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If a Palworld dedicated server rejects a password, stop the server, edit the active platform-specific PalWorldSettings.ini, change ServerPassword, save, and fully restart. Never edit DefaultPalWorldSettings.ini; it is a template, not the running server’s configuration. If direct connect still says no password was entered, use the Community Servers prompt once to seed the password field, then connect with the server’s IP and port.
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First, identify which password and server you are using
This fix applies to a dedicated Palworld server. Palworld has two different connection flows:
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- Community server: select the server from the Community Servers list.
A password failure can therefore come from the server configuration, the wrong credential, or a client connection screen that fails to display or retain the password prompt.
The player password is ServerPassword. AdminPassword is a separate credential for administrative commands and does not unlock normal player access. Entering the admin password in the player password box will still produce a rejection.
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Palworld’s direct-connect password handling has also been inconsistent. A correctly configured password-protected server may work from the community listing while direct connect or a Recent Servers entry reports that no password was entered, times out, or says the password does not match.
Where the live password setting is stored
Edit the saved configuration for the platform running the server. The file name and folder are case-sensitive on many Linux installations.
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| Server platform | Active configuration path | Startup program |
|---|---|---|
| Windows | Pal/Saved/Config/WindowsServer/PalWorldSettings.ini |
PalServer.exe |
| Linux | Pal/Saved/Config/LinuxServer/PalWorldSettings.ini |
PalServer.sh |
The path is relative to the Palworld dedicated-server directory. A SteamCMD installation and a managed host may place that directory in different parent folders, but the platform-specific path beneath Pal/Saved/Config/ is the important part.
Do not change DefaultPalWorldSettings.ini. That file supplies defaults and does not alter an already running server. Editing it is a common reason a password appears to save but never takes effect.
Fix a rejected password step by step
- Tell players to leave the server. Stop active sessions before changing access settings.
- Stop the dedicated server completely. Close the Windows server process or stop the Linux shell process/service. Do not edit while the process is still running; it can continue using the old values or overwrite your change during shutdown.
- Open the active file. Navigate to the Windows or Linux path above and open
PalWorldSettings.iniin a text editor. If the file does not exist, confirm that the server has been started at least once and that you are in the actual server installation directory rather than a client game folder. - Find the option line. The settings are stored in an
OptionSettings=(...)entry. Search forServerPasswordinstead of creating a second settings line. - Set the player password. Use the format
ServerPassword="your-password". Replace the example value with the password players should enter. KeepAdminPasswordunchanged unless you intentionally need to change administrative access. - Preserve the complete syntax. Keep the full
OptionSettings=(...)line intact, including commas, quotation marks, and the closing parenthesis. A broken line can cause settings to be ignored or prevent the server from loading correctly. Make a backup copy before hand-editing. - Save the file while the server is stopped. Verify that your editor did not append an extra extension such as
.txt. The file must remain namedPalWorldSettings.ini. - Start the server again and wait for loading to finish. Use
PalServer.exeon Windows orPalServer.shon Linux, then allow the process to complete startup before testing. A restart is required; changing the file alone does not apply the new password to a running process.
After the restart, test with the exact value of ServerPassword. Passwords are not interchangeable with AdminPassword, and an old client session can retain a failed connection state until you return to the multiplayer menu.
Use the direct-connect password workaround
If the server is configured correctly but direct connect says “no password has been entered,” the client may not be presenting a usable password field. A practical workaround is to initialize the field through the community-server browser first.
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- From the Palworld main menu, choose Join Multiplayer Game.
- Open Community Servers.
- Choose any locked server that displays a password prompt. It does not have to be your own server.
- Enter your own dedicated server password in that prompt and select OK.
- When the game asks whether to connect to that listed server, select NO. This preserves the entered password without joining the unrelated server.
- Return to the direct-connect field.
- Enter your dedicated server’s reachable address in the required
IP:portformat, then submit the connection.
This workaround addresses the client’s missing or empty password state; it does not repair a wrong server setting. If the configured password and the value entered in the prompt differ, the connection will still fail.
Confirm the address and port before changing anything else
Direct connection requires both an IP address and a port. A correct password cannot compensate for an unreachable endpoint.
- Use the server’s externally reachable IP when connecting from outside the host’s local network.
- Use the port assigned to the Palworld server, not a dashboard port, Steam query port, or another game service.
- When testing from the same home network, account for router hairpin or NAT-loopback limitations; an external address may not work from inside even though remote players can connect.
- If the server is behind a router or firewall, allow the game port through the host firewall and forward the same port to the machine running the server.
- Recheck the address after a host reboot if the machine receives a dynamic IP.
The official connection flow expects the IP and port together. Entering only an IP, using the wrong port, or copying a private address for an outside player can look like a password failure because the client never reaches the authenticated server.
Windows and Linux operational differences
| Task | Windows dedicated server | Linux dedicated server |
|---|---|---|
| Live settings file | Pal/Saved/Config/WindowsServer/PalWorldSettings.ini |
Pal/Saved/Config/LinuxServer/PalWorldSettings.ini |
| Launch command | Run PalServer.exe |
Run PalServer.sh |
| Before editing | Stop the executable completely | Stop the shell process or service completely |
| After editing | Save, relaunch, and wait for startup | Save, relaunch, and wait for startup |
| Common mistake | Editing a client installation or the default template | Editing the wrong platform folder or damaging the single OptionSettings=(...) line |
SteamCMD is an installation method, not a different password system. Once the dedicated server is installed, the same active-file and restart rules apply.
Diagnose the failure by symptom
| What you see | Most likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Password is accepted in the file but players are rejected | The server was not fully restarted, or the wrong configuration file was edited | Stop the process, verify the platform-specific path, confirm ServerPassword, save, and start again. |
| “Password does not match” | The entered value differs from ServerPassword, or the admin credential was used |
Copy the player password exactly and do not substitute AdminPassword. |
| “No password has been entered” during direct connect | The direct-connect screen failed to retain the password | Prime the field through a locked Community Servers entry, choose OK, then NO, and retry with IP:port. |
| Connection times out after entering a password | Wrong IP, wrong port, firewall, or forwarding problem | Verify the reachable endpoint and network rules before editing the password again. |
| Setting disappears after restart | The file was edited while the server was running, saved under the wrong name, or contains invalid syntax | Stop first, restore the complete OptionSettings=(...) structure, ensure the extension is .ini, then restart. |
| Changes have no effect at all | DefaultPalWorldSettings.ini was edited instead of the active saved file |
Undo that change and edit the file under Pal/Saved/Config/WindowsServer/ or LinuxServer/. |
Check the configuration without accidentally breaking it
Before saving, use this checklist:
- The server process is stopped, not merely minimized or disconnected from the console.
- The file is under the correct
WindowsServerorLinuxServerdirectory. - There is one active
ServerPasswordvalue in theOptionSettings=(...)entry. - The value is enclosed in quotation marks and followed by the proper comma or closing parenthesis required by the surrounding options.
AdminPasswordremains a separate field.- The filename is exactly
PalWorldSettings.ini. - The server was started again after the save and allowed to finish loading.
- The test uses the correct IP and port for the player’s network location.
If you are unsure whether a manual edit damaged the line, restore the backup, make one change only, and restart. Changing several options at once makes it difficult to determine whether the password or a syntax error caused the failure.
When direct connect still fails
Test from the community listing
If the server appears in Community Servers, try joining it there with the same player password. Success in the listing but failure through IP-and-port direct connect points to the client connection-flow limitation rather than the saved password. Use the prompt workaround whenever necessary.
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Separate authentication from reachability
Ask one player on the same network and one outside the network to test. If local players connect but remote players time out, investigate public addressing, port forwarding, and firewall rules. If both reach the server but receive a password rejection, return to ServerPassword and the restart sequence.
Confirm which server process is running
Multiple Palworld instances can cause an apparently correct file to control a different process. Stop every dedicated-server instance, start only the intended installation, and verify that its saved configuration directory is the one you edited.
Clear stale client state
Exit the multiplayer menus completely, relaunch the game, and repeat the community-prompt workaround. This is useful when a previous failed attempt left an empty password state in the direct-connect screen.
Deployment and maintenance choices
The official deployment flow supports installing a dedicated server through Steam or SteamCMD, then launching the Windows executable or Linux shell script. SteamCMD does not create a separate password mechanism: after installation, the live settings file, ServerPassword field, syntax, and restart sequence are the same. Updates and startup scripts should be planned around a clean shutdown so a running process does not overwrite a hand edit.
Self-hosting gives you direct access to the installation directory, configuration backup, firewall, and port forwarding. It also makes you responsible for stopping the process safely, applying updates, checking which instance is running, and restoring a damaged OptionSettings=(...) line. A managed host moves those tasks into a control panel and support workflow. The host may use a different parent directory, but you still need to identify the panel’s live PalWorldSettings.ini, apply changes while the server is stopped, and restart before testing. Choose the operating model based on how much server maintenance you want to perform, not on an assumption that hosting removes the client’s direct-connect limitation.
A clean recovery sequence
When several players report the same failure, use one controlled pass instead of changing settings repeatedly:
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- Record the exact message: password mismatch, missing password, or timeout.
- Identify the one intended server installation and stop every Palworld dedicated-server process.
- Back up the active platform-specific
PalWorldSettings.ini. - Check one
ServerPasswordvalue in the completeOptionSettings=(...)entry and leaveAdminPasswordseparate. - Save with the exact
.inifilename, start the intended executable or shell script, and wait for loading to finish. - Test from the community listing, then use the locked-server prompt workaround if direct connect still loses the password.
- If the result is a timeout, stop editing credentials and verify the IP, port, firewall, and forwarding path.
This order separates configuration errors from client-flow and network errors. It also leaves you with a known backup if a syntax mistake prevents the server from loading.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Choosing the right remedy
| Remedy | Use it when | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| Correct the active configuration | The password is wrong, missing, or stored in the wrong file | Requires server access, a clean stop, careful syntax, and a restart |
| Community-list prompt workaround | Direct connect reports no password or loses the password field | Works around the client flow but does not fix an incorrect server setting |
| Network and endpoint checks | The client times out or cannot reach the server | May require firewall and router changes; unrelated to password text |
| Managed server operation | You do not want to maintain files, restarts, ports, and updates | You trade direct machine control for the host’s control panel and support process |
For a self-hosted server, the reliable order is configuration, restart, endpoint verification, and only then the client workaround. Reversing that order can hide a stale password or an unreachable port.
What to remember
- Edit the live platform-specific
PalWorldSettings.ini, never the default template. - Use
ServerPasswordfor players; keepAdminPasswordseparate. - Stop before editing and fully restart after saving.
- Direct connect needs the server IP and port.
- If direct connect says no password was entered, seed the password through a locked Community Servers prompt, select OK, then NO, and retry the direct address.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is my Palworld server password not working?
The usual causes are editing the wrong file, changing AdminPassword instead of ServerPassword, saving while the server was running, or failing to restart after the edit. Verify the active platform-specific file and restart completely.
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Use Pal/Saved/Config/LinuxServer/PalWorldSettings.ini beneath the dedicated-server installation directory. Stop the server before editing and preserve the complete OptionSettings=(...) line.
Where is PalWorldSettings.ini on Windows?
Use Pal/Saved/Config/WindowsServer/PalWorldSettings.ini beneath the dedicated-server directory. The Windows server starts with PalServer.exe.
What is the difference between ServerPassword and AdminPassword?
ServerPassword controls normal player access. AdminPassword is for administrative commands. Entering the admin credential as a player password will be rejected.
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Why does Palworld say no password has been entered?
Direct connect can fail to display or retain the password field even when the server is configured correctly. Open a locked Community Servers entry, enter your own password, choose OK, then NO, and retry direct connect with IP:port.
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How do I join a password-protected dedicated server by IP?
Use the Join Multiplayer Game direct-connect field, enter the server’s reachable IP and port together, and provide the player ServerPassword. If the password prompt is empty, use the community-list workaround first.
Does SteamCMD change where the password is configured?
No. SteamCMD is an installation method. The active settings remain in the platform-specific saved configuration directory, and the same stop-edit-save-restart process applies.
Why does the password work in the Community Servers list but not by IP?
That pattern points to Palworld’s inconsistent direct-connect password handling rather than necessarily a bad password. Seed the client field through a locked listing, then return to direct connect.
What does a timeout after entering the correct password mean?
A timeout usually indicates an unreachable endpoint: wrong IP, wrong port, firewall, forwarding, or a local-network NAT-loopback issue. Confirm network reachability before changing the password again.
Why does my password setting disappear after a restart?
The file may have been edited while running, saved with an extra extension, or damaged by an incomplete OptionSettings=(...) line. Restore a backup, make one change while stopped, and restart.
The Bottom Line
Fix the live platform-specific PalWorldSettings.ini, not DefaultPalWorldSettings.ini. Set ServerPassword, keep the complete OptionSettings=(...) syntax, save with the server stopped, and restart fully. Then verify the reachable IP and port. If direct connect still reports an empty password, prime the field through a locked Community Servers prompt, choose OK, select NO, and retry the direct connection.
Quick Recap
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