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. Not got a server yet? You can get a Factorio server from us and upload straight into it.
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
- Log into the LOW.MS Control Panel and select your Factorio server.
- Click File Manager in the sidebar.
- Navigate to the
saves/directory. - Upload your
.zipsave 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
Which save loads is a dropdown, not a startup parameter you type.
- Open Service Settings in the sidebar.
- Pick your uploaded file from World Name. It lists every
.zipinsaves/. - Save the change.
- Open Commandline Manager and make sure Select World is chosen. It's the default, and it boots whatever World Name points at.
Tip: The Last Autosave option in Commandline Manager loads the newest save in saves/ instead of the one you picked. Handy after a crash, but it won't load your upload if an autosave is more recent.
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.