Question 1

How do I use the Console page to run commands?

Accepted Answer

The Console page shows your server's live output: startup logs, player connections, errors, and anything your server prints. The input box at the bottom sends commands directly to the server process, just like typing in a local terminal. For Minecraft: enter commands without the leading slash (e.g. say Hello not /say Hello). For GMod: enter Lua or server console commands (e.g. status, sv_cheats 1). For Rust: standard Rust console commands (e.g. server.save, oxide.reload PluginName). The Console page keeps a scrollable history of recent output. Use the search box to filter for specific strings, useful when looking for a specific error in a long startup log. The download button exports the current console output as a text file.

Question 2

How do I use the File Manager?

Accepted Answer

The File Manager is a browser-based file editor built into the panel. You can navigate your server directory, create and edit files, upload files, and manage folders. It works like a simplified version of a desktop file manager. No FTP client is needed for day-to-day file changes.

Question 3

How do I create, restore, and schedule backups?

Accepted Answer

The Backups page in your panel sidebar covers all backup operations. Backups capture your server configuration files, addons or plugins, and world data. To create a manual backup, click "Create backup". You can optionally give it a name so you can identify it later. The backup runs in the background; you will see it appear in the list with a status indicator. When it completes, it shows the timestamp and file size. To restore a backup, find it in the list and click Restore. The panel stops your server, replaces the current files with the backup snapshot, and leaves the server stopped so you can verify things look right before starting again. Restoring overwrites your current files, so if you want to keep the current state first, create a new manual backup before restoring an older one. For scheduled backups, enable the schedule toggle on the Backups page and set your preferred frequency. When the backup limit for your plan is reached, the oldest backup is removed to make room for the new one. Check your plan tier for the number of slots available.

Question 4

How do I invite teammates and manage their server access?

Accepted Answer

The Subusers page lets you give other people access to your server without sharing your login. Each subuser gets their own set of permissions, so you control exactly what they can see and do. To invite someone, open the Subusers page from the panel sidebar and click "Invite subuser". Enter the email address of the person you want to add. They will need a Zeros Host account, or will be prompted to create one when they accept the invitation. After entering the email, you choose which permissions to grant. Permissions are grouped by area: Console (view output, send commands), File Manager (read, write, delete files), Backups (create, restore, download), Databases, Settings, Startup configuration, and Allocations. Grant each subuser only what they actually need. A moderator who runs console commands does not need File Manager write access, for example. Once you save, the subuser receives an email invitation. After they accept, they can log in and see the server in their own panel with the permissions you granted. Their activity shows in the Activity Log alongside your own. To change a subuser's permissions later, open Subusers, find them in the list, and click Edit. Add or remove individual permissions and save. Changes take effect immediately. To remove access entirely, click Remove on their row. This immediately revokes all their permissions and they can no longer access the server.

Question 5

Where can I see what happened on my server?

Accepted Answer

The Activity Log records actions taken through the panel: server starts/stops, file changes, backup creation, subuser modifications, and more. This is useful for tracking what changed if something breaks, especially when multiple people have access to the server.

Question 6

How do I set up automatic server restarts on a schedule?

Accepted Answer

Open the Schedules page in your server's panel sidebar. Click "New schedule" and give it a name. Set the cron expression for when you want the restart to run. For example, 0 4 * * * runs every day at 4am UTC. If you are not familiar with cron syntax, use the visual builder on the Schedules page. Add a task to the schedule: select "Send power action" and choose "Restart". Save the schedule and enable it. The panel will stop and restart your server at the configured time. You can add multiple tasks to a schedule. For example, run a command before the restart to save world data, wait a few seconds, then trigger the restart power action.

Question 7

How do I use File History to restore a previous version of a file?

Accepted Answer

File History is a version control feature that automatically snapshots your server files every time you save through the panel's file editor. It lets you recover an earlier version of any file without needing a full backup restore. It's opt-in per server - turn it on from the panel - and only covers saves made through the panel's Files and Browser IDE editors, not files uploaded via SFTP or installed through the Workshop/addon manager. Open the File Manager and navigate to the file you want to restore. Click the History icon (clock) next to the file. A panel opens showing the snapshot history for that file; each entry shows the timestamp and file size at that point. Click any entry to preview the contents. If it is the version you want, click "Restore this version" to overwrite the current file with the selected snapshot. File History snapshots on every save, not on a fixed schedule. History is retained for your plan's configured retention period.

Question 8

How do I use VS Code in the browser (Workspace)?

Accepted Answer

Workspace is a browser-based Visual Studio Code environment connected directly to your server files. It lets you edit code and configuration with a full editor (syntax highlighting, find-and-replace, multi-file editing) without downloading files or using a separate FTP client. Open Workspace from the sidebar of your server panel. The editor loads with your server file tree on the left. Open any file by clicking it. Workspace supports the same file types as VS Code: Lua, JavaScript, JSON, YAML, Python, and more. Changes are saved to your server files in real time. Workspace autosaves every 10 minutes and on every manual save (Ctrl+S). A snapshot is created at each autosave, so accidental changes can be recovered via File History. Workspace is available on all plans that include the feature. If you do not see it in the sidebar, check your plan tier.

Question 9

What is Server Vitals and what metrics does it show?

Accepted Answer

Server Vitals is a monitoring page that shows real-time and historical performance data for your server. Open it from the panel sidebar under the Monitoring section. Metrics shown: CPU usage (percentage of the allocated CPU), RAM usage (MB used vs plan limit), network I/O (bytes sent and received per second), disk read/write activity, and for Minecraft servers, TPS (ticks per second) over time. The graphs update every few seconds for real-time data and retain history for your plan's data retention period. Hover over any point on a graph to see the exact value at that time. Use Server Vitals to identify performance patterns: a RAM spike that coincides with a restart cycle suggests a memory leak in a plugin or addon; a CPU spike at a specific time each day may point to a scheduled task running at that time.

Question 10

How do I read the Activity Log?

Accepted Answer

The Activity Log records all actions taken through the panel on your server, by you and by any subusers. Open it from the sidebar under Activity. Each entry shows the timestamp, the action taken, the user who took it, and the IP address of their session. Common logged actions: server start/stop/restart, file create/edit/delete, backup creation and restore, subuser permission changes, and startup variable edits. Use the date filter to narrow the log to a specific window. Use the user filter to see only actions by a specific subuser. If something changed and you are not sure what, the Activity Log is the first place to look.

Question 11

How do I set up email notifications for server events?

Accepted Answer

Open the Account page and find the Notifications section. You can enable email alerts for specific events: server crashes, failed startups, backup completion, and billing events. Toggle each one individually. Notification emails are sent to your account's primary email address. They are not configurable per-server; all notifications go to one address.

Question 12

How do I transfer a server to another user?

Accepted Answer

Server transfers between accounts are not self-service at this stage. Email hello@zerosrp.co.uk with your account email, the server ID (visible in the panel URL and Dashboard), and the email address of the account you want to transfer to. We will process the transfer and confirm when it is complete. Alternatively, you can migrate manually: give the new owner subuser access with full permissions, have them download a backup, create a new server on their account, and upload the backup. This transfers the files but requires the new owner to have their own plan.

Question 13

Can I run a server for someone else under my own account?

Accepted Answer

Yes. You can create a server on your account and give the other person full subuser access via the Subusers page. They get their own login to the panel and can manage the server as if it were their own, within the permissions you grant. Billing stays on your account. If you want the other person to have full billing control, a server transfer (contact support) is the right approach instead.

Question 14

Can I run multiple servers on one plan?

Accepted Answer

No. Each plan covers one server. If you want to run two servers, you need two plans. Multiple servers can be on the same account and managed from the same panel login; billing is separate for each.

Question 15

How do I connect to my server via SFTP?

Accepted Answer

SFTP lets you transfer files between your local machine and your server using any SFTP client (FileZilla, WinSCP, Cyberduck, or your IDE's built-in SFTP plugin). To find your SFTP credentials, open the server in the panel and go to the Settings page. The SFTP Details section shows the SFTP address (hostname and port) and your username. Your SFTP password is your Zeros Host account password: the same one you log in to the panel with. In your SFTP client, create a new connection with the following: - Protocol: SFTP - Host: the hostname shown on the Settings page - Port: the port shown (usually 2022, not 22) - Username: the username shown on the Settings page - Password: your panel account password Connect and you will land in your server's root directory: the same files you see in the File Manager. You can upload, download, rename, and delete files as you normally would. If the connection is refused, confirm the port is correct and that you are using your panel password. SFTP uses a non-standard port on Zeros Host. If you are behind a corporate firewall that blocks non-standard ports, use the File Manager in the panel browser instead.

Question 16

How do I create and manage a panel database?

Accepted Answer

The Databases page in your server panel lets you create MySQL/MariaDB databases for your server, useful for plugins or mods that need persistent storage separate from flat files. To create a database, open the Databases page and click "Create database". Give it a name (letters, numbers, and underscores only). The panel creates the database and generates credentials: a hostname, port, database name, username, and password. These are shown once, so copy them and store them securely, as the password is not shown again after creation. To use the database in your server, pass the credentials as environment variables on the Startup page, or enter them directly into your plugin or mod's configuration file. The exact field names depend on the plugin; common ones are db_host, db_user, db_pass, and db_name. To connect from a database GUI tool (TablePlus, DBeaver, HeidiSQL) for inspection or manual queries, use the same credentials. The database host is only reachable from your server and from your local machine if your IP is in the allowed hosts list; contact support if you need external access. To delete a database, click the delete icon on its row on the Databases page. Deletion is permanent and removes all data stored in that database. Back up any important data before deleting.

Question 17

How do I configure server startup variables?

Accepted Answer

Startup variables are environment variables injected into your server process at startup. They are used for configuration values that should not live in files: server passwords, API keys, feature flags, and runtime settings. Open the Startup page in the panel sidebar. You will see two sections: the start command, and the variables list. The start command is the shell command used to launch your server process. Most users do not need to change this, but if you need a custom launch flag (e.g. a JVM flag for Minecraft, or a specific entry point for a bot) you can edit it here. The variables section lists all configurable startup variables for your server type. Each variable has a name (the environment variable key), a description, and a value field. Edit the value and click Save; the new value is used on the next server start. Common variables: STEAM_ACC (Steam Web API key for GMod), TOKEN (Discord bot token), SERVER_MEMORY (max heap for Minecraft), and SERVER_PORT (exposed game port). Variables are never visible in your file tree, since they're injected directly into the process rather than written to disk. Subusers with the "Startup variables" permission can view and edit them; revoke that permission if you want to keep specific values private from your team.

Question 18

How do I manage ports and extra allocations on my server?

Accepted Answer

Every server has a primary port assigned at creation. Some server types need additional ports. For example, a Minecraft server running Geyser needs a second UDP port for Bedrock connections, and a Rust server exposes both a game port and an RCON port. To view your current allocations, open the Network page in the panel sidebar. All assigned ports are listed with their IP and port number. The primary port is marked: this is the one shown to players for connecting. To add an extra port, click "Create allocation". If spare ports are available on your server node, a new port is assigned immediately. The allocation appears in the list and you can use it in your server configuration. To remove an allocation you no longer need, click the delete icon next to it. You cannot remove the primary port. If no spare ports are available (the button is greyed out or returns an error), contact support. Port availability depends on the current load on your node.

Question 19

How do I reinstall my server without losing my files?

Accepted Answer

A reinstall re-runs the server installation process: it re-downloads the server software (game binaries, base configuration) without touching your world data, addons, or configuration files in your server directory. Before reinstalling, create a backup. Even though a reinstall is designed to preserve your files, a backup gives you a recovery point if anything goes wrong. To reinstall, go to the Settings page and scroll to the Danger Zone section. Click "Reinstall server" and confirm. The server stops and the installation script runs. When it completes, the server is ready to start again. What reinstall does: re-downloads the server JAR or binary, resets the server egg's default files if they do not already exist in your directory. What reinstall does not do: delete your world, addons, plugins, or configuration files. Existing files in your server directory are not overwritten. Use a reinstall when: the server binary is corrupt, you want to reset to a clean server install without manual file deletion, or you need to re-apply the server egg's base setup after accidentally deleting a required file.

Question 20

I am getting a MySQL connection error. What does it mean?

Accepted Answer

The four most common MySQL errors and what they mean. "Access denied for user" means the username or password is wrong; credentials are case-sensitive, so reset them from the Databases page rather than retyping from memory. "Can't connect to MySQL server" or "Connection refused" usually means the wrong host. Always use 127.0.0.1 as the hostname, never your server's public IP, and confirm you are using port 3306. "Unknown database" means the database name is wrong or mistyped; names are case-sensitive and usually carry a prefix like s1_, visible on the Databases page. If you are connecting from a game addon (such as MySQLoo for DarkRP) and see a "module not loaded" style error, confirm the correct addon is installed and check the console for load errors; also confirm the module build matches your server OS, since a Windows build will not work on a Linux server. After changing credentials, a full restart is needed, not just a config reload.

Question 21

Are my MySQL databases included in my server backups?

Accepted Answer

No. The panel's Backups feature captures your server's filesystem, which only includes local data such as SQLite .db files under your server directory. MySQL databases run separately and are not included in a filesystem backup, so they need their own backup process. To back up a MySQL database: open the Databases page, reveal your credentials with "Show Password", and connect using a tool like phpMyAdmin or HeidiSQL. From there, use Export (Quick export, SQL format) to download a .sql file. To restore: use the same tool's Import function with your .sql file. Note that importing overwrites existing data in that database, so only do this when you are sure. If you have been relying on "Create Backup" to protect your MySQL data, it has not been; set up a separate, regular export for anything stored in MySQL.

Panel Features