Connecting to Project Zomboid Servers

Project Zomboid servers can be connected to a few ways. Directly using the Favorites tab, locating the server through public server list on the Internet tab, or the Steam Server Browser in the Steam Client.

Direct Connection

If your Project Zomboid Server isn't on the Public Server List or is otherwise private, you can connect to it directly using the server's IP and Port.
You'll need to start by selecting the "Join" option from the main menu, then from the "Favorites" tab, filling out the "Address" and "Port" fields with your server's IP Address and Port, respectively. The "Name" and "Description" fields can be whatever you like.

The username and password fields depend a bit on the server configuration. If the server has a Whitelist then you may need to ask the server admin for a username/password combination. Otherwise, you can pick your own.

Public Server List

The Project Zomboid public server list is a bit finicky, configuring your server correctly and waiting for your server to be registered by the list is the best method.
You'll need to start by navigating to your server's configuration file, located at /Zomboid/Server/<server-name>.ini file, where <server-name> is the name of your world, configured with the Server Name startup variable. Once there, you'll want to change the following options :

• Open:
  • Should be set to true.
• Public:
  • Should be set to true.
• PublicName:
  • Can be any string of your choosing.
• PublicDescription:
  • Can be any string of your choosing.
• UPnP:
  • Should be set to false.
• server_browser_announced_ip
  • Should be set to your server's IP without the port.

With everything configured, you can restart your server. It's a gamble as to when your server will show up on the list, but it should eventually. When it does, you can find it by searching for your server's "PublicName" or "PublicDescription" in the "Internet" tab.

Steam Client

Project Zomboid uses the SteamCMD software for it's dedicated server, so you can connect to it through the Steam Server browser in addition to the in-game server connection methods.