Set the world modifier Portal items to let ore, metal and other normally restricted items pass through Valheim portals. On a dedicated server, add -modifier portals casual to the startup command, placing it after any -preset argument. Stop the server, back up the world, restart it with the changed setting, and test with a previously restricted item.
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What the portal setting changes
Valheim applies portal rules at the world level. The relevant control is the Portals world modifier, whose permissive option is labelled Portal items in the game interface and uses the value casual on a dedicated-server command line. The setting affects everyone using that world, not just the administrator who changes it.
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Portal modes compared
| World modifier | Can restricted items pass? | Portal behavior during a boss activity | Are portals available? | How it is applied |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Portal items (casual) |
Yes, including normally restricted ore and metal; tamed animals are excluded. | No boss lock is specified for this mode; portals remain enabled. | Yes. | World-modifier UI or dedicated-server startup argument. |
| Normal | No. The standard non-portalable-item restrictions remain. | Uses the normal game rules. | Yes, subject to normal restrictions. | World-modifier UI or the corresponding server preset/modifier configuration. |
No boss Portal (hard) |
No change to the normal item restrictions. | Portal use is prevented while a boss is active. | Yes, except during the boss restriction. | World-modifier UI or -modifier portals hard. |
No Portal (veryhard) |
Not applicable. | Not applicable. | No. Portals are disabled in the world. | World-modifier UI or -modifier portals veryhard. |
Valheim updates can change labels or server behavior. Match the option shown by the game build you are running with the valid values in Iron Gate’s dedicated-server documentation. The guide dated April 11, 2024 lists casual, hard and veryhard for the Portals modifier.
Change the setting in the game interface
Use this route when you host a local world or can reach the world-creation/settings screen. Exact labels can move between builds, but the control is in the world-modifier section.
- Open Valheim’s world selection or world-creation screen.
- Select the world you want to change, then open World modifiers.
- Find the Portals setting.
- Choose Portal items. Do not choose Normal, No boss Portal or No Portal if the goal is to move ore through a portal.
- Confirm the change and load the world.
- Enter a portal with an item that was previously restricted. Test on a copy of the world or during a planned maintenance period before making the change on a shared production world.
If the option is unavailable or has a different name, check the game version first. The names in the interface and the values accepted by a server are tied to the build in use.
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Enable Portal items on a dedicated server
A dedicated server reads world modifiers from its startup command. The value that enables restricted items is:
-modifier portals casual
Iron Gate recommends editing a copied startup script rather than experimenting with the only copy of the server script. Use start_headless_server.bat on Windows or start_server.sh on Linux, then restart the server after saving the edit.
Safe procedure
- Schedule a stop. Tell players when the world will be unavailable and stop the server cleanly so the latest world state is written.
- Back up first. Copy the world files and the server files to a separate, identifiable backup location. Keep the backup from immediately before the modifier change so you can restore the previous rules or recover from an interrupted update.
- Copy the startup script. Make a working copy of
start_headless_server.batorstart_server.sh, following the script-editing approach in the official dedicated-server guide. - Append the modifier. Add
-modifier portals casualto the server’s existing command line. - Put it after any preset. If the line contains
-preset, place the portal modifier after that preset. Iron Gate’s guide warns that a preset can overwrite earlier modifiers; later modifiers take precedence. - Save without changing unrelated arguments. Preserve the existing world name, password, port and other options unless you are deliberately maintaining those settings too.
- Restart the server. Start it with the edited script and wait until it reports that the world is ready for connections.
- Verify in game. Join with an item that was blocked under the old rules and use a portal. Perform the test with a non-production copy or in a maintenance window if losing or duplicating an item would matter.
Correct command ordering
A command line containing a preset should follow this pattern:
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... -preset normal -modifier portals casual
The ellipsis represents the arguments already required by your installation; it is not text to paste. The important detail is the order: -modifier portals casual comes after -preset. If you put the modifier before the preset, the preset may restore the preset’s portal behavior when the server starts.
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For a server that uses no preset, adding the modifier to the end of the existing command is sufficient. Do not add a second, conflicting Portals modifier elsewhere in the script; remove or correct the old value so there is one unambiguous setting.
Using administrative commands instead
Dedicated-server world modifiers can also be managed through in-game development commands, provided the administrator has the required access. The world-modifier reference lists the global key TeleportAll as allowing all items to be teleported.
Treat this as an administrative world-state change, not as a harmless client-only toggle. Back up the world first, tell the other administrators what was changed, and record whether the change is intended to be temporary or permanent. A startup-script modifier is easier to audit because it is visible in the server’s launch configuration; an in-game command can be missed by the next person who restarts the server.
Command names and permissions can vary with the game build. If the command is rejected, use the world-modifier interface or the documented startup argument instead of repeatedly issuing unverified commands.
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Testing and verification checklist
- Confirm that the server was fully stopped before the script was edited.
- Check that the edited script is the one actually used by the server service or shortcut.
- Confirm the argument is spelled exactly
-modifier portals casual, including the hyphen, spaces and pluralportals. - If a preset is present, verify that the modifier appears after it.
- Connect to the same world whose startup script you changed; a client can otherwise appear to be testing a different local or hosted world.
- Use an item that was blocked before the change, rather than testing with a resource that was already portalable.
- Check both ends of the portal and verify that the item arrives after a normal loading transition.
- Have the backup available until players have confirmed that the shared world behaves as intended.
Troubleshooting when ore is still blocked
The setting was added before a preset
This is the most important ordering error. Move -modifier portals casual to the right of -preset, save the script and perform a complete server restart. A restart of the game client alone does not reload dedicated-server arguments.
The wrong startup file was edited
Servers are often launched by a service, scheduler, shortcut or hosting panel rather than by the file you opened manually. Identify the command that actually starts the running instance, then make the change there. If you cannot identify it, stop all server instances and start only the edited script so the test has a clear result.
The world did not reload the modifier
World modifiers are read when the world is loaded. Stop the server cleanly, wait for the process to exit, then start it again. Avoid testing while an old process is still holding the world files.
The option name differs in your build
The interface label and server behavior can change with Valheim updates. Compare the available Portals choices in your build with the official dedicated-server argument list. The documented values are casual, hard and veryhard; do not substitute an invented value based on an older menu label.
A client-only change was made
Portal rules belong to the world. Changing a local setting on one player’s machine does not change a dedicated world that everyone else joins. Make the change in the world settings used by the host or in the dedicated server’s startup configuration.
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You are testing a tamed animal
Portal items is intended for item transport. The modifier’s description excludes tamed animals, so an animal failing to use the portal does not prove that the ore setting failed.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Maintenance details that matter on a dedicated server
Changing a portal modifier is usually a small configuration edit, but it should be handled like any other shared-world maintenance. Iron Gate’s dedicated-server guide documents the Steam-backend default port range as 2456–2457, save locations, backup intervals and the -crossplay option. Those settings are separate from portal behavior, yet checking them during the same maintenance window helps ensure that you are editing the intended instance and preserving access for the intended players.
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“Running a dedicated server is a great way to provide a persistent world in which you and your friends can play anytime.” — Valheim/Iron Gate Studio dedicated-server guide, April 11, 2024.
Choosing the right mode for a shared world
Choose Portal items for convenience
Use this mode when the group wants portal travel without the normal ore and metal logistics. It keeps portals available while permitting restricted items, with the stated exception for tamed animals.
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Keep Normal for the standard challenge
Normal preserves Valheim’s usual separation between portal travel and restricted resources. It is the appropriate choice when the group wants players to transport ore by ship, cart or other ordinary means instead of changing the world rules.
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The hard value leaves portals in the world but blocks their use while a boss is active. It is a middle option for groups that want stricter boss encounters without disabling portals permanently.
Choose No Portal for a fully portal-free world
The veryhard value disables portals altogether. Select it only when the server’s travel rules are intentionally built around overland and sea journeys; players will not be able to use portals until the world modifier is changed again.
Bottom line
For a dedicated Valheim server, back up the world and add -modifier portals casual to the startup command, after any -preset argument. In the interface, the equivalent choice is World modifiers → Portals → Portal items. Use hard when portals should be blocked during boss activity, veryhard when portals should be disabled, and Normal to retain the standard restrictions.
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