How to download your Minecraft Server world

Category Minecraft Last updated Oct 10, 2026 4 min read

How to Download Your Minecraft Server World (Java and Bedrock)

You can download your Minecraft server’s world to keep a local backup, or to play it in singleplayer. This guide works for both Java Edition and Bedrock Edition servers. The download steps are the same, but where your world is stored and how you open it afterwards are different.

Before You Begin

Access to the AleForge Panel
Enough free space on your computer for the world files
To know whether your server is Java or Bedrock

Tip: For the most reliable backup, stop your server before downloading the world. This stops the world files from changing while you copy them.

Java vs Bedrock at a Glance

	Java Edition	Bedrock Edition
World folder name	`world` by default	Named after your `level-name` setting
Where it is stored	In the main server folder	In the `worlds` folder
Nether and End	Separate folders on Paper and Spigot (for example `world_nether`, `world_the_end`)	Inside the same world folder
How to open it in singleplayer	Copy the folder into your `saves` folder	Import it as a `.mcworld` file

Step 1: Find Your World

Java Edition

Your world is a folder in the main server folder. By default it is named world, but it may be different if you changed the world name. You can check the name in the level-name setting in server.properties.

Bedrock Edition

Your world is a folder inside the worlds folder. Its name matches the level-name setting in server.properties, so check there if you aren’t sure which folder is yours.

Step 2: Download Your World

You can download with SFTP or from the panel.

Option 1: Download With SFTP

With SFTP, you can download your world folder directly from the server, with no need to archive it first.

Connect to your server with SFTP.
Locate your world folder (see Step 1).
Move your world to your computer. In WinSCP, right-click the world folder and select Download.

Option 2: Download From the Panel

Go to the AleForge Panel and select your server.
Open File Manager and locate your world folder (see Step 1).
Right-click the world folder.
Click Archive.
This creates a .tar.gz file. Right-click this file and select Download.

You can open .tar.gz files with a program like 7-Zip.

Step 3: Play Your World in Singleplayer

Java Edition

Make sure the world is extracted into a normal folder. For the panel option, extract the .tar.gz with 7-Zip.
Place the world folder in the saves folder of your Minecraft installation. On Windows, it is usually here:
```
%appdata%\.minecraft\saves
```
Open Minecraft. The world will appear in your singleplayer world list.

Note: If your server is Paper or Spigot, also download the separate Nether and End folders (for example world_nether and world_the_end) if you want those dimensions.

Bedrock Edition

Bedrock worlds are opened by turning them into a .mcworld file.

Make sure the world is extracted into a normal folder. For the panel option, extract the .tar.gz with 7-Zip.
Open the world folder and select all the files inside it (not the folder itself). You should see files such as level.dat and a db folder.
Add those files to a new .zip archive.
In File Explorer, tick File name extensions under the View tab.
Right-click the zip, select Rename, and change .zip to .mcworld.
Double-click the .mcworld file. Minecraft Bedrock will open and import it as a new world.

Tip: The zip must contain the world’s files directly, not a folder holding them. If the world doesn’t import, check this first.

Troubleshooting

Problem	What to try
Can’t find the world folder	Check the `level-name` setting in `server.properties` to see what your world is called.
Can’t open the `.tar.gz` file	Use a program such as 7-Zip. You may need to extract it twice, once for `.gz` and once for `.tar`.
The download fails or stops	Try again, or use SFTP for large worlds.
Java world is missing the Nether or End	Download the separate `world_nether` and `world_the_end` folders as well.
Bedrock `.mcworld` won’t import	Make sure the zip has the world’s files at the top level, and that the file ends in `.mcworld`, not `.mcworld.zip`.
Bedrock world opens as a new, empty world	You may have zipped the wrong folder. Check that you used the world folder from the `worlds` folder.