How to Install TShock on a Terraria Server (TShock 6)

To install TShock, run the TShock 6 server (6.2.1 supports Terraria 1.4.5.8) in place of the vanilla server, put your world's .wld file where TShock loads it, and start it. The console prints a setup code: join, type /setup <code>, then /user add YourName YourPassword owner and /login. Settings live in tshock/config.json, but launch options such as -port, -maxplayers and -password override that file, so set those where the server is started.

What you are working with

TShock is a server mod for vanilla clients: players join with normal, unmodded Terraria on the same version as the server. TShock 6 moved to .NET 9 and the Terraria 1.4.5 series, and 6.2.1 from September 27, 2026 supports Terraria 1.4.5.8 (TShock releases on GitHub). It cannot load tModLoader mods or tModLoader worlds.

What carries over from vanilla

Before you start

• Back up the world. Download the .wld file (and its .wld.bak) before switching anything.
• Match the version. Players must run the Terraria version TShock supports, 1.4.5.8 for TShock 6.2.1.
• Note your world's file name. You will need it to point TShock at the old world.

Step 1: Install TShock

Self hosting, download the release for your system from the TShock GitHub page, unzip it into a new folder, and start TShock.Server with your world:

./TShock.Server -port 7777 -maxplayers 8 -world /path/to/MyWorld.wld

On the first start TShock creates the tshock folder, its database and config.

Step 2: Point TShock at your world

Copy your .wld into the folder TShock loads from and give its path or name with -world. If the file is not where TShock looks, and -autocreate is set, it quietly generates a brand new world with that name. That is the usual reason people "lose" their world when switching to TShock.

Step 3: Claim the owner account

1. Watch the console on the first start for the line with the setup code (it is also saved in tshock/setup-code.txt).
2. Join with Terraria and type /setup <code>.
3. Create your real account: /user add YourName YourPassword owner.
4. Log in: /login YourName YourPassword.
5. Type /setup once more to switch the setup system off.

From now on the server console always has full rights, which is your way back in if you lock yourself out. Our TShock commands guide covers every account and group command.

Step 4: Set the basics in config.json

Stop the server, then edit tshock/config.json. Settings sit inside its Settings block:

Use /reload for some changes, or restart for all of them.

The gotcha: launch options beat config.json

TShock's own documentation says options set on the command line override all configuration options. So if the server starts with -port, -maxplayers or -password, the matching ServerPort, MaxSlots and ServerPassword in config.json are ignored, however many times you save them.

This is exactly how GamezServers starts TShock. The panel launches it with:

./TShock.Server -ip 0.0.0.0 -port <your port> -maxplayers <your slots> -world <World name>.wld -autocreate <World size> -password "<Join password>" -motd "<Welcome message>"

So on our servers:

• Set the join password in the panel's Join password field, not in config.json. An empty panel field means no password, whatever the file says.
• The player limit comes from your plan's slots.
• The welcome message is the panel's Welcome message.
• Everything else (login rules, spawn protection, backups, groups) is yours in config.json and the database.

The panel also loads the world named in World name from the server's main folder, and creates a new one of the chosen World size if it does not find it. When you switch from Vanilla, your world sits in saves/Worlds/. Move the .wld file up into the main folder and set World name to its name without .wld, or TShock will make a fresh world beside it.

Step 5: Protect builds and add plugins

Protect spawn or a base with a region:

/region set 1
/region set 2
/region define Spawn
/region allow Bob Spawn

After each /region set, hit a block to mark that corner. Plugins are .dll files built for your TShock version: upload them to ServerPlugins/ and restart.

Common problems

• Your old world is gone and a new one loaded: the .wld is not where TShock looks, or the name differs. Move it and fix the world name.
• Password in config.json does nothing: the launch option overrides it. On GamezServers, use the Join password field.
• No setup code in the console: setup already finished or an account exists. Use the server console: user group YourName owner.
• Players get a version error: their Terraria and the server's TShock target different versions. Update TShock after a Terraria patch, see Terraria server version mismatch.
• Server stops on start after an update: an old plugin in ServerPlugins/. Remove it until it is updated.

TShock on GamezServers

On a Terraria server from GamezServers, pick TShock as the server type in Settings, and a backup is taken before the switch. Move your world from saves/Worlds/ to the main folder in the file manager, set World name, and start. The console shows your setup code, and the panel has TShock buttons for jobs like time noon and ban add. To go the other way, see switching a Terraria server to tModLoader or TShock.

FAQ

Can players join a TShock server with normal Terraria?

Yes. TShock runs vanilla content, so players join with unmodded Terraria on the same version.

Where do I find the TShock setup code?

In the server console on the first start, and in tshock/setup-code.txt, until setup is finished.

Will my vanilla world work on TShock?

Yes. TShock loads the same .wld file. Point it at the file and set the world name to match.

Why does my TShock password not change?

The server's launch options override config.json. Change it where the server is started, which on GamezServers is the Join password field.