How to Install Mods on an Unturned Server

Mods vs plugins: know what you are actually installing

Most confusion comes from calling everything a mod. On an Unturned server, there are really two different systems. One ships assets through the Steam Workshop. The other runs server-side code through a plugin framework.

This comparison is worth checking first, because it tells you who needs to download files, where you configure them, and what kind of load they add to the server.

You can run both together. A common setup is Workshop content for the world and items, then plugins for admin tools and quality-of-life systems. The important part is treating them as separate layers, because the fix for a missing gun pack is not the same as the fix for a plugin that never loads.

Before you start: stop the server and make a backup

Most Unturned server settings cannot be changed while the server is open. Edits made while it runs are not picked up, so stop it first, edit, then start it cleanly.

Make a backup of the whole server folder before you add or remove content, and make one again before switching maps. Workshop maps keep separate save data, and switching maps starts players fresh on the new map. A backup gives you a clean rollback point if items disappear, a plugin breaks, or you need to return to the previous map state.

• Servers/<ServerID>/ is the main server folder. In a simple setup that is often Servers/Default/.
• Servers/<ServerID>/Server/Commands.dat holds settings such as Map, Password, MaxPlayers, Port and Owner.
• Servers/<ServerID>/Config.txt holds gameplay and advanced settings, including the GSLT. If the server folder was created before 3.25.8.0, you may see Config.json instead.
• Servers/<ServerID>/WorkshopDownloadConfig.json sits next to the Server directory and controls Workshop downloads.

On a rented server, these files are usually exposed through a file manager, config editor, or a panel Workshop tab that writes the same JSON for you. On a self-hosted machine, remember that Unturned Dedicated Server is a separate Steam tool from the normal game client, so edit the U3DS server folder, not your local single-player files.

Install Workshop mods on an Unturned server

The Workshop path is straightforward once you know what the server does at startup: it reads WorkshopDownloadConfig.json, builds a list of File IDs, queries Workshop metadata, downloads the listed item and any dependencies, then loads those assets before players join.

1. Find the Workshop File ID. This is the number after ?id= on the Workshop item page. For example, the Hawaii map uses File ID 1753134636.
2. Open WorkshopDownloadConfig.json. If the file does not exist yet, create it in Servers/<ServerID>/.
3. Add the ID to File_IDs. Separate multiple IDs with commas and keep the JSON valid. A trailing comma after the last entry is enough to stop the list loading, because the server fails to parse the file before it can queue any downloads.

{
  "File_IDs": [
    1753134636,
    1702240229
  ]
}

4. Start the server and watch the console. You are looking for normal Workshop download activity and no JSON parse errors. This matters because the server installs and updates listed content during startup; if that stage fails, nothing in the list reaches the game world.
5. Let players join and download automatically. Clients pull the same Workshop files while connecting. On a heavily modded server, a first join can take a few minutes because every Workshop file has to download and load before the player enters the map.

If you use a host panel Workshop tab, the same rules still apply. The panel may save you from hand-editing JSON, but the server still needs a valid ID list and a clean restart before those assets exist in-game.

The Workshop download config, setting by setting

The minimal file only needs File_IDs, but the other settings control how aggressively the server caches, retries, and reacts to updates. These are not cosmetic options. They change startup behaviour, update detection, and whether a live server stays up or schedules a shutdown when Workshop content changes.

{
  "File_IDs": [
    1753134636,
    1702240229
  ],
  "Ignore_Children_File_IDs": [],
  "Query_Cache_Max_Age_Seconds": 600,
  "Max_Query_Retries": 2,
  "Use_Cached_Downloads": true,
  "Should_Monitor_Updates": true,
  "Shutdown_Update_Detected_Timer": 600,
  "Shutdown_Update_Detected_Message": "Workshop file update detected, shutdown in: {0}",
  "Shutdown_Kick_Message": "Shutdown for Workshop file update."
}

The best habit here is restraint. Keep caching on, avoid ignoring child dependencies unless you know exactly why, and treat update monitoring as part of your restart plan rather than an isolated setting.

Switching to a Workshop map

A Workshop map needs two separate steps: download the map in WorkshopDownloadConfig.json and tell the server to use it in Server/Commands.dat. If you do only the first step, the files exist on disk but the server can still launch an official map instead.

Map Hawaii

Official maps such as PEI, Washington, Yukon, Russia and Germany are built in. Curated maps and some arena maps are Workshop-only, so they must be downloaded just like any other mod.

Switching maps starts players fresh on the new map, and each map keeps its own save data. That is useful if you later return to an older map, but it is also why a backup matters: changing maps is a world-level change, not a small content tweak.

If the server keeps loading PEI, the usual causes are simple: the Workshop map was downloaded but not selected, or the Map name in Commands.dat does not match the map you intend to run.

Updates, restarts and version errors

Workshop content does not stay fixed. Map authors update files, the game itself updates, and the server has built-in logic to protect clients from joining incompatible versions.

For maps in particular, version numbers matter before a player even gets into the world. The server list uses the hosted map’s version information to test compatibility before connection, so a changed map can produce version errors even when your settings look correct.

Why the server shuts down after a Workshop update

By default, the game monitors the hosted map for changes. When it detects a Workshop update, it warns players in chat and shuts the server down after the timer in Shutdown_Update_Detected_Timer, which defaults to 600 seconds. That shutdown is deliberate: the server needs a restart so it can download the updated content at startup and reload the asset set cleanly.

The trade-off is straightforward. Leaving monitoring enabled gets you onto new Workshop versions faster, but it can interrupt live sessions. Turning it off avoids surprise restarts, but clients can then hit version mismatch problems until your next planned restart.

Why you need an auto-restart loop

The update monitor only handles the shutdown part. It does not guarantee the server comes back up on its own. On a rented server, use the panel’s auto-restart or scheduled restart features. On a self-hosted machine, run the server in a wrapper or loop that can relaunch it and, if you want, call SteamCMD for app 1110390 before restart.

• Restart the server once every 24 hours. That is the developers’ own advice: parts of the game track time with single-precision floating point numbers, which lose accuracy the longer the server stays up.
• Use Enable_Scheduled_Shutdown, Scheduled_Shutdown_Time and Scheduled_Shutdown_Warnings for a regular maintenance window.
• Use Enable_Update_Shutdown and Update_Shutdown_Warnings if you want the server to react cleanly to game updates as well.

If players report version errors right after a Workshop author updates a map or item pack, the first question is not “is the mod installed?” It is “has the server restarted and reloaded the updated files yet?”

Installing plugins with Rocket/LDM and OpenMod

Plugins are not Workshop content. They are server-side code modules, so they install into plugin frameworks rather than File_IDs. This is why players do not download anything for kits, economy, homes or most admin tools: the server is executing commands and logic on its own side.

Rocket/LDM: use the maintained fork

For Rocket, the maintained route is Legally Distinct Missile. SDG maintains this fork, the original Rocket team stopped maintenance on 20 December 2019, and LDM is the recommended path because it keeps compatibility and fixes issues such as multithreading exceptions and teleportation exploits.

1. Stop the server.
2. Copy the Rocket.Unturned module from the game’s Extras directory into Modules.
3. Start the server once. On first load, Rocket creates Rocket/Plugins and Rocket/Libraries inside Servers/<ServerID>/Rocket/.
4. Put the plugin .dll into Rocket/Plugins.
5. Put any dependency DLLs into Rocket/Libraries.
6. Restart again. The plugin’s config is normally generated on first successful load.

This layout matters because the server only loads modules from Modules at startup. If Rocket is missing there, plugin DLLs in the Rocket folders have nothing to attach to, so they simply never initialise. Many hosts also expose Rocket installation in a panel mod manager, which is fine if you prefer not to move files manually.

OpenMod: newer framework, can run beside Rocket/LDM

OpenMod is the spiritual successor to Rocket by one of Rocket’s original maintainers. It can run side by side with Rocket/LDM and supports existing Rocket plugins through that integration, which makes gradual migration practical.

You can install OpenMod through the OpenMod Installer plugin for Rocket/LDM, then restart and run /openmod install, or install it manually by copying the OpenMod.Unturned folder from the module zip into Modules. The first start can take a while because OpenMod downloads core components.

openmod install Kr4ken.NewEssentials
openmod install Package.Id@<version>
openmod install Package.Id -Pre
openmod reload
openmod remove Package.Id

Plugins are lighter for players because there is no join-time asset download, but they still cost server resources. Commands, event hooks, permissions checks and persistent data all consume CPU time and memory, and some plugins add regular disk writes for things such as homes or economy records.

If you sell kits or other pay-to-win advantages through plugins, Unturned’s server hosting rules say to set the Monetization field in your server configuration to Monetized. Players can filter the in-game server list by that field, so it must be set truthfully. That is a rules issue rather than a technical one, but it is easy to overlook when you focus only on the install steps.

Removing or replacing mods safely

Removing a Workshop mod is easy mechanically and risky administratively. The mechanical part is just editing the list. The risk is that the server can no longer load assets from that mod once it is gone.

1. Stop the server.
2. Back up the server folder.
3. Remove the File ID from File_IDs.
4. Check any related dependency choices in Ignore_Children_File_IDs.
5. Start the server and inspect the world before reopening it fully.

If players owned items, vehicles or placed objects from that mod, the server can no longer load those assets after removal, so they may stop appearing correctly or disappear. That is why backups matter more here than when adding a harmless cosmetic pack.

Be especially careful when replacing one item pack with another. Unturned items still rely heavily on legacy IDs in the 0-65535 range, so two item mods can clash on the same ID. That is how you end up with the wrong item appearing after adding a new pack. GUID-based content (128-bit IDs) avoids that problem.

Prune unused content regularly. Every item adds startup time and memory use even before anyone spawns it, because the server still has to register and hold the asset definitions. Reducing your Workshop list often improves startup more reliably than adding yet another plugin or toggling random settings.

Troubleshooting: what the symptom usually means

Use the server console and startup sequence as your first diagnostic tool. If a Workshop item is missing, the answer is usually in one of three places: bad JSON, a missing map selection, or a content conflict after the files did load.

RAM and hosting: tune first, then move up a plan if the content list justifies it

Unturned does not need the same plan for every server. A small group on a light setup can be comfortable in the 1-2GB range. Once you move into Workshop maps and plugins, 3-4GB is the more sensible bracket because the server is holding more assets, more plugin state and more startup workload.

That said, RAM is only part of the picture. Heavy Workshop lists also cost disk space, disk activity and startup CPU time, so a bloated mod list will still feel bloated on a larger plan. For the wider context on CPU, RAM, storage and networking, read our game server hardware requirements. If you are running U3DS at home instead of renting, our self-hosting a game server guide covers the practical side.

Unturned server FAQ

How do I add Workshop mods to my Unturned server?

Stop the server, open WorkshopDownloadConfig.json in Servers/<ServerID>/, and add the Workshop File IDs to the File_IDs array. Start the server again and watch the console for Workshop activity and JSON errors. If the Workshop item is a map, also set Map <name> in Server/Commands.dat.

Do players need to download mods to join a modded Unturned server?

For Workshop content, yes. Players need the same map and asset files, but Unturned downloads them automatically while they connect to the server. For Rocket/LDM or OpenMod plugins, no; those are server-side only.

What is the difference between RocketMod and OpenMod?

Rocket in current Unturned server use really means the maintained LDM fork, not the old unmaintained Rocket build. OpenMod is a newer framework and can run alongside Rocket/LDM, which makes it useful for newer plugins or a gradual migration. Both are for server-side features, not Workshop assets.

Why does my modded Unturned server keep shutting down?

The common cause is Workshop update monitoring. With Should_Monitor_Updates enabled, the server warns players and shuts down after the timer when it detects a Workshop change, so it can restart and reload the updated files. If there is no auto-restart loop, that planned shutdown looks like random downtime.

How do I use a Workshop map on my Unturned server?

Add the map’s Workshop File ID to File_IDs, then set the map name in Server/Commands.dat with a Map line. Downloading the Workshop item alone is not enough to switch the world. Back up first, because moving to another map starts players fresh on that map and each map keeps its own save data.

More Unturned and modded server help

The host comparison, plus our guides on sizing and running a server yourself.