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GuidesGuidesFind your world folder on your PC, upload it with the Worlds page folder upload, point level-name at it, and match the version — your solo creation becomes a server everyone can join.
That world you built alone doesn't have to stay alone. A single-player world and a server world are the same folder format, so bringing your creation online is really just three moves: find the folder on your computer, upload it, and tell the server to load it. This guide walks the whole path, including the one detail that trips people up — matching the version.
| At a glance | |
|---|---|
| You need | A Minecraft Java server and the single-player world on your PC |
| Time | Ten to twenty minutes, mostly the upload |
| Plan | Any |
Single-player worlds live inside your .minecraft folder, under saves. Each world is one folder, named after the world (or close to it). Find yours:
| OS | Path |
|---|---|
| Windows | %appdata%\.minecraft\saves\ (paste that into the File Explorer address bar) |
| macOS | ~/Library/Application Support/minecraft/saves/ |
| Linux | ~/.minecraft/saves/ |
Open saves and you'll see a folder per world. Inside the one you want, you should see level.dat and a region folder — that's how you know it's the real world folder and not a shortcut. Note the world's exact folder name; you'll need it in step 3.
💡 Tip: Using a custom launcher (like a CurseForge or MultiMC instance)? The
savesfolder is inside that instance's game directory, not the default.minecraft. The launcher's settings show the instance path.
Open the Worlds page from your server menu and use the folder upload. Your browser lets you select an entire folder at once — pick the world folder itself (the one containing level.dat), and it uploads the whole directory, structure intact.
⚠️ Heads up: Upload the folder, not a
.zipof it. The browser folder upload sends the directory directly, so there's nothing to unzip on the server. If you only have a.zip, unzip it on your PC first and upload the resulting folder.
Bigger worlds take a few minutes. For very large maps or a flaky connection, SFTP is a sturdier way to transfer the same folder.
The server loads exactly one world, decided by the level-name property — the name of the world folder to load. On the Properties page, set level-name to your uploaded folder's exact name (case-sensitive, spaces and all), then restart. The server now boots into your world instead of generating a fresh one. Full detail on juggling worlds: Manage your worlds.
A world remembers the Minecraft version that made it, and versions are not freely interchangeable:
🎯 Good to know: Switching to a plugin server like Purpur or Paper reads your vanilla world fine — the world format is shared. Your single-player world drops straight onto a plugin-capable server.
Set level-name, restart, and watch the Console generate/load the world, then join. You should spawn in your familiar world — your builds, your terrain. The Worlds page 3D map is a quick confirmation the right world loaded before you even open the game.
level-name doesn't match the uploaded folder's name exactly, or the upload didn't finish. Check the folder exists in the File Manager and that level-name equals its name character-for-character..zip, or a folder that doesn't directly contain level.dat (you may have uploaded the parent saves folder). Upload the world folder itself.server.properties (gamemode), not the single-player setting. Set it on the Properties page.