There are two ways onto a Valheim server, and which one you reach for mostly depends on where you bought the game. A join code works for everybody, Game Pass and Microsoft Store included. An IP address is the older route and the one most Steam players default to. Both are on the same card in your panel, next to the password the game will ask you for.
Where the details live
Open your server in the control panel. The Overview tab carries a connection card holding three things:
- The address, as
IP:port, with a copy button - The join code, present whenever crossplay is on, which it is by default on our servers
- The server password, behind a reveal button
The Join button in the server header opens the same card from any tab, so you do not have to go back to Overview to fetch it.
The one thing to know before anything else: the join code changes every time the server restarts. Valheim mints a fresh one on each boot. A code that worked yesterday and fails today is almost never broken, it is simply last boot's code. Copy the current one from the panel.
Joining with the join code
This route works for every PC player whatever store the game came from.
- Start Valheim and select your character
- Choose Join Game
- Press Add server
- Paste the join code and confirm
- Enter the server password when asked
The server is saved to your list afterwards, so this is a one-time setup. Bear in mind that the saved entry points at a code with a limited life, so if it stops working after a restart, add it again with the current code.
Joining by IP address
The same Add server box takes an address instead of a code. Copy the IP:port value from the panel, paste it exactly as shown, and enter the password.
One limit is worth knowing even though it rarely bites a rented server: on a crossplay server you can connect by public IP, by join code, or through the server list, but a loopback or local address will never work. That only affects people hosting on their own machine.
Pinning it to your Steam favourites
If you would rather have the server permanently in Steam, add it to your favourites. This is where most people come unstuck, so read the port part twice.
- In Steam, open View then Game Servers
- Switch to the Favorites tab and choose Add a server
- Enter your server's IP with the query port, which is not the game port
Valheim binds two consecutive ports: the one you were given, and that number plus one. The game runs on the first, Steam's server browser talks to the second. So a panel address of 185.0.0.0:25930 becomes 185.0.0.0:25931 in Steam.
Get that single digit wrong and Steam calls the server unreachable while it is running perfectly and your friends are on it. Once it is added, it appears in Valheim's own server list too.
Which password
The one on the server password card, not the password for your hosting account. Valheim asks for it as you connect.
If you are choosing a new one, the game enforces two rules: at least five characters, and it must not appear anywhere inside the server name. Break either and the server refuses to start at all, which looks like a crash rather than a rejected password. If your panel still shows the default with a warning next to it, change it now. Until you do, anyone who spots the server in the browser can walk straight in.
Can Xbox and Game Pass players join
Yes, provided crossplay is enabled on both the player's end and the server. Our Valheim servers ship with it on, so the server side is already done.
Those players should use the join code. The IP route is the practical one for Steam players on PC.
Troubleshooting
Incorrect password. Check you copied the password and not the join code, and that the password you set does not contain the server name. Valheim rejects those outright.
The join code does not work. It changed on the last restart. Open the panel and copy the current one. This is comfortably the most common report we see.
The join code area says it is still waiting. The code appears a few seconds after the server finishes booting and the panel reads it from the console as it arrives. Give a freshly started server a moment.
The server is missing from the in-game browser. Registering can take a few minutes after a start. The join code and the IP both work immediately in the meantime.
Steam says the server is not responding. You almost certainly used the game port. Add one to it.
Everyone is in except one person. If that person bought the game somewhere different from the rest of the group, have them use the join code rather than the IP.
Frequently asked questions
Does the join code stay the same? No. It is regenerated on every boot, and that single fact accounts for most Valheim connection problems.
Do I need to forward ports? No. The server runs on our hardware with its ports already open. Port forwarding is only a concern when hosting from your own PC.
Can I run without a password? Not on a public server. Valheim requires one, which is why every new server starts with a default you are meant to replace.
How many people can join at once? Ten. That is Valheim's own limit rather than a restriction on the plan.
Do I have to be online for my friends to play? No. A dedicated server runs by itself, so the group can play whenever they like whether or not you are there. That is the main reason to rent one rather than host from your own game.
Still stuck after copying a fresh join code? Contact support with your server name and what the game says when the connection fails, and we will take a look. No server yet? See our Valheim server hosting plans, which ship with crossplay on, so the join code is ready as soon as the first boot finishes.