How to Change the World on a Minecraft Bedrock Server

To change the world on a Minecraft Bedrock server, stop the server and set level-name in server.properties to the exact name of a folder inside worlds/, for example level-name=Island SMP. Start it and the Bedrock Dedicated Server loads that folder, or creates a new world with that name if none exists. Other folders in worlds/ stay untouched, so you can switch back later. For a new seed, set level-seed before the new world is created.

What you can do

What lives where

The default level-name is Bedrock level, so a fresh server has worlds/Bedrock level/.

Step 1: Stop the server and back up

Stop the server so it saves and closes the current world. Back up the whole worlds folder, or at least the world you are leaving. Bedrock writes the world as a database, and a copy taken while it is running can be unusable.

Step 2: Add the new world (if you have one)

On Windows, iPhone, iPad or Android, open the world's settings in Minecraft and choose Export World. You get a .mcworld file, which is a zip.

1. Rename it to .zip and unzip it.
2. Make sure level.dat and the db folder are directly inside the unzipped folder.
3. Give the folder a short, clear name, like Island SMP.
4. Upload the folder into worlds/ on the server.

Console worlds on Xbox, PlayStation and Switch cannot be exported directly. The usual route is to upload them to a Realm first, then download the Realm on a Windows PC. More in how to upload a Minecraft Bedrock world to a server.

Step 3: Set level-name and start

level-name=Island SMP
level-seed=

Save and start the server. The console prints the level name as it loads. Join and check that your builds are there.

To create a fresh world with a chosen seed, pick a level-name with no folder yet and paste the seed:

level-name=Season 2
level-seed=8675309

The most reliable way to get a flat world, or one with particular game rules and experiments, is to create it on your device with those options, export it and upload it as above. Everything is then already baked into its level.dat.

The name trap: folder, not display name

This catches nearly everyone the first time. level-name must match the folder name in worlds/, capitals and spaces included. It is not the name you see in Minecraft's world list, which comes from levelname.txt. Exported worlds often unzip into a folder with a random looking name, such as kH0vZJk3AAA=. If you set level-name to the friendly name instead, the server cannot find the folder and quietly creates a brand new world with that name.

Either rename the folder to the name you want, or copy the folder name exactly into level-name.

The second half of the trap: some hosting panels write level-name into server.properties from their own setting on every start. If your edit keeps reverting, change the world name in the panel instead of the file.

Why the seed will not change

The seed is stored in the world's level.dat when the world is generated. After that, level-seed is ignored for that world, so changing it and restarting does nothing (our server.properties guide lists every key). For a new seed you need a new world: a new level-name, with the seed set before the first start.

Packs and experiments travel with the world

Behavior packs, resource packs and experimental toggles are tied to each world. An exported world carries its own packs in its behavior_packs and resource_packs folders and its experiments in level.dat. When you switch to a world that was made without them, those add-ons are off, even if the pack files sit in the server's main pack folders. See how to add add-ons to a Minecraft Bedrock server.

Common problems

• Server creates an empty new world: level-name does not match the folder name exactly, or the world sits one folder too deep (worlds/Island/Island/level.dat).
• "Outdated server" after switching: the world came from a newer Minecraft than the server. Update the server.
• The seed did not change: seeds only apply to new worlds.
• Add-ons missing in the new world: packs are enabled per world. Add them to that world's world_behavior_packs.json and world_resource_packs.json.
• Your edit reverted: you edited while the server was running, or the panel sets the world name itself.

Changing worlds on GamezServers

On a Minecraft Bedrock server from GamezServers, the world is the World name setting in Settings. The panel writes it into level-name on every start, so change it there rather than in the file. Press Backup, then Stop, upload the world into worlds from Files (a zip plus Extract works well) or over SFTP, set World name to the folder's exact name and press Start.

FAQ

How do I change the world on a Bedrock server?

Stop the server, set level-name to the name of a folder in worlds/ and start it again.

Can a Bedrock server have more than one world?

It can store many in worlds/, but it runs one at a time. Switch with level-name and a restart.

How do I change the seed on a Bedrock server?

Set level-seed and use a new level-name so a new world is generated. Existing worlds keep their seed.

Where are worlds stored on a Bedrock Dedicated Server?

In the worlds folder next to bedrock_server, one folder per world.