Docs & guides
Everything you'd ask support, answered.
Written by the team that runs the panel. Short, searchable, and honest about what we don't do yet.
Getting started
How to create your first game server with Hostd
Create your first game server in under a minute: pick a game and tier, pick a free address, pay, and connect. Honest per-game RAM guidance inside.
Inviting friends to play (and to manage your server)
Share the connection address for players, grant co-admin access via Members, or gate joins behind your Discord server with role and account-age checks.
Minecraft
Installing a Modrinth or CurseForge modpack on Minecraft
Install any Modrinth or CurseForge modpack at order time or onto an existing Minecraft server, with the right tier for the pack weight.
Adding a single plugin (Spigot/Paper)
Install EssentialsX, WorldEdit, LuckPerms, etc. straight from the dashboard.
Changing the Minecraft version
Upgrade or downgrade your vanilla Minecraft server in a couple of clicks.
Hostd Linkd: connect multiple Minecraft servers into one network
Run a Hypixel-style network with auto-configured Velocity, lockdown firewall, and shared start/stop. One address for your players.
Counter-Strike 2
Setting up your Counter-Strike 2 server: a walkthrough
Set up a Counter-Strike 2 server on Hostd: pick a plan, understand first boot, get a GSLT for the browser, and connect from CS2 in under five minutes.
CS2 server visibility: Auto, Public, and Direct-connect
Counter-Strike 2 server visibility explained: what Auto, Public, and Direct-connect mean, what each one does at boot, and which one fits your setup.
CS2 Steam Game Server Token (GSLT): get and apply one
A Steam Game Server Token (GSLT) is the 32-character string Valve issues per server so CS2 appears in the public browser and runs VAC secure.
Counter-Strike 2 server troubleshooting: crashes, lag, more
Counter-Strike 2 server troubleshooting on Hostd: browser visibility, Steam auth failures, lag, plugin loading, restart loops, and instant kicks.
Valheim
Picking the right Valheim server plan for your crew
The guide to choosing a Valheim server plan: Lite, Standard, or Pro, sized for your group, your mods, and how serious you are about the world.
Connecting to your Valheim server: a step-by-step guide
How to connect to your Valheim server through Steam, the in-game friends list, or a direct address, plus what to check when friends say they can't find it.
Installing Valheim mods with BepInEx and Thunderstore
Install Valheim mods through the dashboard's Thunderstore browser, with BepInEx already in place: search, click, restart, and you're modded.
Valheim server troubleshooting: crashes, lag, no console
A practical guide to Valheim server problems: crash-on-start, in-game lag, mod conflicts, and the no-console reality that catches new admins out.
Palworld
Picking the right Palworld server plan: 16 to 32 slots
Choose a Palworld server plan that matches your group: Standard for friends, Pro for active communities, Elite for sprawling bases and heavy automation.
Connecting to your Palworld server: friends and password
Connect to your Palworld server using the hostd.it address and port shown on your dashboard, set an admin or server password, and fix the most common join issues.
Tuning Palworld world settings: XP, capture, and raids
Tune your Palworld server with PalWorldSettings.ini: adjust XP rates, capture chance, raid frequency, day length, and drop rates without breaking your save.
Palworld server troubleshooting: saves, crashes, lag
Fix common Palworld server problems: corrupted saves after patches, servers that won't start, pal AI lag, REST API hiccups, and players who can't connect.
Rust
Picking your Rust server plan: 50, 100, or 200 slots
Pick the right Rust server plan by matching slots and RAM to how busy your wipe actually gets. Standard, Pro, or Elite, with guidance on each.
Connecting to your Rust server: F1 console and browsers
Connect to your Rust server via the F1 console, the modded browser, or Steam favourites. Plus what the query port does and why first boot takes 10 minutes.
Rust Oxide plugins and the wipe scheduler explained
Install Oxide and Carbon plugins from the dashboard and run map plus blueprint wipes on the schedule your community expects.
Rust server troubleshooting: crashes, wipes, plugin breakage
Walk through the common Rust server faults: long first boot, Oxide lagging a Rust patch, plugin breakage, wipe day lag, and players who cannot connect.
ARK: Survival Ascended
Picking your ARK: Survival Ascended server plan on Hostd
Pick the right ARK: Survival Ascended server plan with honest RAM and slot guidance. Standard, Pro, or Elite, sized for real tribe load on Hostd.
Connecting to your ARK: Survival Ascended server on Hostd
Connect to your ARK: Survival Ascended server via the in-game Unofficial list or by favouriting your hostd.it address. First boot, passwords, and ports covered.
ARK: Survival Ascended maps and CurseForge mods on Hostd
Switch ARK: Survival Ascended maps from the dashboard and install CurseForge mods in clicks. Catalogue, mod cap, load order, and the swap workflow.
ARK: SA server troubleshooting: crashes, mods, Proton
Fix common ARK: Survival Ascended server problems on Hostd: 15-minute first boot, Proton resets, mod mismatch kicks, map switches that won't apply, base lag.
Billing & refunds
Our 7-day money-back guarantee
If Hostd isn't for you, refund no-questions-asked within 7 days of your first charge.
Hibernation: pause your server, keep everything
Pause any server and save up to 80% on your normal server costs. Your world, mods, configs and address stay safe with us until you resume.
How to cancel a server / subscription
Stop the next renewal with one click - your server keeps running until the paid period ends.
Earning 50% off with the referral program
Both you and a friend get 50% off one month when they sign up through your link.
Connecting & domains
Your free hostd.it / hostdservers.com address
Every server gets a friendly domain - short and shareable, included in every plan.
Connecting to a Minecraft Java server
Paste the address - no port needed.
Connecting to a non-Minecraft game server on Hostd
How to join your CS2, Valheim, Palworld, Rust, or ARK: Survival Ascended server on Hostd: the address pattern, the Copy button, and per-game routes.
Files & backups
Account & security
Troubleshooting
Fixing Minecraft server lag: TPS, RAM, and disk fixes
Diagnose Minecraft server lag the right way: check TPS first, then RAM and disk, and only upgrade once you know which one is the real bottleneck.
Minecraft server won't start: console errors and fixes
Minecraft server won't start? Read the console, match the error, and fix it in minutes. Triage for Java OOM, port collisions, mod crashes, and Bedrock.
Scheduled console commands and admin actions per game
Scheduled commands on Hostd run safely across every game, with a small shared blocklist and per-game channels (RCON, REST, or none) you should know about.