Articles on: 7 Days to Die

How to edit your 7 Days to Die server config

How to edit your 7 Days to Die server config

The serverconfig.xml file is the master configuration file for your 7 Days to Die server.


How to Edit serverconfig.xml

Using Loafhosts Panel:

  1. Log into your Loafhosts panel
  2. Select your 7 Days to Die server
  3. Navigate to File Manager
  4. Find serverconfig.xml in the root directory
  5. Click to edit
  6. Make your changes
  7. Save the file
  8. Restart your server

Important Notes:

  • Always backup before editing
  • Validate XML syntax - one typo breaks everything
  • Restart required after changes
  • Comments use <!-- --> format


Server Identity & Network

ServerName

<property name="ServerName" value="My 7D2D Server"/>

What it does: Your server's display name in the browser

Default: My Game Host

Recommendation: Make it unique and memorable


ServerDescription

<property name="ServerDescription" value="A great 7 Days to Die server!"/>

What it does: Description shown in server browser

Default: A 7 Days to Die server

Tip: Include server rules, mods, or special features


ServerWebsiteURL

<property name="ServerWebsiteURL" value=""/>

What it does: Website link in server browser

Default: Empty

Example: https://discord.gg/yourserver


ServerPassword

<property name="ServerPassword" value=""/>

What it does: Password required to join server

Default: Empty (no password)

Security: Use for private servers

Tip: Share only with trusted players


ServerLoginConfirmationText

<property name="ServerLoginConfirmationText" value=""/>

What it does: Message shown when joining server

Default: Empty

Use case: Server rules, welcome message, Discord link


Region

<property name="Region" value="NorthAmericaEast"/>

What it does: Geographic region for server browser filtering

Options:

  • NorthAmericaEast
  • NorthAmericaWest
  • Europe
  • Asia
  • Oceania
  • SouthAmerica

Default: NorthAmericaEast


Language

<property name="Language" value="English"/>

What it does: Primary server language

Default: English

Options: English, German, Spanish, French, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese


Player Limits & Slots

ServerMaxPlayerCount

<property name="ServerMaxPlayerCount" value="8"/>

What it does: Maximum players allowed

Default: 8

Recommendations:

  • Small/Casual: 8-16
  • Medium: 16-32
  • Large/PvP: 32-64

Performance impact: More players = more resources needed


ServerReservedSlots

<property name="ServerReservedSlots" value="0"/>

What it does: Reserved slots for admins

Default: 0

Example: Set to 2 to reserve 2 slots for admins even when server is "full"


ServerReservedSlotsPermission

<property name="ServerReservedSlotsPermission" value="100"/>

What it does: Permission level required for reserved slots

Default: 100

Note: Admins (level 0) can always use reserved slots


ServerAdminSlots

<property name="ServerAdminSlots" value="0"/>

What it does: Extra slots beyond max for admins

Default: 0

Example: Max 20, AdminSlots 2 = 22 total (20 public + 2 admin)


ServerAdminSlotsPermission

<property name="ServerAdminSlotsPermission" value="0"/>

What it does: Permission level required for admin slots

Default: 0 (full admins only)


Gameplay Settings

GameWorld

<property name="GameWorld" value="Navezgane"/>

What it does: World type to generate

Options:

  • Navezgane - Fixed handcrafted map
  • RWG - Random World Generation

Default: Navezgane

Tip: Use RWG for endless exploration


WorldGenSeed

<property name="WorldGenSeed" value=""/>

What it does: Seed for random world generation

Default: Empty (random)

Note: Only works with GameWorld="RWG"

Tip: Share seed to recreate same world


WorldGenSize

<property name="WorldGenSize" value="6144"/>

What it does: RWG world size (in meters)

Options:

  • 4096 - Small (8km²)
  • 6144 - Medium (12km²) - Default
  • 8192 - Large (16km²)
  • 10240 - Very Large (20km²)

Performance: Larger = more generation time and disk space


GameName

<property name="GameName" value="My Game"/>

What it does: Save folder name

Default: My Game

Warning: Changing creates NEW save. Backup world first!


GameMode

<property name="GameMode" value="GameModeSurvival"/>

What it does: Game mode type

Options:

  • GameModeSurvival - Standard survival
  • GameModeCreative - Creative mode (not recommended for servers)

Default: GameModeSurvival


Difficulty & Survival Settings

GameDifficulty

<property name="GameDifficulty" value="2"/>

What it does: Overall game difficulty

Options:

  • 0 - Scavenger (Easiest)
  • 1 - Adventurer (Easy)
  • 2 - Nomad (Normal) - Default
  • 3 - Warrior (Hard)
  • 4 - Survivalist (Hardest)
  • 5 - Insane (Brutal)

Recommendation: Start at 2 (Nomad) for balanced gameplay


ZombiesRun

<property name="ZombiesRun" value="0"/>

What it does: Zombie movement at night

Options:

  • 0 - Walk (default)
  • 1 - Jog
  • 2 - Run
  • 3 - Sprint
  • 4 - Nightmare (always run)

Default: 0

Note: Higher = scarier and harder


BloodMoonEnemyCount

<property name="BloodMoonEnemyCount" value="8"/>

What it does: Zombies per player during blood moon

Default: 8

Range: 0-64

Tip: Lower for easier blood moons, higher for intense action


BloodMoonFrequency

<property name="BloodMoonFrequency" value="7"/>

What it does: Days between blood moons

Default: 7

Options:

  • 0 - Disabled
  • 1-30 - Custom frequency

Recommendation: 7 is standard cycle


BloodMoonRange

<property name="BloodMoonRange" value="0"/>

What it does: Random variation in blood moon timing

Default: 0 (exact timing)

Example: Frequency 7, Range 3 = blood moon between days 4-10


DayNightLength

<property name="DayNightLength" value="60"/>

What it does: Real-time minutes for full 24-hour cycle

Default: 60 (1 real hour = 1 game day)

Popular settings:

  • 30 - Faster (30 min cycle)
  • 60 - Default
  • 120 - Slower (2 hour cycle)


DayLightLength

<property name="DayLightLength" value="18"/>

What it does: Game hours of daylight

Default: 18

Range: 1-24

Note: 18 = 18 game hours day, 6 hours night


PlayerSafeZoneLevel

<property name="PlayerSafeZoneLevel" value="5"/>

What it does: Beginner protection level

Default: 5

Options:

  • 1-5 - Protection until this level
  • 0 - Disabled

Note: Zombies won't spawn near very low-level players


PlayerSafeZoneHours

<property name="PlayerSafeZoneHours" value="5"/>

What it does: Real-time hours of beginner protection

Default: 5

Note: Works with PlayerSafeZoneLevel


Experience & Progression

XPMultiplier

<property name="XPMultiplier" value="100"/>

What it does: XP gain multiplier (percentage)

Default: 100 (normal)

Examples:

  • 50 - Half XP (slower progression)
  • 100 - Normal
  • 200 - Double XP (faster progression)

Popular: 150-200 for faster progression servers


PlayerKillingMode

<property name="PlayerKillingMode" value="3"/>

What it does: PvP rules

Options:

  • 0 - No Killing
  • 1 - Kill Allies Only
  • 2 - Kill Strangers Only
  • 3 - Kill Everyone (Full PvP)

Default: 3

Recommendation: Use 0 for PvE servers


Loot & Resources

LootAbundance

<property name="LootAbundance" value="100"/>

What it does: Loot spawn percentage

Default: 100 (normal)

Options:

  • 25 - Very Scarce
  • 50 - Scarce
  • 100 - Normal
  • 125 - Abundant
  • 200 - Very Abundant

Tip: 125-150 for more casual gameplay


LootRespawnDays

<property name="LootRespawnDays" value="7"/>

What it does: Days until loot containers refill

Default: 7

Options:

  • 0 - Never respawns
  • 1-30 - Custom days

Note: Players must be far away for respawn


AirDropFrequency

<property name="AirDropFrequency" value="72"/>

What it does: Game hours between airdrops

Default: 72 (3 game days)

Options:

  • 0 - Never
  • 24 - Daily
  • 72 - Every 3 days
  • 168 - Weekly


AirDropMarker

<property name="AirDropMarker" value="true"/>

What it does: Shows airdrop marker on map/compass

Options: true or false

Default: true


MaxSpawnedZombies

<property name="MaxSpawnedZombies" value="64"/>

What it does: Maximum zombies alive at once

Default: 64

Performance:

  • Lower = better performance
  • Higher = more zombies, more intense

Recommendations:

  • Small server (8 players): 60-80
  • Large server (32+ players): 100-150


MaxSpawnedAnimals

<property name="MaxSpawnedAnimals" value="50"/>

What it does: Maximum animals spawned

Default: 50

Performance impact: Moderate


Building & Land Claims

LandClaimSize

<property name="LandClaimSize" value="41"/>

What it does: Land claim block protection radius

Default: 41 (blocks)

Note: Total protected area = 41x41x41 blocks


LandClaimDeadZone

<property name="LandClaimDeadZone" value="30"/>

What it does: Minimum distance between land claims

Default: 30 blocks

Note: Prevents claim spam near others


LandClaimExpiryTime

<property name="LandClaimExpiryTime" value="7"/>

What it does: Days inactive before claim expires

Default: 7 days

Options:

  • 0 - Never expires
  • 1-30 - Custom days


LandClaimDecayMode

<property name="LandClaimDecayMode" value="0"/>

What it does: What happens when claim expires

Options:

  • 0 - Slow decay
  • 1 - Fast decay
  • 2 - Instant decay

Default: 0


LandClaimOnlineDurabilityModifier

<property name="LandClaimOnlineDurabilityModifier" value="4"/>

What it does: Block durability multiplier when owner is online

Default: 4 (blocks take 4x damage to break)

Note: Prevents offline raiding


LandClaimOfflineDurabilityModifier

<property name="LandClaimOfflineDurabilityModifier" value="4"/>

What it does: Block durability multiplier when owner is offline

Default: 4

PvP tip: Set lower than online value to enable offline raiding


LandClaimOfflineDelay

<property name="LandClaimOfflineDelay" value="0"/>

What it does: Minutes after disconnect before "offline" protection applies

Default: 0

PvP tip: Set to 30-60 to prevent combat logging


Performance & Technical

ServerMaxAllowedViewDistance

<property name="ServerMaxAllowedViewDistance" value="12"/>

What it does: Maximum view distance clients can request

Default: 12 chunks

Performance:

  • Lower = better performance
  • Higher = better visuals but more server load

Recommendations:

  • Budget server: 8-10
  • Standard: 12
  • High-end: 14-16


MaxChunkAge

<property name="MaxChunkAge" value="-1"/>

What it does: Chunks stay loaded this many game days

Default: -1 (infinite)

Performance: Set to 3-7 for better performance


SaveGameFolder

<property name="SaveGameFolder" value=""/>

What it does: Custom save location path

Default: Empty (uses default)

Note: Advanced users only


MaxUncoveredMapChunksPerPlayer

<property name="MaxUncoveredMapChunksPerPlayer" value="131072"/>

What it does: Maximum map chunks player can uncover

Default: 131072

Performance: Lower to reduce save file size


BedrollDeadZoneSize

<property name="BedrollDeadZoneSize" value="15"/>

What it does: Blocks around bedroll where others can't place bedrolls

Default: 15

PvP consideration: Lower = more cramped spawning


Server Performance Settings

EACEnabled

<property name="EACEnabled" value="true"/>

What it does: Enables Easy Anti-Cheat

Options: true or false

Default: true

Warning: Disable only for private servers - prevents cheating


HideCommandExecutionLog

<property name="HideCommandExecutionLog" value="0"/>

What it does: Hides command execution from logs

Options:

  • 0 - Show all
  • 1 - Hide from normal logs
  • 2 - Hide from all logs
  • 3 - Hide from all logs including admin

Default: 0


MaxQueuedMeshLayers

<property name="MaxQueuedMeshLayers" value="1000"/>

What it does: Mesh processing queue limit

Default: 1000

Performance: Lower reduces memory usage


ControlPanelEnabled

<property name="ControlPanelEnabled" value="false"/>

What it does: Enables web control panel

Options: true or false

Default: false

Note: Loafhosts provides better panel - leave disabled


ControlPanelPort

<property name="ControlPanelPort" value="8080"/>

What it does: Web control panel port

Default: 8080

Note: Not needed with Loafhosts panel


ControlPanelPassword

<property name="ControlPanelPassword" value=""/>

What it does: Web control panel password

Default: Empty

Note: Not needed with Loafhosts panel


TelnetEnabled

<property name="TelnetEnabled" value="false"/>

What it does: Enables telnet remote console

Options: true or false

Default: false

Security risk: Leave disabled unless you know what you're doing


TelnetPort

<property name="TelnetPort" value="8081"/>

What it does: Telnet connection port

Default: 8081


TelnetPassword

<property name="TelnetPassword" value=""/>

What it does: Telnet password

Default: Empty

Security: Use strong password if telnet enabled


TelnetFailedLoginLimit

<property name="TelnetFailedLoginLimit" value="10"/>

What it does: Failed logins before IP ban

Default: 10


TelnetFailedLoginsBlocktime

<property name="TelnetFailedLoginsBlocktime" value="10"/>

What it does: Minutes to ban IP after failed logins

Default: 10


TerminalWindowEnabled

<property name="TerminalWindowEnabled" value="false"/>

What it does: Shows terminal window on server

Options: true or false

Default: false

Note: Only for local/dedicated servers


Advanced Settings

DropOnDeath

<property name="DropOnDeath" value="1"/>

What it does: What players drop when they die

Options:

  • 0 - Nothing
  • 1 - Everything
  • 2 - Toolbelt Only
  • 3 - Backpack Only
  • 4 - Delete All

Default: 1


DropOnQuit

<property name="DropOnQuit" value="0"/>

What it does: What players drop when disconnecting

Options:

  • 0 - Nothing
  • 1 - Everything
  • 2 - Toolbelt Only
  • 3 - Backpack Only

Default: 0

PvP: Set to 1-2 to prevent combat logging


BlockDamagePlayer

<property name="BlockDamagePlayer" value="100"/>

What it does: Block damage from players (percentage)

Default: 100 (normal)

Example: 50 = blocks take 50% normal damage from players


BlockDamageAI

<property name="BlockDamageAI" value="100"/>

What it does: Block damage from zombies (percentage)

Default: 100

Easy mode: Set to 50 for weaker zombie attacks


BlockDamageAIBM

<property name="BlockDamageAIBM" value="100"/>

What it does: Block damage from blood moon zombies (percentage)

Default: 100

Challenge mode: Set to 200 for harder blood moons


DynamicMeshEnabled

<property name="DynamicMeshEnabled" value="true"/>

What it does: Enables dynamic mesh system

Options: true or false

Default: true

Performance: Keep enabled for better performance


DynamicMeshLandClaimOnly

<property name="DynamicMeshLandClaimOnly" value="true"/>

What it does: Dynamic mesh only in land claim areas

Options: true or false

Default: true


DynamicMeshLandClaimBuffer

<property name="DynamicMeshLandClaimBuffer" value="3"/>

What it does: Extra chunks around land claims for dynamic mesh

Default: 3


DynamicMeshMaxItemCache

<property name="DynamicMeshMaxItemCache" value="3"/>

What it does: Maximum cached dynamic mesh items

Default: 3

Performance: Lower = less memory usage


Casual/PvE Server:

<property name="GameDifficulty" value="1"/>
<property name="ZombiesRun" value="0"/>
<property name="XPMultiplier" value="150"/>
<property name="LootAbundance" value="125"/>
<property name="PlayerKillingMode" value="0"/>
<property name="BloodMoonEnemyCount" value="6"/>

Standard Survival:

<property name="GameDifficulty" value="2"/>
<property name="ZombiesRun" value="0"/>
<property name="XPMultiplier" value="100"/>
<property name="LootAbundance" value="100"/>
<property name="PlayerKillingMode" value="3"/>
<property name="BloodMoonEnemyCount" value="8"/>

Hardcore/PvP Server:

<property name="GameDifficulty" value="4"/>
<property name="ZombiesRun" value="2"/>
<property name="XPMultiplier" value="75"/>
<property name="LootAbundance" value="75"/>
<property name="PlayerKillingMode" value="3"/>
<property name="BloodMoonEnemyCount" value="12"/>
<property name="DropOnQuit" value="1"/>
<property name="LandClaimOfflineDurabilityModifier" value="2"/>

Performance-Optimized:

<property name="ServerMaxAllowedViewDistance" value="10"/>
<property name="MaxSpawnedZombies" value="50"/>
<property name="MaxSpawnedAnimals" value="30"/>
<property name="MaxChunkAge" value="5"/>
<property name="MaxQueuedMeshLayers" value="500"/>


Troubleshooting

Server Won't Start:

Check XML syntax:

  • Every <property must close with /> or >
  • Attribute values must be in quotes: value="text"
  • No extra or missing brackets

Validate XML: Use online XML validator or text editor with XML checking

Restore backup: If broken, replace with backup serverconfig.xml

Changes Not Taking Effect:

Restart required: All changes need server restart

Wrong file: Make sure you edited serverconfig.xml in root directory

Cached settings: Some settings only apply to NEW worlds

Performance Issues:

Lower view distance to 8-10

Reduce max zombies to 40-50

Lower max animals to 30

Reduce BloodMoonEnemyCount to 4-6

Set MaxChunkAge to 3-5

Players Can't Join:

Check ServerPassword - verify it's correct

Verify ServerMaxPlayerCount - not full

EACEnabled conflicts - some mods require this disabled


Best Practices

Backup before editing - Save copy of serverconfig.xml

Test one change at a time - Easier to identify issues

Use XML comments - Document your changes

<!-- Changed this for better performance -->

Validate syntax - Use XML validator before saving

Monitor performance - Adjust settings based on server load

Document settings - Keep notes on what you changed and why


Need Help?

If you need assistance configuring your 7 Days to Die server, our support team is ready to help!

Contact us through the Loafhosts panel or join our Discord: https://discord.gg/loafhosts

Updated on: 08/11/2025

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