How to install mods
How to Install Mods
ARK has a huge mod scene on the Steam Workshop: stacking mods, structure sets, quality-of-life tweaks, new creatures, and full overhauls. On a dedicated server, mods are configured by ID and downloaded automatically. This guide covers adding them and the gotchas.
For first boot, see Getting Started.
How ARK Server Mods Work
ARK server mods come from the Steam Workshop. You do not upload mod files by hand; instead the server reads a list of Workshop mod IDs from the ActiveMods= line in GameUserSettings.ini and loads them in that order. With auto-managed mods enabled (the -automanagedmods startup flag, which our panel wires up for you), the server downloads and updates the mod files itself on boot.
Players do not need to prepare anything: when someone joins a modded ARK server, the game automatically downloads and subscribes them to every mod the server runs. The only cost is waiting at the connect screen while large mods download the first time.
Step 1: Find the Mod IDs
- Open the mod's Steam Workshop page.
- The mod ID is the number at the end of the Workshop URL.
- Note the IDs of every mod you want, in the order you want them loaded.
Load order matters. Map mods generally go first, and overhaul or total-conversion mods have their own placement rules listed on their Workshop page. Read each mod's description.
Step 2: Add the Mods to Your Server
In your server panel's Startup tab, enter the Workshop IDs in the mods field as a comma-separated list with no spaces, in load order. The panel writes them to the ActiveMods= line under [ServerSettings] in GameUserSettings.ini, which is the setting that actually loads them:
[ServerSettings] ActiveMods=123456789,987654321,456789123
If you ever edit that line by hand in the File Manager, note that capitalization matters: it must be exactly ActiveMods with a capital A and M, or ARK silently ignores it.
Save, then restart the server. On boot, the server downloads each mod from the Workshop. The first start after adding mods takes longer while they download; watch the Console for progress.
Step 3: What Players See
Players do not need to install anything in advance. On join, ARK automatically downloads and subscribes them to every mod on the server, then loads in. For servers with large mod lists this first connect can take a long time, so it is worth posting your mod list (or a Workshop collection link) in your Discord: players who subscribe ahead of time skip the wait at the connect screen.
If a player joins while the server or their client is still mid-download after a mod update, they can hit a "Mod Version Mismatch" error. The fix is simply waiting for the download to finish and reconnecting.
Updating and Removing Mods
- Updates download automatically on server restart, as long as the egg validates files on boot. After a big game patch, restart once more if a mod errored the first time.
- Removing a mod is more involved: removing a mod that added items or creatures can corrupt or wipe the things that depended on it. Back up first, and ideally remove content mods only at a wipe.
Common Issues
| Problem | Fix |
|---|---|
| "Mod Version Mismatch" when joining | The server or the player's client has not finished downloading an updated mod. Wait for downloads to complete on both sides and reconnect |
| Players stuck a long time on "Downloading Mods" | Normal on first join with a large mod list. Share a Workshop collection so players can pre-subscribe and skip the wait |
| Mods not loading on the server | Check the IDs are correct and comma-separated with no spaces, then restart and watch the Console |
| Server crashes after adding a mod | A mod is incompatible with the current game version or with another mod. Remove mods one at a time to isolate it |
| Lost structures after removing a mod | Expected if the mod added those structures. Restore a backup, or only remove content mods at a wipe |