Live config, backups & save editing

These three features all need access to the game server's data directory. Save editing additionally needs Docker container control. This page sets both up.

1. Mount the game data

Point the panel at the directory your game container mounts (the one holding Pal/Saved/...). Set the host path in .env:

PALWORLD_DATA_DIR=/path/to/your/palworld

The bundled compose.palworld.yml overlay mounts that host dir into the API container at /palworld-data. Bring the stack up with the overlay:

docker compose -f compose.yml -f compose.palworld.yml up -d --build

Find the right path

If your game runs in Docker, inspect it to see what it mounts: docker inspect <game-container> → look at Mounts for the source of its /palworld (or similar) bind. That host path is your PALWORLD_DATA_DIR.

With the data mounted you immediately unlock:

• Live config editing — the Config page loads the real PalWorldSettings.ini.
• Backups — snapshot, download and restore world saves.

2. What each feature needs

Feature	Needs
Live PalWorldSettings.ini editing	Data dir mounted (PALWORLD_INI_PATH resolves inside it)
Backups	Data dir mounted (PALWORLD_SAVE_DIR)
Save editor (players/pals/guilds/inventory)	Data dir mounted + Docker container control

Without the mount, these pages simply stay hidden — nothing errors.

3. Docker container control (for save writing)

Save writing stops the game container while it edits the save (see How the save editor works), so the API needs to control the container. Set the game container name and expose the Docker socket.

In .env:

PALWORLD_CONTAINER=palworld-server   # your game container's name
# The non-root API needs the host's docker group id to use the socket.
# Find it with:  getent group docker
DOCKER_GID=999

The compose.palworld.yml overlay mounts the Docker socket for this. DOCKER_GID must match your host's docker group so the non-root API user can read/write the socket.

The socket is powerful

Mounting the Docker socket grants the API control over containers. That's required to stop/start the game safely around a save write. Only run the panel on a host you trust, behind authentication.

4. Verify

• Config page should load your live settings (not the client-side generator).
• Backups page should let you create a snapshot.
• A player's detail dialog (admins) should show a Save data section with stats, pals and inventory, plus edit actions.

If a save read ever fails intermittently or the config didn't persist, check Troubleshooting — most gotchas are game-image behaviours with a one-line fix.

The reference paths

These default to the standard Palworld layout inside the mounted /palworld-data. Override only if your layout differs — see environment variables:

• PALWORLD_INI_PATH — …/Config/LinuxServer/PalWorldSettings.ini
• PALWORLD_SAVE_DIR — …/Pal/Saved/SaveGames
• PALWORLD_LOG_PATH — …/Pal/Saved/Logs/Pal.log