How to Upload an Existing Minecraft World

Before uploading your world

Keep an untouched backup of the original world on your computer. World conversions, version changes, missing mods, or incorrect file placement can cause problems, so never make the server copy your only copy.

Step 1: Find the correct world folder

For Java Edition, a world folder normally contains files and folders such as level.dat, region, playerdata, and data.

If you open the folder you plan to upload and immediately see another folder with the actual level.dat inside it, you may have accidentally added an extra folder level.

Step 2: Stop the server

Stop the Minecraft server before replacing or uploading a world. Never replace active world files while the server is saving to them.

Step 3: Open the file manager

Open your server's file manager from the CoolCraft control panel. The existing server files and current world directory should be visible there.

Step 4: Upload the world

Upload your world files to the server. For large worlds, using an archive can be easier than transferring thousands of individual files. After uploading, extract the archive in the appropriate server directory if necessary.

Step 5: Check the world name

Minecraft uses its server configuration to determine which world it should load. If the uploaded directory has a different name from the configured world name, either rename the directory appropriately or update the server configuration.

On a typical Java server, the relevant setting is level-name in server.properties.

Step 6: Start the server and inspect the console

Start the server and watch its console. If the world is accepted, the server should load it rather than generating an unrelated new world.

If you spawn in a completely new world, stop the server before changing anything else. Check the folder name and level-name first.

Be careful when changing Minecraft versions

Opening an older world in a newer Minecraft version can upgrade world data. Going backward to an older version afterward may not be safe. Keep a backup from before the version change.

Modded worlds require extra attention

If the world was created with mods that add blocks, items, entities, or dimensions, the server may need those same mods and compatible versions in order to load the world correctly.

Do not intentionally load an important modded world without its required mods just to see what happens. Missing mod content can alter or remove data from the server copy.