Question 1

How do I set up a Terraria server?

Accepted Answer

When your server starts for the first time it generates a new world automatically. To configure it before players join, stop the server and edit serverconfig.txt in the server root via File Manager. Key settings: world (path to your .wld file), worldname (display name), maxplayers (default 8), port (default 7777), password (leave blank for public), and difficulty (0=classic, 1=expert, 2=master, 3=journey). To use an existing world, upload your .wld file to the Worlds/ folder via File Manager, then update the world path in serverconfig.txt to point to it. Restart the server after saving. For mods, you need tModLoader instead of vanilla Terraria - check the Startup tab for a variable to switch server type; the Version Manager page that handles this for Minecraft does not cover Terraria. Once running, mods are placed in tModLoader/Mods/ as .tmod files; download mods from the tModLoader browser in-game or from the tModLoader Workshop, then upload the .tmod files via File Manager. Restart after uploading new mods. To set yourself as an admin, use Terraria's standard in-game password: set password in serverconfig.txt, join the server, then run /password <password> in chat to authenticate as a host.

Question 2

How do I switch between vanilla Terraria and tModLoader?

Accepted Answer

Check the Startup tab for a server type or version variable to switch between the vanilla TerrariaServer binary and tModLoader - this is not on the Version Manager page, which only covers Minecraft. Before switching, back up your world files. World files (.wld) are compatible between vanilla and tModLoader for vanilla-generated content, but if you have tModLoader-specific blocks or items in a world, loading it on vanilla will cause those items to be replaced with empty space. If you are moving from tModLoader back to vanilla, this means content added by mods is lost.

Question 3

How do I install Terraria mods with tModLoader?

Accepted Answer

With tModLoader running, mods are placed in the tModLoader/Mods/ folder as .tmod files. Download mods from the tModLoader in-game mod browser or from the tModLoader GitHub releases page, then upload the .tmod files to tModLoader/Mods/ via File Manager. After uploading, the mods need to be enabled. Edit (or create) the file tModLoader/Mods/enabled.json and add the mod's internal name to the array. The internal name is the filename without the .tmod extension. Save and restart the server. For example, if you uploaded CalamityMod.tmod, add "CalamityMod" to enabled.json: ["CalamityMod", "AnotherMod"] Restart the server after editing. Check the Console page for any loading errors on startup.

Question 4

How do I configure my Terraria world (difficulty, size, seed)?

Accepted Answer

Terraria world settings are configured in serverconfig.txt in the server root. Key settings: world (path to your .wld file), worldname, autocreate (1=small, 2=medium, 3=large, used when creating a new world), difficulty (0=classic, 1=expert, 2=master, 3=journey), and seed (a specific world seed, or leave blank for random). To create a new world with specific settings: stop the server, update autocreate, difficulty, and seed in serverconfig.txt, delete or rename the existing .wld file so the server does not load it, and start the server. A new world is generated with the configured settings. To use an existing world file: upload the .wld file to the server via File Manager, update the world path in serverconfig.txt to point to it, and restart.

Terraria help