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Set the dedicated server’s launch option to -public 1 to show it in Valheim’s in-game server browser. Set it to -public 0 to hide the server from that browser. A hidden server is still joinable: players connect with Valheim’s Join IP control instead of searching the list.
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What the public setting changes
The -public argument controls discoverability, not whether the server process can accept connections. With the public value enabled, the dedicated server can appear in Valheim’s community or in-game server list. With the hidden value, it is omitted from that list and players must be given the server address and game port.
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|---|---|---|---|
| Public | Server can be discovered in the list | Search the browser and select the server | Server name and normal browser access |
| Hidden | Server is not listed | Use Join IP | Server address and game port |
Changing this option does not repair a stopped process, a blocked firewall rule, an incorrectly forwarded port, or a backend configuration problem. Those issues must be checked separately.
Change the setting in the dedicated-server script
1. Install the dedicated server from Steam
- Open Steam and switch to the Library view.
- Use the library filter or search field to display Tools.
- Install Valheim Dedicated Server.
The dedicated server is installed as a Steam tool rather than as the ordinary playable game. You need access to the computer on which that tool is installed because the visibility option is read from its startup script.
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2. Open the installation folder
In Steam, open the dedicated server tool’s local files using its properties menu, then browse to the folder that contains the startup files. On Windows, the file supplied for launching the server is start_headless_server.bat. On Linux, it is start_server.sh.
3. Make a working copy before editing
Copy the original startup file and edit the copy. Iron Gate recommends this because a Steam update can reset the original script, removing a change you made there. Keep the original available as a reference or recovery copy, and use a clear name for the file you intend to launch.
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Open the copied Windows batch file or Linux shell script in a plain-text editor. Find the command that starts the Valheim server and locate its existing -public argument. Replace the value with the visibility choice you want:
-public 1Use that value when the server should be discoverable in the in-game browser. For a server that should not appear in the browser, use:
-public 0Do not create a second conflicting -public argument elsewhere in the same launch command. If the script already contains one, change its value rather than appending another copy. Leave the other server arguments unchanged unless you are deliberately changing a separate setting.
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5. Save and launch the copied script
Save the edited file, close the editor, and start the server with that copied script. Make sure the file you edited is the file you actually launch; changing a backup while continuing to run the original is a common reason the browser behavior appears unchanged.
6. Wait for the server’s operational checkpoint
Watch the server console or log. Iron Gate’s dedicated-server guide identifies the message “Game server connected” as the point at which the server is up and ready to accept connections. Check for that message before diagnosing browser discovery. If it never appears, visibility is not yet the problem: the process or its network/backend setup has not reached the ready state.
How players join a hidden server
Give the address and game port
A hidden server has no browser entry for players to select. Send each player the address that should be reachable from their location and the game port configured for the server. Treat the address and port as connection details rather than as a public listing: only people you give them to can use the direct route.
Use Valheim’s Join IP control
- Start Valheim and open the multiplayer screen.
- Choose Join IP rather than searching the community list.
- Enter the server address and port supplied by the host.
- Submit the address and connect after the dedicated server has reached “Game server connected”.
Iron Gate explicitly documents Join IP as the way to reach an invisible dedicated server. Hiding therefore changes how players discover the world; it does not make direct connection impossible.
Steam backend networking
Default port range
When the server uses the Steam backend, Iron Gate documents 2456–2457 as the default server port range. The selected port and the next port are used. A server intended for players outside the host’s local network needs the relevant port range to be reachable from the internet, which normally means configuring the router and host firewall for the chosen ports.
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What public visibility does not provide
Setting the server to public does not automatically open the router or permit traffic through the operating system firewall. A server can be configured for browser visibility and still fail to appear or accept connections if the process is blocked, the ports are not exposed, or the wrong address is being tested. Port forwarding and firewall rules must match the port configured in the launch command.
Check the selected port when more than one server shares an address
The port distinguishes server instances that share one public IP address. If you run multiple dedicated servers, give each one its intended port configuration and expose the corresponding ranges. Cross-check the port in the script, router rule, firewall rule, and the value players enter in Join IP; a mismatch in any one of those places can look like a visibility failure.
Crossplay backend networking
Relay-based access
Launching the server with the Crossplay backend routes traffic through a relay. Iron Gate states that outside players do not need router port forwarding when this backend is used. The server still uses its configured port to distinguish multiple servers on one public IP, so the port remains part of the server’s configuration even when an inbound forwarding rule is not required.
When Crossplay is the appropriate choice
Crossplay is the route for players on different platforms. Consult Iron Gate’s Crossplay FAQ and dedicated-server manual for platform-specific setup details, because the backend choice affects how players reach the server and which network checks apply. Do not assume that a Steam-backend port-forwarding setup and a Crossplay setup have identical requirements.
Why a public server is not showing in the list
The server has not finished starting
First, inspect the console or log for “Game server connected.” Until that checkpoint appears, the server is not confirmed ready to accept connections. Resolve startup errors or backend initialization problems before testing browser discovery.
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The wrong script is being launched
Verify the complete launch path. Confirm that the copied script containing your chosen -public value is the one started by your shortcut, service, scheduled task, terminal command, or management tool. Steam updates may restore the original file, and editing one file while launching another leaves the effective setting unchanged.
The server is using the hidden value
Reopen the script that is actually running and inspect its command line for the -public argument. A hidden configuration will not produce a browser entry; use Join IP to test it instead. This separates an intentional hidden setting from a discovery failure.
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For Steam-backend servers, check that the configured port and the next port are allowed through the host firewall and reachable through the router from the internet. The documented default is 2456–2457, but a server may be configured to use another port. Every rule must match the value in the running command, not merely the value you intended to configure.
The backend and client expectations do not match
Identify whether the server was launched with the Steam backend or with -crossplay. Steam uses an internet-reachable port range; Crossplay uses a relay and does not require outside players to forward router ports. Applying Steam troubleshooting to a Crossplay server, or expecting Steam-style direct exposure from a relay setup, can send the diagnosis in the wrong direction.
There is no guaranteed browser propagation interval
Iron Gate’s published documentation does not establish a fixed amount of time for a changed visibility setting to propagate through the browser. Do not rely on an invented countdown. Confirm the edited script, restart the server, wait for “Game server connected,” and then check the list. If the entry remains absent, continue with backend, firewall, router, and process checks rather than assuming a particular delay.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Public versus hidden operation: which fits your group?
Choose public listing when discovery matters
- New or occasional players need to find the world without receiving a separate address.
- You want the server discoverable through Valheim’s normal community browser.
- You are prepared to maintain the applicable firewall, router, and backend configuration.
Choose hidden operation when access should be controlled
- Your regular players already have the address and port.
- You prefer not to advertise the server in the browser.
- You want invitations to be distributed directly rather than relying on a searchable listing.
Hidden mode is not an authentication system or a replacement for account and world-management practices. It simply removes the browser listing and changes the connection path to Join IP.
Operational notes that prevent confusion
Visibility is independent of world-save timing
Iron Gate documents a default world save interval of 30 minutes (1,800 seconds). That interval concerns world persistence, not whether the server appears in the in-game list. Changing a save interval cannot make a server public, and changing -public does not alter the documented save interval.
Keep a record of the effective configuration
Record which startup copy is authoritative, which backend it selects, and which port it uses. When a server is moved or updated, this record helps you reproduce the same launch command and avoids troubleshooting an obsolete script. If you change the port, update the matching router, firewall, and player connection details at the same time.
Test from the connection method the setting requires
For a public configuration, test browser discovery only after the server is connected and the relevant network path is ready. For a hidden configuration, test with Join IP and the supplied address and port; an absent browser entry is expected and is not evidence that the server is offline.
Quick verification checklist
- The Valheim Dedicated Server tool is installed from Steam’s Tools section.
- You edited a copy of
start_headless_server.bat(Windows) orstart_server.sh(Linux). - The running launch command contains the intended
-publicvalue exactly once. - The copied script, not an untouched original, is the file being launched.
- The console reaches “Game server connected.”
- Steam-backend servers have the configured port and next port reachable as required; the documented default pair is 2456–2457.
- Crossplay servers are identified correctly and are not tested as though they required outside router forwarding.
- Players use the browser for a public server and Join IP with the address and port for a hidden server.
Those checks cover the setting itself and the network conditions that determine whether the setting can be observed in practice.
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