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.
Step 1: Find The Mod's Workshop ID
- Open the mod's page on the Steam Workshop for ARK: Survival Evolved.
- Look at the page's URL. It will end in
?id=followed by a long number, that number is the Workshop ID. - Note it down. You'll need one ID per mod you want to install.
Step 2: Add The Mod To Your Server
- Stop your server on the MintServers panel.
- Open the Files tab and navigate to
ShooterGame/Saved/Config/, then your server's OS folder (see our Configuring The Server guide if you're not sure where this is). - Open
GameUserSettings.iniand find the[ServerSettings]block. - Add an
ActiveModsline listing the Workshop ID(s), separated by commas with no spaces:
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
- Save
GameUserSettings.ini. - Start your server from the Console tab.
- Watch the console output, on first boot with a new mod, the server needs to download it, which can take a few minutes depending on the mod's size.
- Once it's fully started, check the Files tab for a new
ShooterGame/Content/Modsfolder containing your mod's ID, this confirms the download completed.
-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.
- In Steam, open the same Workshop page for each mod.
- Click the green Subscribe button.
- Steam downloads the mod automatically. Launch ARK and the mod will be active.
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:ConfirmActiveModsis spelled correctly and sits inside[ServerSettings]inGameUserSettings.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. If a specific mod is giving you trouble, no worries! Just open a support ticket and our team will take a look.