuildAreaLimit`	Default`false`	What it doesStops players building close to fast-travel statues and other landmarks.
`EnablePredatorBossPal`	Default`true`	What it doesWhether the tough predator boss pals can appear.
`bAllowEnemyCampSpawnNearBaseCamp`	Default`false`	What it doesLets enemy camps appear near player bases.

Difficulty & rates

Difficulty & rates settings in PalWorldSettings.ini
Setting	Default	What it does
`ExpRate`	Default`1`	What it doesHow much experience players and pals earn; 2 means double.in-game range 0.1 to 20
`PalCaptureRate`	Default`1`	What it doesHow easy it is to catch pals, so a higher number is easier.in-game range 0.5 to 2
`PalDamageRateAttack`	Default`1`	What it doesHow hard pals hit, so a higher number means more damage.in-game range 0.1 to 5
`PalDamageRateDefense`	Default`1`	What it doesHow much damage pals take, so a higher number means they get hurt more.in-game range 0.1 to 5
`PlayerDamageRateAttack`	Default`1`	What it doesHow hard players hit, so a higher number means more damage.in-game range 0.1 to 5
`PlayerDamageRateDefense`	Default`1`	What it doesHow much damage players take, so a higher number means they get hurt more.in-game range 0.1 to 5
`PlayerStomachDecreaceRate`	Default`1`	What it doesHow fast players get hungry; higher means hungrier sooner.in-game range 0.1 to 5
`PlayerStaminaDecreaceRate`	Default`1`	What it doesHow fast players use up their stamina.in-game range 0.1 to 5
`PlayerAutoHPRegeneRate`	Default`1`	What it doesHow fast players heal on their own.in-game range 0.1 to 5
`PlayerAutoHpRegeneRateInSleep`	Default`1`	What it doesHow fast players heal while they sleep.in-game range 0.1 to 5
`PalStomachDecreaceRate`	Default`1`	What it doesHow fast pals get hungry; higher means hungrier sooner.in-game range 0.1 to 5
`PalStaminaDecreaceRate`	Default`1`	What it doesHow fast pals use up their stamina.in-game range 0.1 to 5
`PalAutoHPRegeneRate`	Default`1`	What it doesHow fast pals heal on their own.in-game range 0.1 to 5
`PalAutoHpRegeneRateInSleep`	Default`1`	What it doesHow fast pals heal while they sleep at your base.in-game range 0.1 to 5
`BuildObjectHpRate`	Default`1`	What it doesHow tough buildings are, so a higher number means they survive more hits.in-game range 0.5 to 3
`BuildObjectDamageRate`	Default`1`	What it doesHow much damage buildings take from attacks, so a higher number means they break sooner.in-game range 0.5 to 3
`BuildObjectDeteriorationDamageRate`	Default`1`	What it doesHow fast buildings rot away when nobody looks after them; 0 turns decay off.in-game range 0 to 10
`CollectionDropRate`	Default`1`	What it doesHow many items you get from chopping trees and mining rocks.in-game range 0.5 to 3
`CollectionObjectHpRate`	Default`1`	What it doesHow tough trees and rocks are, so a higher number takes longer to break.in-game range 0.5 to 3
`CollectionObjectRespawnSpeedRate`	Default`1`	What it doesHow quickly trees and rocks grow back; higher is faster.in-game range 0.5 to 3
`EnemyDropItemRate`	Default`1`	What it doesHow much loot enemies drop.in-game range 0.5 to 3
`DeathPenalty`	Default`Item`	What it doesWhat a player drops when they die.None · Item · ItemAndEquipment · All
`PalEggDefaultHatchingTime`	Default`1`	What it doesHours the biggest eggs take to hatch, and smaller eggs take less; 0 hatches them at once.in-game range 0 to 240
`WorkSpeedRate`	Default`1`	What it doesHow fast pals work at your base.in-game range 0.1 to 5
`bHardcore`	Default`false`	What it doesCharacters are lost for good when they die.
`bPalLost`	Default`false`	What it doesPals are lost for good when they die.
`bCharacterRecreateInHardcore`	Default`false`	What it doesLets a player make a new character after dying in hardcore mode.
`ItemWeightRate`	Default`1`	What it doesHow heavy items feel, so a higher number overloads players sooner.in-game range 0.1 to 5
`EquipmentDurabilityDamageRate`	Default`1`	What it doesHow fast weapons and armor wear down.in-game range 0.1 to 5
`ItemCorruptionMultiplier`	Default`1`	What it doesHow fast food and other perishables spoil, where 1 is normal.in-game range 0.1 to 5
`MonsterFarmActionSpeedRate`	Default`1`	What it doesHow fast pals on the ranch make items, where 1 is normal.in-game range 0.1 to 5

Players

Players settings in PalWorldSettings.ini
Setting	Default	What it does
`bEnablePlayerToPlayerDamage`	Default`false`	What it doesWhether players can hurt other players.
`bEnableFriendlyFire`	Default`false`	What it doesWhether players can hurt their own guild-mates.
`bEnableAimAssistPad`	Default`true`	What it doesHelps controller players aim.
`bEnableAimAssistKeyboard`	Default`false`	What it doesHelps keyboard and mouse players aim.
`bAutoResetGuildNoOnlinePlayers`	Default`false`	What it doesDeletes a guild once nobody in it has been online for a while.
`AutoResetGuildTimeNoOnlinePlayers`	Default`72`	What it doesHours with nobody online before an empty guild is deleted.
`GuildPlayerMaxNum`	Default`20`	What it doesHow many players can be in one guild.
`BaseCampMaxNumInGuild`	Default`4`	What it doesHow many bases one guild can have.
`bIsPvP`	Default`false`	What it doesTurns on player-vs-player mode.
`bCanPickupOtherGuildDeathPenaltyDrop`	Default`false`	What it doesWhether you can pick up what another guild's player dropped when they died.
`bEnableNonLoginPenalty`	Default`true`	What it doesWhether pals suffer while their owner is logged out.
`bEnableFastTravel`	Default`true`	What it doesWhether players can fast travel between statues.
`bEnableFastTravelOnlyBaseCamp`	Default`false`	What it doesLimits fast travel to trips between bases.
`bIsStartLocationSelectByMap`	Default`false`	What it doesWhether new players can choose where on the map to start.
`bExistPlayerAfterLogout`	Default`false`	What it doesLeaves a player's character standing in the world after they log out.
`bEnableDefenseOtherGuildPlayer`	Default`false`	What it doesMakes base defences attack players from other guilds.
`ServerPlayerMaxNum`	Default`32`	What it doesHow many players can be on the server at the same time.
`bAllowClientMod`	Default`true`	What it doesLets players who have mods turned on join the server.
`bShowPlayerList`	Default`false`	What it doesLets players see who is online.
`bIsShowJoinLeftMessage`	Default`true`	What it doesShows a chat message when a player joins or leaves.
`BlockRespawnTime`	Default`5`	What it doesSeconds a player waits before they can respawn after dying.
`bAdditionalDropItemWhenPlayerKillingInPvPMode`	Default`false`	What it doesMakes a player killed in PvP drop a special item.
`bEnableVoiceChat`	Default`false`	What it doesTurns on the game's built-in voice chat.

Network

Network settings in PalWorldSettings.ini
Setting	Default	What it does
`ServerName`	Default`Default Palworld Server`	What it doesThe name shown in the server list.
`ServerDescription`	Default`(empty)`	What it doesA short blurb shown in the server list.
`ServerPassword`	Default`(empty)`	What it doesThe password players need to join; leave it empty to let anyone in.
`PublicPort`	Default`8211`	What it doesThe port the community server list tells players to use. The server listens on the port its -port launch option sets (8211 unless you change it); this setting only advertises one.
`CrossplayPlatforms`	Default`(Steam,Xbox,PS5,Mac)`	What it doesWhich kinds of players can join: Steam, Xbox, PlayStation 5 and Mac.Steam · Xbox · PS5 · Mac

Admin

Admin settings in PalWorldSettings.ini
Setting	Default	What it does
`AdminPassword`	Default`(empty)`	What it doesThe password for admin commands, RCON and the REST API, so keep it secret.
`RCONEnabled`	Default`false`	What it doesLets you send admin commands from outside the game. Pocketpair's docs mark RCON as deprecated and due to stop working in an update: use the REST API instead.
`RCONPort`	Default`25575`	What it doesThe port that RCON listens on.
`RESTAPIEnabled`	Default`false`	What it doesLets tools and websites read server info and run admin commands over the web.
`RESTAPIPort`	Default`8212`	What it doesThe port that the REST API listens on.
`bIsUseBackupSaveData`	Default`true`	What it doesSaves extra backup copies of the world so you can roll back.
`bAllowGlobalPalboxExport`	Default`true`	What it doesLets players send pals from this server to the global Palbox.
`bAllowGlobalPalboxImport`	Default`false`	What it doesLets players bring pals from the global Palbox into this server.

Ready-made settings

Change these keys where they already are on the line. Each block is the part of the line to match.

Casual group

ExpRate=2.000000,PalCaptureRate=1.500000,...,DeathPenalty=None

Faster levelling and catching, and nobody drops anything when they die. The game's default already keeps your equipment and Pals; only items drop.

Hardcore

DeathPenalty=All,...,bHardcore=True,bPalLost=True

Dying drops everything, and is final for players and Pals: Pocketpair describe hardcore as a mode where you can't respawn, and bPalLost as losing Pals for good. Tell your group before you turn it on.

The PalWorldSettings.ini generator builds the whole line from these choices and checks each value it knows, so there's no quote to miss.

Settings not taking effect?

You edited the Default file. The server never reads DefaultPalWorldSettings.ini. Edit the copy in Config/WindowsServer or Config/LinuxServer.
It's in the other system's folder. A Windows server reads WindowsServer and a Linux server reads LinuxServer.
The server was running. In our tests the game overwrote an edit made while it ran when it stopped. Stop, edit, start.
A typo broke the line. Check the quotes, brackets and commas around your change, or paste the file into the generator, which flags what it can't read.
The world has a WorldOption.sav. A world brought over from co-op or single player can have one in its save folder. Pocketpair's guide doesn't mention it, but hosts widely report that its settings win over PalWorldSettings.ini. Stop the server, move it out of the world's folder (keep a copy) and start again.

Admin, RCON and the REST API

AdminPassword unlocks admin commands in the game: type /AdminPassword and the password in chat. RCON and the REST API use the same password. Pocketpair have deprecated RCON, say it's scheduled to stop working in an upcoming update, and point to the REST API instead. Neither, they say, is designed to face the internet, so leave both off on a home server unless a tool on the same machine needs them. Never reuse the admin password as the join password.

On our servers

On our Palworld servers the panel's settings editor works on this file for you and checks the options it knows before you save. You choose the admin password when you create the server. RCON and the REST API stay inside the server's container, where the panel's console uses them, and are never opened to the internet.

A few keys are set from the panel's server settings every time the server starts: ServerName, ServerDescription, both passwords, ServerPlayerMaxNum, CrossplayPlatforms, and the address, port, RCON and REST API keys. Change the first ones in the server settings; an edit to any of them in the file is replaced at the next start.