# WARDOGS server backups and what a server keeps

> What a WARDOGS community server stores and what lives on BULKHEAD's servers instead, and how Wilderack will back up your bans, slots and settings.

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

_Wilderack is not affiliated with BULKHEAD or Team17. WARDOGS community servers come only from BULKHEAD's approved hosting partners, so WARDOGS servers open on Wilderack only once BULKHEAD approves us._

_WARDOGS is a trademark of Team17 Digital Ltd. Wilderack is not affiliated with or endorsed by Team17 Digital Ltd._

A WARDOGS server has no world to save. Every match starts fresh, and players' cash, levels and unlocks are kept on BULKHEAD's own servers. What's worth keeping is your server's setup: its settings, bans, reserved slots and rules.

> [!NOTE]
> WARDOGS servers can't be ordered on Wilderack yet. We open WARDOGS once BULKHEAD and Team17 approve Wilderack as a hosting partner. The server's file layout comes with the build, so this guide will name each file then.

## What lives where

| What | Where it's kept |
|---|---|
| Players' cash, levels and unlocks | BULKHEAD's servers |
| Bans and reserved slots | Your server |
| Server name, image, rules, ping limit, restart time | Your server |
| RCON settings | Your server, written by Wilderack |

Because progress lives with BULKHEAD, players never lose anything when a community server restarts, moves or closes.

## How backups will work on Wilderack

- **Every 10 minutes** while the server runs and something has changed, a safe copy of its settings is made.
- **Before every risky step**: restoring, updating and switching games. These copies are kept for 7 days.
- **By hand**: open **Backups** and make one, with a label like "before new rules".
- **On a schedule**: add a backup to **Schedules**, such as once a day.

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

## Why bans need a backup

Your ban list is the record of every cheater your admins have removed. Losing it lets them straight back in. Season 03 fixed unbans and reserved slot removals being undone when server settings were saved. Before that fix, a settings save could quietly change your lists, and a backup was the way to put them right.

## Restore and download

When WARDOGS opens, restore a backup from **Backups**, or download it as a zip with a link that works for 24 hours. The panel backs up the current files before a restore, so you can undo it.

## What we'll add with the build

The exact files a WARDOGS server keeps, how to bring them from another host, and which ones Wilderack writes for you.

## Questions and answers

### Does WARDOGS progress carry over from community servers?

Yes. Cash, levels and unlocks are kept on BULKHEAD's own servers, so what players earn on a community server counts everywhere, and community servers pay a small cash bonus.

### What does a WARDOGS server backup hold?

The server's own setup, like its settings, bans, reserved slots and rules. There's no world to save. Every match starts fresh, and player progress lives with BULKHEAD.

### Can I move my WARDOGS server from another host?

Your bans, reserved slots and rules can come along once we know the files the server keeps them in. We'll add the steps when Wilderack becomes an approved hosting partner.

## Sources

- [Season 03 Patch Notes](https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1867240/view/1849192144179736), BULKHEAD
- [Scheduled Maintenance and Patch 0.11](https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1867240/view/1843481262698449), BULKHEAD
- [WARDOGS Early Access and Beyond](https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1867240/view/1828894815567544), BULKHEAD

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Canonical page: https://wilderack.com/wiki/wardogs/backups/
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Corrections: support@wilderack.com