How to Upload a Save File to Your Factorio Server

So you've got a local Factorio world you want to move to your dedicated server. Good news – it's straightforward. Factorio saves are just .zip files, and your server is ready to accept them.

Find Your Local Save

Your save files live in different spots depending on your OS:

• Windows: %APPDATA%/Factorio/saves/
• Linux: ~/.factorio/saves/

Each save is a single .zip file. Don't extract it – the server reads the zip directly.

Back Up First

Before you touch anything on the server, head to Cloud Backup in the LOW.MS Control Panel sidebar and take a snapshot. If something goes sideways, you'll be glad you did.

Upload via File Manager

1. Log into the LOW.MS Control Panel and select your Factorio server.
2. Click File Manager in the sidebar.
3. Navigate to the saves/ directory.
4. Upload your .zip save file.

That's the quick method. Works great for files under a couple hundred MB.

Upload via SFTP

For larger saves – or if you just prefer a proper file transfer client – use SFTP on port 8822. Connect with your control panel credentials using FileZilla, WinSCP, or whatever you like. Drop the .zip into the saves/ folder.

SFTP is noticeably faster for big factory saves, especially megabase worlds that can balloon past 500 MB.

Tell the Server to Load Your Save

You've got two options here. Open Commandline Manager in the sidebar:

• Option A: Set the startup command to use --start-server-load-latest. The server will automatically grab the most recently modified save in the saves/ directory. If your uploaded file is the newest one, you're done.
• Option B: Explicitly point at your save by specifying the exact filename in the startup parameters.

Most people go with --start-server-load-latest – it's simpler and just works.

Version and Mod Matching

This is the part that catches people. Your server and your local game client must be on the same Factorio version. If you built the save on version 2.0.28 locally, the server needs to be running 2.0.28 too. Use Steam Update if they're out of sync.

Same goes for mods. If your save uses mods, those exact mods and versions need to be on the server. Factorio checksums everything – even minor version mismatches will block the load. Check out the mod installation guide if you need to set those up.

Once uploaded and configured, restart the server from the control panel. Join your game and confirm everything loaded correctly. Your factory awaits.