# Squad server backups and moving a server

> What a Squad server backup holds, how backups will work on Wilderack, and how to move your Server.cfg, admins, bans and rotations from another host.

By the Wilderack Crew. Last reviewed 2026-11-13. Topic: Backups and your world.

_Wilderack is not affiliated with Offworld Industries. Squad's license rules out running servers commercially, so Squad servers open on Wilderack only once Offworld makes us a hosting partner._

_Squad is a trademark of Offworld Industries Ltd. Wilderack is not affiliated with or endorsed by Offworld Industries Ltd._

A Squad server has no world to save: every match starts fresh. What you'd hate to lose is the setup around it, like your admin list, your bans and the rotation you tuned. All of it lives in one folder, `SquadGame/ServerConfig`, and that's what backups keep.

> [!NOTE]
> Squad servers can't be ordered on Wilderack yet. We open Squad once Offworld Industries makes us a hosting partner. This guide shows how backups will work then.

## What a backup holds

| File | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| `Server.cfg` | Name, queue, tags, rotation mode and match rules |
| `Admins.cfg` | Your admin groups and everyone in them |
| `Bans.cfg` | Every ban given in game. Losing it lets banned players back in |
| `LayerRotation.cfg` and `LevelRotation.cfg` | Your rotations |
| `ModsConfig.cfg` | Mod load order |
| `MOTD.cfg` | The message players see when they join |

Game files aren't in backups: Squad installs fresh from Steam. Mods aren't either. They download again from the Workshop on the next start, from the list in **Settings**.

## How backups work on Wilderack

- **Every 10 minutes** while the server runs and something has changed, a safe copy is made. Squad writes these files as plain text, so copies are safe with players online.
- **Before every risky step**: switching games, restoring, updating and changing mods. These copies are kept for 7 days.
- **By hand**: open **Backups** and make one, with a label like "before new admin rules".
- **On a schedule**: add a backup to **Schedules**, such as once a day.

The files are small, so backups take almost no room.

## Restore a backup

1. Open **Backups** and pick a backup by its date or label.
2. Choose restore. The panel backs up the current files first, so you can undo it.
3. The server restarts and reads the restored files.

To get back one file, like `Bans.cfg` from last week, open it in **Files** and pick an earlier version by date.

> [!TIP]
> Restoring an old backup brings back old bans too. If you lifted a ban since then, check `Bans.cfg` after a restore.

## Download a backup

Open **Backups**, choose a backup and download it. You get a zip with a link that works for 24 hours. Keep one on your own computer before big changes, like a new rotation or a rewrite of your admin groups.

## Move a server from another host

1. **Download `SquadGame/ServerConfig`** from your old host, with every `.cfg` file in it.
2. **Leave out `Rcon.cfg`.** Wilderack writes its own RCON settings, with a password made for your server.
3. **Zip the folder** and upload the zip in **Games**, then **Bring your world**. We take a backup first, then put the files in place.
4. **Add your mods again.** Copy your Workshop IDs into **Settings**, then restart.
5. **Check your settings.** **Max players** in **Settings** wins over `MaxPlayers` in `Server.cfg`.

Player history, ranks and unlocks belong to each player's own Squad account, so they come along by themselves.

If your old server was licensed, talk to Offworld before you move it. Offworld's licensing rules ask servers to apply again when they change hardware, hosting provider or owner.

## What to read next

- [Config reference](https://wilderack.com/wiki/squad/config-reference/)
- [Mods](https://wilderack.com/wiki/squad/mods/)
- [Common errors](https://wilderack.com/wiki/squad/common-errors/)

## Questions and answers

### Does Squad save a world I need to back up?

No. Every Squad match starts fresh, so there is no world file. What's worth keeping is the server's setup in SquadGame/ServerConfig, above all your admins, bans and rotations.

### How do I move my Squad server from another host?

Download the SquadGame/ServerConfig folder from your old host, zip it, and upload the zip in Games, then Bring your world. Leave out Rcon.cfg, since Wilderack writes its own. Then re-add your Workshop mods.

### Can I move a licensed Squad server?

Ask Offworld first. Its licensing rules ask servers to apply again when they change hardware, hosting provider or owner, so a move means a new license application.

## Sources

- [Server Configuration](https://squad.fandom.com/wiki/Server_Configuration), Official Squad Wiki
- [Server Licensing and Administration Policies](https://www.joinsquad.com/server-licensing-and-administration-policies), Offworld Industries

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