Palworld Server Not Showing Up? How to Join and Fix It

If your Palworld server is not showing up, join it by IP address and port instead of the list: enter your-ip:8211 in the box under the server list. The list only shows community servers, which need the -publiclobby argument. If you cannot connect at all, check that the server runs and that UDP port 8211 reaches it.

Two different problems hide behind this one. Either the server is missing from the list, which is about how it is registered, or players cannot connect, which is about the network. The steps below separate them, and follow Pocketpair’s official guide for version 1.0.4.

Is it the list or the connection?

How to join by IP and port

1. Open Palworld and go to the multiplayer server list.
2. Find the box where you enter an address at the bottom of the list.
3. Type the IP address and the port, separated by a colon, for example 203.0.113.10:8211.
4. Press Connect and enter the server password if there is one.

Pocketpair’s guide describes the two server types. A dedicated server is joined with an IP address and port. A community server is a dedicated server that has registered itself in the list, so it also appears when you pick Community server on the left of the list.

Connection checklist

1. The server is running. Open the console and wait for it to finish loading.
2. The address and port are right. The default port is UDP 8211. If you changed it with -port=, use that one.
3. The firewall allows UDP 8211 on the computer that runs the server.
4. The router forwards UDP 8211 to that computer. Pocketpair says you must be able to forward the port.
5. You use your public IP for players outside your home, and the local address for players on your own network.
6. Game and server share a version. Update the one that is behind: how to update a Palworld dedicated server.
7. No other program uses the port. A second server instance on the same port will break the first.

Make the server appear in the list

1. Add -publiclobby to the launch arguments. This sets up the server as a community server.
2. If the automatic address detection does not work, set -publicip=x.x.x.x and -publicport=xxxx, or PublicIP and PublicPort in the settings file. Pocketpair says these only apply to community servers, and that PublicPort does not change the port the server listens on.
3. Give the server a clear ServerName in PalWorldSettings.ini so that it is easy to search for.
4. Wait a few minutes after the server finishes loading before you search for it.

Crossplay and console players

Pocketpair says dedicated and community servers are cross-play enabled by default for Steam, Xbox series and the Microsoft Store PC version, macOS and PS5. Players on Xbox or PS5 need the server to be a community server. If you changed CrossplayPlatforms, make sure the platforms your friends use are still in the list.

If your server is on TheGameHosting

1. Open the server in the panel and check that it is running. Press Start if it is not, and watch the Console until it finishes loading.
2. Copy the address and port from the top of the server page. Use that port, which may not be 8211.
3. Join by IP and port from the game. Test from another network, such as a phone hotspot, if it fails.
4. If the server runs and the address is right, send us the address and the console log in live chat or a ticket.

You do not need to forward ports on a hosted server. If you are setting up from the start, read how to set up a Palworld dedicated server, and to give yourself control once you are in, how to become admin on a Palworld server.

Test that the server is listening

On the machine that runs the server, check that something is listening on the port. These are standard system commands, not Palworld tools:

netstat -ano | findstr 8211

ss -lunp | grep 8211

If nothing shows, the server is not running or is using another port. If it shows, the server is listening, and the problem is between the player and the machine: a firewall, the router, or the address you gave. Test with the local address from inside your network first, then with the public address from outside, such as on a phone hotspot.

Still not working?

• Check for a second router or a shared connection. A home connection behind a shared address cannot receive traffic from the internet at all, however you forward the port. Ask your provider.
• Read the server log for errors when it starts.
• Test from inside your network first, with the local address. If that works and the public address does not, the problem is the router or the internet connection.

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