Before you invite players, start your server and wait until it has finished starting. Its My Servers card shows the connection address to share.

Find the address and add the server

1. Open My Servers in your MaximusHost account.
2. Find your Project Zomboid server and copy the address shown under Game. Keep the host and port together. If the game shows separate IP and Port fields, enter the host in IP and the number after the colon in Port.
3. Launch Project Zomboid and choose Join.
4. Open Favorites, choose Add Server, and enter the address and port from MaximusHost. Give the entry a name you will recognize. If the game asks for a server password, enter the optional join password set by the server owner.
5. Save the server entry. Under that entry, choose Add New Account and create an in-game username and password for this server. If you already have an account on the server, select it instead.
6. Select the account under the saved server entry and choose Connect.

If your server is listed in the public browser, you can also search for its public name. A direct address is useful when the listing is disabled or the server is not easy to find.

Understand the passwords

The Administrator password entered during server creation is for the initial in-game administrator account. Do not share it with players.

In Settings, New join password is an optional server-wide password for players. If it is set, enter it when adding the server in Project Zomboid and share it with your group privately. The owner can use Show current password to retrieve it privately. Leave the field blank to keep the existing password, or select Remove join password to clear it. Each player also creates an in-game username and password for their account on this server; those credentials are separate from the administrator password.

If Allow new player accounts is off, only player accounts that already exist on the server can join. Check this setting if a friend cannot create an account.

Visibility and versions

In Settings, Show in public browser controls the Project Zomboid browser listing. Steam may expose Steam-enabled servers independently, so turning this setting off may not hide every listing.

Your game and the server need compatible builds. The MaximusHost creation form does not offer a build or branch selector, so do not switch your client to a different branch as a guess. If the game reports a version mismatch, note the versions shown, check the official Project Zomboid Status and Build History, and contact MaximusHost support with the exact message. The official page lists the current Stable and Pre-Release builds.

UDP ports and direct connections

Project Zomboid uses UDP. The Indie Stone has documented a primary game/query port and a separate direct-connection port; 16261 and 16262 are game defaults, not a promise that a hosted server's public ports use those exact numbers. Use the Game address shown in MaximusHost.

The current creation form does not require you to choose a dedicated IP for Project Zomboid. MaximusHost allocates Game and Direct UDP ports; use the displayed Game address to join. The displayed address alone does not confirm that every UDP path is reachable.

If Project Zomboid or the server output reports a warning about UDP 16262 or direct connectivity, keep the message and contact MaximusHost support with your server ID. Do not guess a replacement port.

If you cannot connect

• The server is offline: Check its status in My Servers and choose Start if it is stopped. Wait for startup to finish.
• The address is rejected: Copy it again from the Game row. If the client has separate fields, do not include the colon or port in the IP field.
• The server does not appear in the browser: Check Show in public browser in Settings, then try the direct address.
• A password is rejected: Confirm whether the game is asking for your player password or the server's optional join password. The administrator password is not for ordinary player logins.
• The game reports a version mismatch: Compare the client and server versions and update the client through Steam. If the mismatch remains, send support the exact message and server ID.
• The connection fails after adding mods: Check that the server and client have compatible mods and versions. See Steam Workshop mods.

For game networking details, see The Indie Stone's Project Zomboid port note. For MaximusHost steps, see server troubleshooting.