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.

How to connect to your Valheim server

To connect to your Valheim server, you join by direct address from the Steam client's Servers tab, or you let friends find it through the in-game community list. Steam handles the connection; Valheim itself just needs the address and (optionally) the password.

Your address looks like yourname.hostdservers.com:PORT, where the exact hostname and port show on your dashboard's server page. Copy it from there so you never typo a port number.

Option 1: Steam "Join IP"

This is the most reliable way, especially the first time you connect.

Open the Steam client (not the in-game overlay).
Top menu: View → Servers.
Switch to the Favourites tab.
Click Add a server.
Paste the full address and port shown on your dashboard (it will look like yourname.hostdservers.com:PORT).
Click Add this address to favourites, then Refresh.
Once it shows green and populated, double-click it. Steam launches Valheim and connects you.

The server will then appear in your Steam favourites list, so next time you just double-click and join.

Option 2: in-game "Join IP"

If you're already in Valheim:

From the main menu, pick Start Game → choose your character.
Click Join Game in the bottom-right.
Switch to the Join IP tab at the top.
Enter the address shown on your dashboard (without the http:// or anything; just the yourname.hostdservers.com:PORT string from the Connect panel).
Click Connect, then enter your server password when prompted.

Option 3: community list (Steam friends)

If your server has Public Server enabled in its config, Steam friends can see it in the in-game community list under the Join Game screen. They don't need the address at all; they pick your server name from the list.

This works well for casual groups, but it does mean any Steam friend can see the server exists. The password still gates entry. If you'd rather keep it invisible, set the server to non-public in config and share the address directly.

Setting or changing the password

Valheim requires a server password (5 characters minimum). You set it in two places:

Dashboard → Settings: the password field there is the one used at boot.
server.cfg via the Files tab: edit if you prefer a raw config-file workflow.

If you change the password, every connected player gets disconnected on the next server restart. Tell your group before you do it.

"Friends can't find it" troubleshooting

The usual suspects, in the order they actually happen:

Wrong port. Each Valheim server we host is assigned its own port; the dashboard shows your real one on the Connect panel. If you're running more than one Valheim server, the second one will be on a different port. Always copy from the dashboard, never from memory.
Password mismatch. Capitalisation matters. So does that trailing space someone pasted by accident.
World still booting. First boot after a mod change or a world import can take a couple of minutes. Watch the dashboard progress bar; once it says Ready, the server is joinable. Before that, your friends will get "Failed to connect".
Steam friends list out of sync. Sometimes the community list lags. Have them use Join IP directly the first time, and the favourites entry will work after.

No crossplay

Valheim is PC-only. There's no Xbox, PlayStation, or Switch version, so there's no crossplay configuration to worry about. Everyone joining your server is on a PC Steam client.

Next steps

Still picking a plan? See Picking the right Valheim server plan.
For the general "join any non-Minecraft game" overview, read Connecting to non-Minecraft servers.
Stuck on something specific? Try Valheim server troubleshooting.

Last updated 2026-05-20. Notice a mistake? Tell us.