Valheim World Backup & Disaster Recovery Guide
Never lose world progress. Step-by-step procedures for automated snapshots, database consistency, and save recovery.
File Structure: The Critical Pair
A Valheim world is composed of two synchronized files:
[WorldName].db: Contains terrain modifications, player buildings, chests, and dropped items.[WorldName].fwl: Contains the world seed, metadata, and day cycle counter.
Both files must be backed up simultaneously while the server process is idle or safe to prevent database desynchronization.
Recommended Linux Cron Backup Script
#!/usr/bin/env bash
BACKUP_DIR="/opt/valheim_backups/$(date +%Y%m%d_%H%M%S)"
mkdir -p "$BACKUP_DIR"
cp ~/.config/unity3d/IronGate/Valheim/worlds_local/* "$BACKUP_DIR/"
find /opt/valheim_backups -type d -mtime +14 -exec rm -rf +