Migrating from a Local Foundry Install
If you've been running Foundry on your own computer — dealing with port forwarding, keeping your machine on during sessions, and players unable to access the world between games — this is the path for you.
Export your world from local Foundry
Open Foundry on your computer. From the Setup screen, find your world and click Edit. At the bottom of the edit panel, click Export World. Foundry will package your world into a .zip file and save it to your computer.
Sign in to Hearth and open your instance
Log in at hearthhosting.com/dashboard.html and click Launch My World. This opens your Foundry instance running on Hearth in a new tab. If this is your first time, Foundry will prompt you to enter your license key before proceeding.
Install your world on Hearth
From the Foundry Setup screen on Hearth, click Install World. Choose the Upload tab and select the .zip file you exported in step 1. Foundry will upload and extract it — this may take a minute for large worlds.
Reinstall your game system
Your game system (D&D 5e, Pathfinder 2e, etc.) needs to be reinstalled on Hearth. Go to the Game Systems tab on the Setup screen, search for your system, and install it. Your world won't launch without a matching system version.
Reinstall your modules
Head to the Add-on Modules tab and reinstall the modules you were using. Your world will remember which modules it expects — Foundry will flag any that are missing when you try to launch.
Launch your world and verify
Click your world to launch it. Check that scenes load correctly, actors are present, and your journal entries are intact. Share your Hearth URL with your players — they connect through their browser, no Foundry license required.
Migrating from Another Host
Moving from Molten, The Forge, or another Foundry host follows the same Export → Install path, with one difference: you'll export from your existing host's Foundry instance rather than a local install.
Export from your current host
Log in to your existing host and open your Foundry instance. From the Setup screen, find your world → Edit → Export World. This downloads a .zip to your computer. The process is identical regardless of which host you're coming from.
Follow steps 2–6 above
Once you have the .zip, the rest of the process is identical to migrating from a local install. Open your Hearth instance, Install World, upload the file, reinstall your system and modules, and launch.
If you're coming from Molten or a similar host that sleeps your server between sessions, you'll notice an immediate difference on Hearth: your world is always on. Players can access it between sessions, review journals, prep characters, and explore — no startup delay, no waking the server.
What Transfers in an Export
Foundry's Export World function captures your world's data — not the software it runs on. Here's exactly what comes with you and what you'll need to handle separately.
| Content | Transfers? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Scenes (maps, walls, lighting) | Yes | Fully included |
| Actors (PCs, NPCs, monsters) | Yes | All character data intact |
| Journal entries | Yes | Text, images, and links |
| Playlists and audio | Yes | Playlist structure transfers; audio files need re-upload if stored locally |
| Macros and roll tables | Yes | Fully included |
| World settings and configuration | Yes | Fully included |
| Custom uploaded assets (images, tokens) | Yes | Included if stored inside your world's Data folder |
| Game system (D&D 5e, PF2e, etc.) | No | Reinstall from the Game Systems tab |
| Installed modules | No | Reinstall from the Add-on Modules tab |
| Module-specific settings | Partial | Some module settings transfer; others reset on reinstall |
Reinstalling Modules and Systems
Your world remembers exactly which modules and system version it was built with. When you launch after migration, Foundry will flag any missing modules and warn you if the system version doesn't match.
If your world was built on an older version of Foundry or a specific system version, you may need to match that version on Hearth before launching. Launching with mismatched versions can cause data issues. Check your world's required system version in the Edit panel before launching.
To reinstall modules efficiently, Foundry's Setup screen will show which modules your world expects. Install them one by one from the Add-on Modules tab, or use the manifest URL if you have modules from outside the official package browser.
Large content modules — official adventure packs, token libraries like JB2A, asset collections — can consume several gigabytes each. Free tier instances have 2GB of storage. If you're running a module-heavy setup, consider upgrading to Legendary (10GB) or Mythic (25GB) before importing. Storage add-ons are also available from your dashboard if you need more headroom.
Handling Large Worlds
Most worlds export as small zip files — a few hundred megabytes at most. But worlds with large embedded assets can grow significantly. If you're hitting upload issues:
Check your zip file size before uploading
If the export is over 1GB, the browser upload may time out. For very large worlds, contact us at [email protected] and we can arrange a direct transfer.
Move large assets separately
If your world references audio files or custom maps stored outside the world folder, those won't be in the export. You can upload them directly through the Hearth File Manager in your dashboard, then update the paths inside Foundry.
Use a stable connection
Upload from a wired connection or strong WiFi if possible. Browser uploads don't resume after a drop — if the upload fails partway through, you'll need to start again.
After Your Migration
Once your world is running on Hearth, a few things are worth setting up:
Share your new URL with players
Your world lives at your-world-name.hearthhosting.com. Players connect through their browser — no Foundry license, no download, no account required. Mythic subscribers can set a custom subdomain from the dashboard.
Set an admin password in Foundry
From the Foundry Setup screen, go to Configuration and set an administrator password. This prevents anyone with your URL from accessing Foundry's setup controls.
Consider enabling Mythic backups
Hearth's Mythic tier includes nightly automated backups with one-click world restore. If you've just moved a world you've been building for months, having a nightly safety net is worth considering. Upgrades are available from your dashboard.
Need a Hand?
If you run into anything during your migration, just reach out. Every support email goes directly to Michael — no ticket system, no bots.
Email [email protected]Or browse the FAQ for answers to common questions.