Automation
Complete Automated Base Setup Guide
Last updated: May 2024 · 14 min read · Updated for v0.4 Sakurajima
What is Base Automation?
A fully automated base in Palworld means your Pals handle all resource gathering, crafting, and item transport without you needing to do anything manually. You can log off, come back hours later, and find your chests full of processed materials.
Getting here takes some setup time, but once running it completely transforms how fast you progress. Ore becomes ingots automatically. Logs become planks. Food gets cooked. All without you pressing a single button.
💡 Key InsightAutomation works because Pals assigned to your Palbox will independently seek out tasks that match their work suitabilities. The trick is giving them the right stations and making sure the workflow connects end-to-end.
Prerequisites & Requirements
- Palbox placed — The heart of your base, required for Pal assignment
- Technology Level 7+ — To unlock Logging Sites and Stone Pits
- Technology Level 11+ — To unlock Crusher and better workbenches
- At least 6-8 Pals assigned to base with varied work suitabilities
- Feed Box with food — Hungry Pals stop working
- Pal Beds — Tired Pals stop working and sanity drops
⚠️ Common MistakeMost players set up automation stations but forget food and beds. Your Pals will work for a while then stop completely. Always have a Berry Plantation running and enough beds for every Pal in your base.
Step-by-Step Setup
01
Set Up Resource Gathering
Place a Logging Site and Stone Pit near trees and rock deposits. Assign Pals with Logging and Mining suitabilities. They'll automatically chop and mine whenever resources are available nearby.
02
Build a Primitive Furnace
Ore is useless raw — you need it smelted into ingots. Place a Primitive Furnace and assign a Fire-type Pal (like Foxparks or Flambelle) with Kindling suitability. They'll automatically smelt ore into ingots.
03
Add a Workbench for Crafting
Place a High Quality Workbench and assign a Pal with high Handiwork (Anubis is ideal). They'll automatically craft items queued up in the workbench without you being present.
04
Set Up Transport
Pals with Transporting suitability automatically move items between stations and into chests. Assign at least 2 transporters — one dedicated transporter can become a bottleneck in a busy base.
05
Build Food Infrastructure
Place a Berry Plantation (needs Watering Pal), a Mill, and a Cooking Pot. Assign a Pal with Planting, one with Watering, and one with Cooking. This creates a food supply chain that never runs out.
06
Add a Hot Spring
Pal sanity drops over time from working. A Hot Spring restores sanity automatically when Pals use their free time. Without it, your workers will eventually get depressed and refuse to work.
Best Pals for Each Job
Anubis
Handiwork + Mining
Best overall base Pal. Lv4 Handiwork crafts anything fast.
Digtoise
Mining Lv3
Fastest miner in the game. Essential for ore farms.
Warsect
Logging Lv3
Top tier lumberjack. Chews through trees rapidly.
Flambelle
Kindling Lv2
Great early smelter. Easy to catch, reliable worker.
Cattiva
Transporting Lv1
Best early transporter. Versatile and common.
Pengullet
Watering Lv1
Waters crops and has decent Handiwork too.
Advanced Tips
- Passive skills matter — Always look for Artisan (+50% work speed) or Work Slave (+30%) on base Pals. The difference is huge over time.
- Don't overcrowd — Too many Pals in a small base causes pathing issues. Keep it to 10-15 Pals maximum until you have a large, well-organized layout.
- Separate storage — Use dedicated chests for each resource type near the relevant station. Transporters are more efficient when they don't have to travel far.
- Upgrade your Palbox — Higher Palbox level = more Pal slots. Grind base XP by placing new structures and completing tasks at your base.
- Check in regularly — Even a great automated base needs occasional attention. Refill feed boxes and check for stuck Pals every few hours.