Running a Palworld server often involves more than simply keeping the world online. Server owners may need to check performance, see who is connected, send maintenance warnings, save the world, or remove disruptive players.
The Palworld REST API gives administrators a way to perform these tasks through external tools and automated systems. This guide explains what the REST API can do, how to enable it on a self-hosted server, and how Palworld server hosting removes much of the complexity involved in managing it.
What Is The Palworld REST API?
A REST API allows another program to communicate with your Palworld server by sending requests to specific addresses called endpoints.
Instead of entering every command manually through the server console, an application, monitoring dashboard, Discord bot, or custom script can request information or trigger supported server actions.
Palworld provides REST API endpoints for viewing server information, checking connected players and server settings, reading performance metrics, sending announcements, saving the world, moderating players, and shutting down the server.
The REST API is also becoming more important because Palworld’s older RCON system has been deprecated. Pocketpair recommends moving to the REST API because RCON is scheduled to stop functioning in a future update.
What Can You Automate With The REST API?
The REST API can support several useful server-management tasks:
- Display the current player count on a website or Discord bot.
- Monitor server FPS, frame time, uptime, base count, and in-game days.
- Check which players are connected and review their ping.
- Send automatic warnings before maintenance or restarts.
- Save the world before an update, backup, or shutdown.
- Kick, ban, or unban players through an administration tool.
- Shut down the server safely after warning connected players.
The API does not automatically build these systems for you. It provides the connection that another program can use.
Creating a completely custom dashboard or bot still requires scripting or a compatible third-party tool. However, the API gives server owners far more options for monitoring and automating a Palworld server than relying entirely on manual console commands.
How To Enable The REST API On A Self-Hosted Palworld Server
Before changing anything, stop the Palworld server completely. Editing the configuration while the server is running may cause your changes to be overwritten.
On a Windows SteamCMD installation, the active configuration file is normally located here:
C:\steamcmd\steamapps\common\PalServer\Pal\Saved\Config\WindowsServer\PalWorldSettings.ini
Your path may be different if you installed the server in another directory.
Open PalWorldSettings.ini with a text editor. Palworld stores many settings inside the long OptionSettings=(...) line.
Find or add the following values inside that section:
RESTAPIEnabled=True
RESTAPIPort=8212
You should also set a strong administrator password because the API can perform important server-management actions:
AdminPassword="Use-A-Strong-Unique-Password"
Keep the commas, brackets, and quotation marks consistent with the rest of the configuration line. Editing DefaultPalWorldSettings.ini will not change the active Palworld server, so make sure you are editing the file inside the Saved\Config\WindowsServer folder.
Save the file and start the server again. The REST API should then listen on the port configured through RESTAPIPort.
The standard local API address uses this format:
http://127.0.0.1:8212/v1/api/
For example, the server information endpoint is:
http://127.0.0.1:8212/v1/api/info
The performance metrics endpoint is:
http://127.0.0.1:8212/v1/api/metrics
These endpoints can return information such as the server version, server name, world identifier, server FPS, current player count, frame time, uptime, base count, and number of in-game days.
API requests use HTTP Basic Authentication, so your REST client, script, or monitoring tool must be configured with the server’s administrator credentials.
Do Not Expose The REST API Directly To The Internet
The Palworld REST API can save your world, remove players, issue bans, send announcements, and stop the server. That makes it much more sensitive than the normal game connection port.
Pocketpair warns that the API was not designed to be published directly to the internet. Exposing it publicly could allow unauthorized users to manipulate the server and interfere with gameplay. The official recommendation is to keep API access inside a local network.
For a self-hosted server, do not simply forward the REST API port through your router in the same way you would forward the normal Palworld game port.
Remote access should instead use a properly secured private network, VPN, firewall allowlist, reverse proxy with authentication, or another protected management system.
Keep your administrator password private. Never place it directly inside public website code, a publicly accessible repository, or a shared Discord message.
How To Enable The REST API With Palworld Server Hosting
Dedicated Palworld hosting removes most of the difficult installation and networking work. You do not need to install SteamCMD, search through folders on your computer, configure Windows Firewall, forward router ports, or keep your personal PC online.
On Pine Hosting, the API can be enabled through the game panel:
- Log in to the Pine Hosting game panel.
- Select your Palworld server.
- Stop the server completely.
- Open the Server Config tab and search for "Rest API"
- Set the REST API setting from false to "true"
- Save the changes and start the server.
Palworld requires the server to be stopped before settings are changed. Server settings can then be adjusted through the Server Config tab and applied when the server starts again. Additionally, setting up a strong admin password is highly recommended. You can set up the password from the Startup tab on your panel.
Why Dedicated Palworld Hosting Is Easier To Manage
Self-hosting gives you direct control, but every part of the setup becomes your responsibility.
Your computer must remain powered on, your home connection must stay stable, and you must manage the server installation, ports, updates, security, configuration files, backups, and restarts yourself.
With dedicated Palworld hosting, the Palworld server is already installed and available through a browser-based panel. Pine Hosting provides server configuration tools, console access, a file manager, task scheduling, user controls, DDoS protection, and support from one place.
This is useful even when you are not building a custom REST API integration. Scheduled tasks, panel controls, automatic updates, file access, and monitoring already remove much of the repetitive work that self-hosted administrators normally perform manually.
For owners who do use the REST API, hosting also provides a cleaner foundation. The server runs on dedicated infrastructure instead of a personal gaming PC, while the panel gives you a simpler way to control settings, restart the service, and recover when a configuration change causes a problem.
Manage Your Palworld Server More Easily With Pine Hosting
The Palworld REST API is a powerful option for server owners who want monitoring, Discord integrations, automated announcements, safer maintenance, or custom administration tools.
However, enabling the API is only one part of running a reliable multiplayer server.
Pine Hosting makes Palworld server hosting easier by providing instant deployment, server configuration, file access, task scheduling, DDoS protection, reliable hardware, and 24/7 support.
Instead of managing SteamCMD, home networking, firewall rules, hardware problems, and server maintenance, you can focus on your players and your world.
For dedicated Palworld hosting that provides control without forcing you to manage every technical layer yourself, Pine Hosting includes the tools needed to run, monitor, and grow your server.
Choose the best Palworld hosting setup for your community and spend more time playing instead of troubleshooting.
