Most guides point you to AppData\Local\Pal\Saved\SaveGames and leave you to figure out the rest. That path works for Steam — but if you’re on Xbox Game Pass, the folder isn’t there. And if you’re running a dedicated server, your world save lives in a completely separate directory that most players only discover after losing hours of progress.
This guide covers every platform with exact paths, tells you which three files matter when backing up, and walks through the tested restore procedure step by step. If you’re new to the game, our Palworld beginner’s guide covers the full system overview first.
Paths below follow the Game8 and ZAP-Hosting guides listed under Sources. If a path comes up empty after a major update, check your own install.
Where Palworld Saves Your Game: Quick Reference
| Platform | Save File Path | Auto-Backup |
|---|---|---|
| Steam (Windows) | C:\Users\USERNAME\AppData\Local\Pal\Saved\SaveGames | Steam Cloud |
| Xbox Game Pass | C:\Users\USERNAME\AppData\Local\Packages\PocketpairInc.Palworld_ad4psfrxyesvt\SystemAppData\wgs | Xbox Cloud (automatic) |
| Dedicated Server (Windows) | C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\PalServer\Pal\Saved\SaveGames\0 | Manual only |
| Dedicated Server (Linux) | /PalServer/Pal/Saved/SaveGames/0/ | Manual only |
Steam Save File Location on PC
The full path for Steam installs on Windows:
C:\Users\[YourUsername]\AppData\Local\Pal\Saved\SaveGames
AppData is hidden by default. The fastest route: press Win+R, type %localappdata%\Pal\Saved\SaveGames, and press Enter. Windows opens the folder directly without navigating through hidden directories.
Inside SaveGames you’ll find a numeric subfolder — your Steam ID. Inside that, one or more world folders with long alphanumeric names like 9FD8E3B040655006851A3C9AAE16E4C4. Each string is a separate world save. If you’ve played on multiple servers or started several solo worlds, you’ll have multiple folders here.
The three files that define a world save
When copying, restoring, or transferring, you only need three items:
- Level.sav — world state: base buildings, Pal box contents, resource deposits
- LevelMeta.sav — world metadata
- Players/ folder — individual character data for every player who has joined that world
Copy all three as a unit. A restore with one file missing will either fail to load or produce a world in a broken state.
Steam Cloud and in-game auto-backup
Steam Cloud backs up your saves automatically. It’s useful against accidental deletion — but not against corruption. If a save becomes corrupted, Steam Cloud syncs the corrupted file and overwrites the clean one. A separate manual backup on local or external storage is not optional for anyone with significant playtime.
Palworld also keeps automatic in-game backups. The game saves every 30 seconds by default, and you can change the interval in World Settings [2]. Backups sit in a backup subfolder in each world’s directory (open local inside it and pick the folder whose time matches the last save) [2]. The in-game “Restore from Backup Data” option on the world select screen uses these backups.
Xbox Game Pass Save File Location
Xbox Game Pass saves to a Windows Store packages directory — not the standard AppData path. The full path:
C:\Users\[Username]\AppData\Local\Packages\PocketpairInc.Palworld_ad4psfrxyesvt\SystemAppData\wgs
The wgs folder uses container files in Xbox’s proprietary format. You cannot open these as standard save files, and you cannot copy them into a Steam SaveGames folder.
No Steam-to-Xbox save transfer exists. The two versions store saves in incompatible formats with no supported migration path. Cross-platform multiplayer between Steam and Xbox Game Pass works; save portability does not. If you switch versions, you start a new world.
Xbox Game Pass saves are backed up through Xbox Cloud Saves automatically, tied to your Microsoft account. No manual setup needed — but the same caveat applies as Steam Cloud: corruption syncs too.
Dedicated Server Save File Location: The Path Most Players Never Find
When you run or rent a Palworld dedicated server, world saves go to a completely separate directory from single-player saves. This is the most common source of “I lost everything” reports after server resets or host migrations.
Windows (SteamCMD install):
C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\PalServer\Pal\Saved\SaveGames\0
Linux or hosted server:
/PalServer/Pal/Saved/SaveGames/0/
Inside the 0/ folder, you’ll find one or more subfolders with random alphanumeric names. Each subfolder is a separate world [4].
How to identify your active world folder
The save folder’s name is the value of DedicatedServerName= in your server config file. Find it at:
Windows: C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\PalServer\Pal\Saved\Config\WindowsServer\GameUserSettings.ini
Linux: /PalServer/Pal/Saved/Config/LinuxServer/GameUserSettings.ini
Open GameUserSettings.ini in any text editor, find the line starting with DedicatedServerName=, and that value is the name of the save folder the server loads from SaveGames/0/ [3]. To switch saves, set it to another folder’s name and restart the server [3].
Moving a save to a server
When uploading a world to a dedicated server, copy the full set: Level.sav, LevelMeta.sav and the Players folder, which holds all characters [4]. Stop the server first, and replace the files in the server’s save folder.
How to Back Up and Restore Palworld Saves
Manual backup (Steam)
- Navigate to
%localappdata%\Pal\Saved\SaveGames\[SteamID]\[WorldFolder] - Copy the entire world folder to an external drive or cloud storage
- Label the copy with the date — use a date in the name (for example
YYYYMMDD) so copies are unambiguous
Back up before major base expansions, after clearing a tower boss, and before using Memory Wipe Potions — since a wipe cannot be undone without a backup. For more on getting the most from Palworld on PC, see our guide to the best Palworld PC settings.
Restoring a Steam save
The most common mistake: forgetting to disable Steam Cloud before restoring. If Steam syncs during the restore, it overwrites your recovered file with the corrupted original.
- Disable Steam Cloud first: Steam → Library → right-click Palworld → Properties → General → uncheck “Keep game saves in the Steam Cloud”
- Navigate to
SaveGames\[SteamID]\[WorldFolder] - Open the
backupsubfolder, thenlocal - Select a timestamp folder dated before the problem occurred
- Copy these three items:
Players/folder,Level.sav,LevelMeta.sav - Paste into the parent world folder, replacing the current files
- Launch the game, verify the restore worked, then re-enable Steam Cloud
For recent issues, use the faster in-game option: world select screen → Restore from Backup Data. The default 30-second save interval gives you fine-grained rollback without any extra steps [2].
Dedicated server backup
- Stop the server process completely before copying files
- Copy the full world folder from
SaveGames/0/[WorldFolderName]/to local storage - Restart the server
If you use a hosted provider such as DatHost or ZAP-Hosting, download your save through their file manager or via FTP on a regular schedule. Do not rely on the host alone: keep a local copy of the world folder.
Player Type Guide: What Matters for Your Setup
| Player type | Priority | Key action |
|---|---|---|
| Solo (Steam) | Enable Steam Cloud + one manual backup per session | Win+R → %localappdata%\Pal\Saved\SaveGames |
| Co-op host | Back up before inviting new players; check save folder after each session | Copy 3-file set to a dated external folder |
| Server admin | Regular manual FTP backup; no cloud fallback | Check GameUserSettings.ini to confirm active folder name |
| Xbox Game Pass | Xbox Cloud handles it automatically | No extra setup needed; note: no crossover to Steam |
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is the Palworld save folder on Windows?
For Steam: press Win+R and type %localappdata%\Pal\Saved\SaveGames for the fastest route. The full manual path is C:\Users\[Username]\AppData\Local\Pal\Saved\SaveGames — AppData is hidden, so use the shortcut or enable “Hidden items” in File Explorer’s View menu first.
Can I transfer a save from Steam to Xbox Game Pass?
No. Steam uses standard save files; Xbox Game Pass uses container files in the wgs format. There is no official migration path between the two versions. Cross-platform multiplayer works, but saves don’t cross over — you’d start a new world on whichever version you switch to.
Does Palworld have cloud saves?
Steam Cloud and Xbox cloud saves are tied to your account. Neither replaces manual backups, and a corrupted save can sync to the cloud too. Keep a local backup for anything you’d be unhappy to lose.
Can I move my solo save to a dedicated server?
Yes. Stop the server, then copy Level.sav, LevelMeta.sav and the Players folder into the server’s active save folder (the one named in DedicatedServerName) [3][4].
How do I find my Palworld config folder?
For Steam single-player: C:\Users\[Username]\AppData\Local\Pal\Saved\Config\Windows. For a Windows dedicated server: C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\PalServer\Pal\Saved\Config\WindowsServer. The config folder holds GameUserSettings.ini — useful for graphics options and, on servers, identifying the active world save folder.
Related guides
Sources
- Palworld: How To Restore Backup Saves — Gameranx
- How to Back Up Save Data in Palworld — Game8
- Palworld: Managing Savegames — ZAP-Hosting
- Upload World Save — DatHost Help Center
I've been playing video games for over 20 years, spanning everything from early PC titles to modern open-world games. I started Switchblade Gaming to publish the kind of accurate, well-researched guides I always wanted to find — built on primary sources, tested in-game, and kept up to date after patches. I currently focus on Minecraft and Pokémon GO.