· Basics

How to share Valheim seeds with friends

Valheim is better with friends, but a co-op world only matches if everyone is standing on the same map. Sharing a seed is the difference between "meet me at the swamp" working and "which swamp?" being a ten-minute argument. Here are the three reliable ways to share a world.

Method one: just send the string

The simplest method is also the most robust: copy the seed string and paste it into chat. A seed like `wVJCZahxX8` or `HHcLC5acQt` is short, case-sensitive, and unambiguous. The receiving player opens a new world, pastes it into the seed field, and the game builds the identical continent. No files, no uploads, no version mismatch in the transfer itself. Double-check the spelling — a single swapped character produces a completely different world, and there is no error message to warn you. If you are unsure a friend typed it correctly, re-send the string rather than trusting memory.

Method two: send a seed viewer link

If you want someone to see the layout before they commit, send a direct viewer link instead of a bare string. Our free seed viewer supports a URL parameter that jumps straight to a preview. For example, this link opens the world for `wVJCZahxX8` immediately: valheimseed.com/?seed=wVJCZahxX8. The friend lands on the map without typing anything, can scroll the biomes, and decide whether the spawn suits the group. It is the fastest way to say "here is the world we are playing" without a screenshot.

Method three: run a dedicated server on one seed

For a persistent group world, host a dedicated server pinned to a single seed. Everyone connects to the same address and the server regenerates the same map every restart — the seed guarantees continuity. This is the right choice once your group plays on a schedule rather than ad hoc. Note that the world version matters: a seed generated and saved under 1.0 stays consistent only if the server keeps the same major version. Our blog index gathers more co-op and server setup tips if your group is just getting started.

What to include when you share

A bare string is enough to rebuild the map, but a good share includes context. State the game version (1.0 for current worlds), the intended playstyle, and any standout features you picked it for. If you grabbed it from our curated seed list, say so — the list notes things like nearby iron or a clean Deep North corridor, which helps friends know what to pack. A one-line note turns "here is a seed" into "here is the world we will enjoy together."

One caveat on previews

Remember that any preview you send — including a viewer link — is an approximation. Our engine renders the layout from the same generation logic, but fine details can differ from the live game. Treat the preview as a planning aid, not a promise of exact coordinates. Share the string for truth, share the link for convenience, and you will rarely mismatch. When in doubt, send both — the link so a friend can see the layout instantly, and the bare string so the world is guaranteed identical on their end.

Measured case: attach the numbers when you share

A good share includes what the world costs to play, and real distances say it better than adjectives. When our curated list passes a world through the actual 1.0 generator, the results go on the page: HHcLC5acQt measures a 440-meter first altar and a 1,644-meter trader — tight enough that co-op errands never become expeditions — while tyeDWcN7cp stretches its nearest trader to 3,441 meters, a number that changes how a group shops, sails and stages portals. Sharing a seed with its measured distances attached is the difference between "looks nice" and "fits how we play." If the world you are sharing has a measured page, send that alongside the string.

The group workflow that never mismatches

Groups that share seeds without incident all develop the same small rituals. The string gets pasted, never retyped, and pasted in one pinned place — a channel topic, a doc, a sticky note on the fridge of your voice chat. The host creates the world and reads the seed back from the world info screen, because that screen shows what the game actually stored, which catches the silent typo before it costs an evening. And the group confirms the game version out loud once. Sixty seconds of ritual buys you the guarantee that five people are standing on the same continent — which is, after all, the entire point of sharing the string instead of everyone rolling their own.

What a good share note looks like

Put it all together and a proper share is three lines. Line one, the string, pasted exactly: wVJCZahxX8. Line two, the version and the pitch: "1.0 — compact start, everything close, iron is easy." Line three, the viewer link so nobody has to type anything: valheimseed.com/?seed=wVJCZahxX8. That is the whole package — truth, context, and convenience in one message. If the seed has a measured page on our list, swap line three for the link to that page and your friends get the honest distances too. Anything longer than three lines does not get read in voice chat; anything shorter risks the ten-minute "which swamp?" argument this guide opened with. Three lines, once — and the whole group is on the same continent for good.

What goes in the note, one line at a time

The group workflow above collapses into a five-line note: the seed string exactly as typed, the game version it was previewed on, the share link, the two or three pins everyone agreed on, and who hosts. That last line matters more than it looks — when six players each assume someone else is hosting, the mismatch surfaces on launch night as a connection error instead of a plan. A note with all five lines survives being pasted into a group chat and read a week later, which is the real test.

FAQ

Are Valheim seeds case-sensitive?

Completely. One swapped capital builds an entirely different world, and the game will not warn you. Copy-paste the string instead of retyping it, and re-send rather than trusting anyone's memory.

Can players on different game versions share a seed?

They will get different worlds. The seed is an input to the generator, and 1.0 changed the generator — the Deep North rebuild alone redraws the far map. Confirm everyone is on the same patch before comparing notes.

What is the viewer link format for a seed?

valheimseed.com/?seed=STRING — replace STRING with the seed exactly as written, capital letters included. Opening it lands your friend straight on the map preview, no typing required.

Do I need to send world files to share a world?

No — the string alone rebuilds the continent. Files are only for migrating an in-progress save, because buildings, chests and explored map live in the .db, not in the seed.

Sources & further reading