How to install mods on an ARK server via the Steam Workshop

To install mods on an ARK server, you use the Workshop IDs of those mods. At MC-Node you enter those IDs, separated by commas, in the startup variable Mods in the game panel; the general route is ActiveMods= under [ServerSettings] in GameUserSettings.ini. On the next start, the server fetches the mods from the Steam Workshop by itself, thanks to the launch option -automanagedmods. The leftmost ID has the highest priority. Your players on Steam need the same mods, and on a server with Workshop mods you're better off not expecting players from the Epic Games Store.

This guide is about ARK: Survival Evolved. Survival Ascended works differently: mods from CurseForge, loaded with -mods=. For the server options we rely on the ARK wiki (ark.wiki.gg), a community wiki.

Choosing ARK server mods: how to find the Workshop ID

Every mod in ARK's Steam Workshop has a number. You'll see it in the address bar of the Workshop page, after ?id=, and many creators also put it at the bottom of the description as "Mod ID". Super Structures, for example, has 1999447172, and Awesome SpyGlass! has 1404697612. You always use that number, never the name.

On the same page, also check the date of the last update: since the Aquatica update of July 2025, not every old mod works on the latest ARK version.

Adding mods to your ARK server: the Mods variable

Open your server in the game panel, Startup tab, variable Mods. Enter the IDs, separated by commas and without spaces:

1999447172,1404697612

The field only accepts digits and commas. Our startup command passes the list on as ?GameModIds= and always starts the server with -automanagedmods. According to the wiki, that makes the server download, install and update Workshop mods by itself, in the Steam version only.

Prefer GameUserSettings.ini?

The wiki recommends ActiveMods over ?GameModIds=; both determine which mods load and in what order. Stop the server first, because ARK writes part of its settings back to the ini files when it shuts down cleanly. Then open ShooterGame/Saved/Config/LinuxServer/GameUserSettings.ini via Files:

[ServerSettings]
ActiveMods=1999447172,1404697612

Stick to one list, at MC-Node preferably the Mods variable: our startup command always passes ?GameModIds=. If you do use both, make them exactly the same.

Server not pulling in a mod?

The wiki also links -automanagedmods to a separate download list in Game.ini, in the same folder, with one line per mod:

[ModInstaller]
ModIDS=1999447172
ModIDS=1404697612

That list only handles the downloading. Which mods are active is still determined by the Mods variable or ActiveMods.

The load order: the leftmost mod wins

According to the wiki, the leftmost ID has the highest priority; that matters as soon as two mods change the same thing. If a creator states on their Workshop page where their mod belongs in the list, follow that. Don't casually reshuffle the order on an existing world, and make a backup first.

The first start takes a while

Restart the server after your changes. In the console you'll then see waiting for rcon connection... for a while: the panel waits until the server has finished loading, including downloading new mods. The open-source egg ours is based on already allows 10 to 20 minutes for a normal start. If the ARK process stops along the way, the console tells you and points you to the logs in ShooterGame/Saved/Logs.

Players need the same mods

A modded server only works if your players have the same mods. Share your list and have everyone click Subscribe in the Steam Workshop beforehand. In its Workshop guide, Studio Wildcard only describes automatic downloading on connect for custom Workshop maps. The Update Mods button (under Host / Local Play) refreshes all installed mods.

Preaquatica or the latest ARK version?

On 15 July 2025 the paid DLC Aquatica came out, and with that update many Workshop mods stopped working. The developers then opened the Steam branch preaquatica, for players and dedicated servers, and announced in October 2025 that this branch is here to stay. According to the wiki, it is version 358.24: suitable for most Workshop mods, not for Aquatica.

In our ARK egg, the variable Beta Branch is set to preaquatica by default. Your players then pick the same branch in Steam: right-click ARK in your library, Properties, Game Versions & Betas, and then preaquatica. Want the latest version? Set the variable to public: that's the name of the regular branch in SteamCMD. The change takes effect on a reinstall, or on the next start if Auto-update server is on. Make a backup before such a switch and check for each mod whether it has been updated for the latest version. Going back to preaquatica? Then, according to the wiki, use a save from before the switch, otherwise dinos and structures can get damaged.

Epic crossplay and mods: don't count on it

ARK: Survival Evolved supports crossplay between Steam and the Epic Games Store: -crossplay in the variable Additional Arguments, plus, according to the wiki, -PublicIPForEpic= with your server's public IP address. But the Workshop belongs to Steam, and the wiki marks ?GameModIds= and -automanagedmods as "Steam only". So assume that a server with Workshop mods is a Steam server.

On top of that, the developers announced in August 2025 that they would patch Steam and Epic at the same time from then on to prevent version differences, and as far as we know preaquatica is a Steam-only branch. Want your Epic friends to join? Then put the server on the latest version and test with one of them first.

Updating mods

When a creator updates their mod, both the server and the players need the new version. The server updates mods via -automanagedmods before it starts, so plan a restart after a mod update. Players who can't get in afterwards use Update Mods. With Auto-update on, the server also updates the game itself on every start.

Common mistakes

• The server hangs while downloading. Be patient first. According to the wiki, Steam can give anonymous downloads low priority or refuse them, especially with many mods at once, so add mods in small batches. If startup takes longer than 45 minutes, ARK shuts itself down. -NoHangDetection turns that check off, but then also for real hangs.
• A wrong mod ID. An ID of an Ascended mod, of a Workshop collection instead of the individual mods, or one digit too many: the server can't do anything with it.
• Disk full. According to the wiki, a Survival Evolved installation alone takes about 18 GiB, and mods come on top of that; Super Structures by itself is over 150 MB.
• Not enough memory. Mods cost RAM on top of the world itself. For The Island without any players, the wiki already lists 3.5 to 4.5 GiB.
• A different mod list across your cluster. An item from a mod doesn't travel to a server without that mod; keep the list identical, as we explain in Setting up an ARK cluster.

When you don't need mods

If you mainly want faster taming, more XP or more resources per hit, you don't need a mod. You set that in [ServerSettings] with TamingSpeedMultiplier, XPMultiplier and HarvestAmountMultiplier, all 1.0 by default. Every mod is an extra download for your players and an extra chance of a startup problem after an update. Start with the few mods you really miss.

Which plan for a modded ARK server?

For a handful of mods, Traveller (6 GB RAM, 40 GB NVMe, €9.00 per month) is a reasonable starting point, and for a busy server or a long mod list, Explorer (8 GB, €12.00). Beginner (4 GB, €6.00) is already close to what an empty map uses, and Amateur (2 GB RAM, 20 GB storage) is too tight for mods. All plans are in the ARK store: NVMe storage, DDoS protection, locations in Hengelo, Frankfurt, Warsaw and Beauharnois, cancel any month. Why an ARK world gets heavier over the months is explained in ARK server hosting.

Frequently asked questions

How do I install mods on an ARK server?

Look up the Workshop ID of each mod: the number after ?id= on the Workshop page. Put the IDs, separated by commas, in ActiveMods= under [ServerSettings] in GameUserSettings.ini, or at MC-Node in the startup variable Mods. With -automanagedmods, the server downloads the mods by itself on startup.

Do players have to download ARK mods themselves?

Players need the same mods as the server. Have them click Subscribe in the Steam Workshop beforehand, so the files are already in place. Studio Wildcard only describes automatic downloading on connect for custom maps.

Can Epic players join an ARK server with mods?

Don't count on it. The Steam Workshop belongs to Steam, and the ARK wiki marks the server mod options as Steam only. Crossplay with Epic (-crossplay plus -PublicIPForEpic) also requires the server and players to run the same game version.

Why does my ARK server hang on startup with mods?

Usually it's still downloading mods; Steam can slow down anonymous downloads of many mods at once. Also check that every ID is correct, that there is enough disk space and memory, and that the mods match your game version. The logs are in ShooterGame/Saved/Logs.

Further reading

• Setting up an ARK cluster: multiple maps, one tribe
• ARK server hosting: why your world keeps getting heavier
• Palworld or ARK in 2026: which survival game fits your group