ARK: Survival Evolved
ARK: Survival Evolved mods are downloaded from the Steam Workshop and loaded by listing their Workshop IDs in your server's configuration file, there's no separate mod manager. This guide walks through finding a mod's ID, adding it to your server, and getting your players connected with the same mods installed.
Always stop your server on the MintServers panel before editing configuration files, and back up your world first. Adding mods to an existing save can occasionally cause issues, so it's worth a backup even on a server that's been running for a while.
Step 1: Find The Mod's Workshop ID
?id= followed by a long number, that number is the Workshop ID.Step 2: Add The Mod To Your Server
ShooterGame/Saved/Config/, then your server's OS folder (see our Configuring The Server guide if you're not sure where this is).GameUserSettings.ini and find the [ServerSettings] block.ActiveMods line listing the Workshop ID(s), separated by commas with no spaces:Double-check
ActiveMods is inside [ServerSettings] in GameUserSettings.ini, not Game.ini. ARK is strict about this, the line will be ignored if it's in the wrong file or section.
If more than one mod changes the same structures or creatures, order can matter, mods listed later in the line generally take priority when there's a conflict. When in doubt, add mods one at a time and test.
Step 3: Save And Restart
GameUserSettings.ini.ShooterGame/Content/Mods folder containing your mod's ID, this confirms the download completed.If your server isn't downloading mods automatically, some hosting setups need the
-automanagedmods launch flag enabled to handle mod downloads and updates on startup. Open a support ticket if you're not sure whether this is set for your server.
Step 4: Install The Same Mods On Your Client
Server and client mods have to match exactly for players to connect.
Players joining your server don't need to do this manually, ARK auto-downloads any mod the server is running the first time they connect, though a large modlist can take a while on that first join.
🛠️ Troubleshooting Common Mod Issues
Server boots but the mod isn't active
Confirm ActiveMods is spelled correctly and sits inside [ServerSettings] in GameUserSettings.ini.
Players can connect but the mod's items or structures don't show up
Their client is probably still downloading it. This can take 10+ minutes for larger mods on a first connection.
A mod's content disappeared after an update
The mod author likely renamed something in an update. Check the mod's Workshop page for recent comments, or roll back to a recent backup while you wait for a fix.
A mod stopped loading entirely
Confirm the Workshop page is still live and hasn't been taken down or made private, a delisted mod ID will fail to download for new players.
Once your mods are showing up in the Content/Mods folder and your players can connect, you're all set.
Still stuck?
Our team is happy to help. Open a ticket through the live chat button in the bottom-right corner of our website, or join our Discord and open a ticket there.
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