Pause when nobody is on makes the world wait while no player is connected. Nothing in the factory moves until someone joins. The setting is in the Config Editor, and a change applies at the next start of the server.
The game’s own wiki says a headless server is “paused while there are no players connected”, unless the option is turned off. A new Loafhosts Factorio server starts with it on. In the game’s settings file it is auto_pause, and the game’s default is true.
Pause or keep running
- On. The factory waits for you. You come back to the same state you left, however long you were away.
- Off. The factory keeps running with nobody in it. Machines keep working, and so does everything else in the world. Choose this only if you want the factory to go on without you.
Change it in the panel
- Open Config Editor.
- Choose the source Server settings.
- In the group Playing, find Pause when nobody is on.
- Switch it on or off (1) and choose Save in the bar “Unsaved changes: (n)”.
- Restart the server with Restart at the top of the server page. This drops everyone who is on, so warn them first with Message everyone on the Players page. The change waits for the next start.
- Pause when nobody is on
On a running server the panel says “Saved. Restart the server to apply the changes.” A server that is running keeps its old choice until then. The setting’s own help line reads “The world waits for players. Standby still stops an empty server after its time. Applies at the next start.”
Pause when nobody is on is not Standby
- Pause when nobody is on keeps the server running and pauses the game inside it.
- Standby (Settings, card Standby) is on by default; check the switch. It stops the whole server when nobody has played for the time set under After nobody plays for. Nothing is deleted. You start it again with the Start button or the wake link. See standby and the wake link.
Standby still stops an empty server after its time, whether the game is paused or not. The two settings can be used together. Not checked on 2.1.24 as of 13 November 2026: a very long empty stretch with both on.
Do not mix it up with Pause while a player joins
Pause while a player joins is another switch in the same group. It makes everyone wait while a joining player downloads the map. It helps joins on a big map, and it stops play meanwhile. It is separate from this setting. See players downloading the map at once.
If it does not work
- The factory still runs with nobody on. The setting was saved but the server has not restarted. Restart it.
- The setting is off after a restart. Check that you saved in Server settings, not in one of the new world sources.
- The server stopped by itself. That is Standby, not this setting. Open Settings and look at the Standby card.
More about the game: Factorio servers.
Sources: wiki.factorio.com: Multiplayer