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Adding a mod to a Don’t Starve Together dedicated server requires two separate Lua files: dedicated_server_mods_setup.lua downloads the Workshop files, while modoverrides.lua enables each downloaded mod and stores its settings. You need both steps. After saving the files, restart the server so it downloads and loads the mods.

How server mods are loaded

The server treats downloading and enabling as different operations. A Workshop ID in dedicated_server_mods_setup.lua tells the server what to fetch at startup. An entry in modoverrides.lua tells the world to turn that mod on. Downloading alone leaves the mod inactive; enabling a mod that was never downloaded cannot load it.

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Job File What it controls
Download dedicated_server_mods_setup.lua Workshop mods or a Workshop collection retrieved when the server starts
Enable and configure modoverrides.lua Which downloaded mods are active in a shard and the values in their configuration menus
Shard identity server.ini Whether a shard is the Master world or the Caves world

The examples below use the server’s own mods directory and configuration tree. A hosted control panel may place those folders somewhere else, but the files have the same names and Lua structure.

Prepare the server before editing

  • Stop the dedicated server before changing its Lua files. This prevents a running process from overwriting your edits or starting with only half of a configuration.
  • Back up the current mods folder and both shard configuration folders before making changes. Keep an untouched copy of dedicated_server_mods_setup.lua, any existing modoverrides.lua, and each server.ini.
  • Confirm whether the world uses only the Master shard or also has a separate Caves shard. You must configure every shard that should use the mod.
  • Use a plain-text editor and preserve the .lua extension. A file saved as modoverrides.lua.txt is not the same file to the server.

Mod behavior can change with the game build, and the exact current behavior of some automatic file creation is not documented in first-party material. If a menu or panel creates files for you, inspect the resulting paths and contents rather than assuming they match another host’s layout.

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Find a mod’s Workshop ID

Open the mod’s Steam Workshop page and copy the number after ?id= in its URL. That number is the Workshop ID used by the dedicated server. For example, a page ending in ?id=350811795 uses 350811795 as its ID.

  1. Open the Workshop page for the mod you want.
  2. Locate the numeric value after ?id=.
  3. Record the digits exactly, without the question mark, parameter name, or surrounding URL.
  4. Repeat for every individual mod you intend to run.

Use the numeric ID for downloading, but use the same digits with a workshop- prefix when you create the enable entry. Mixing up those two forms is a common reason for a mod appearing in the download folder but not loading in game.

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Download mods with dedicated_server_mods_setup.lua

Open dedicated_server_mods_setup.lua in the server’s mods folder. Add one ServerModSetup line for each Workshop ID. The ID must be a quoted string.

ServerModSetup('350811795')
ServerModSetup('1467214795')

Keep one declaration per line and retain any existing declarations. Do not replace the complete file merely to add one mod. A syntax error in this file can stop the server instead of causing it to skip one bad entry, so check commas, parentheses, quotation marks, and spelling before starting the process.

Download an entire Workshop collection

If the author maintains a Workshop collection, you can request it with ServerModCollectionSetup and the collection’s numeric ID:

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ServerModCollectionSetup('1234567890')

A collection declaration is a download instruction, not a guarantee that every contained mod will be enabled in the world. Some collections still require separate enable entries for the individual mods. When a collection does not load as expected, inspect which Workshop directories were created and add explicit entries to modoverrides.lua for the mods the world should use.

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What happens at startup

Downloads occur when the server starts. After a successful startup attempt, each downloaded Workshop mod should appear under a directory named mods/workshop-<id>, such as mods/workshop-350811795. If the directory is absent, investigate the setup file, the ID, connectivity, permissions, and the startup log before changing the enable file.

Create modoverrides.lua for the Master shard

For the main world, create or edit DoNotStarveTogether/config/server/Master/modoverrides.lua. Existing worlds may not have this file automatically, so create it manually if it is missing. Each mod is a key whose name is workshop- followed by the numeric ID.

A minimal file enabling one mod is:

return {
    ['workshop-350811795'] = {
        enabled = true
    }
}

For several mods, place additional entries inside the returned table and separate entries with commas:

return {
    ['workshop-350811795'] = {
        enabled = true
    },
    ['workshop-1467214795'] = {
        enabled = true
    }
}

The enabled = true flag is required for each mod. Mods are not enabled merely because they were downloaded, and omitting the flag can leave an otherwise correct entry inactive.

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Add configuration options when a mod provides them

Mods that expose settings use a configuration_options table inside their entry. The option names and accepted values come from that mod; do not invent keys or change the value type. An empty table is valid when no options are needed:

return {
    ['workshop-350811795'] = {
        enabled = true,
        configuration_options = {}
    }
}

If the mod’s instructions provide options, preserve their exact spelling and place them inside the table. A configuration typo can prevent the override file from parsing or cause the mod to fall back to defaults.

New worlds and automatic entries

Community and host instructions report different behavior depending on how a world was created. Newly created worlds may be auto-filled from dedicated_server_mods_setup.lua, while existing worlds commonly require a hand-created modoverrides.lua. Treat automatic population as a convenience, not as proof that a mod is enabled: open the generated file and verify that every intended entry has enabled = true.

Repeat the override in Caves

A world with a separate Caves shard has a second configuration directory: DoNotStarveTogether/config/server/Caves/. Put a modoverrides.lua there as well. Guidance for shard setups states that the Master and Caves override files should be identical, so copy the completed Master file rather than maintaining two subtly different versions.

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If a mod is intentionally meant to run only on one shard, follow that mod’s own instructions instead of blindly copying it. Otherwise, an entry missing from Caves can produce different behavior between the overworld and underground world, while an entry missing from Master can leave the primary world unmodified.

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Check each shard’s server.ini role

Mods can appear to fail when the shard roles are wrong. Open the server.ini for each shard and verify the role setting:

  • The Master shard must contain is_master = true.
  • The Caves shard must contain is_master = false.

Do not set both shards to true or both to false. The role tells the server which shard is the primary world and is part of diagnosing mod-loading failures in multi-shard installations. Correct the role, save the file, and restart before judging whether the mod works.

Restart and verify the result

  1. Save every edited file and confirm that the filenames end in .lua, not .txt.
  2. Start the dedicated server.
  3. Watch the startup output or open the server log.
  4. Look for messages showing that the Workshop IDs were downloaded and that the corresponding mods were loaded.
  5. Check the mods/workshop-<id> directories if the log reports a download problem.
  6. Join the world and test the mod’s visible feature or configuration in the appropriate shard.

Always restart after changing either file. The setup file is processed at startup, and the override state is read as the shard initializes; reconnecting without a restart does not reliably apply a new entry.

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Troubleshoot mods that do not load

Symptom Likely cause What to check
No workshop-<id> directory appears The server never downloaded the mod Confirm the numeric ID, the ServerModSetup line, network access, file permissions, and the startup log.
The directory exists but the mod has no effect The mod was downloaded but not enabled In the relevant shard’s modoverrides.lua, verify the key uses workshop- plus the same ID and contains enabled = true.
Master works but Caves does not Caves has no override file or has a different one Copy the intended modoverrides.lua to the Caves directory and verify the Caves server.ini has is_master = false.
The server stops during startup Lua syntax error Inspect the last file edited. Check matching braces and parentheses, commas between entries, quoted IDs, and the return table structure.
The file appears in the folder but is ignored Wrong extension or wrong path Make sure the name is exactly modoverrides.lua or dedicated_server_mods_setup.lua, with no hidden .txt suffix, and that it is under the expected shard directory.
A collection downloads but some mods are inactive Collection membership was downloaded without per-mod activation List the contained Workshop IDs and add explicit enabled = true entries for the mods the world should run.
Both shards behave unpredictably Incorrect shard roles Ensure only Master has is_master = true and Caves has is_master = false.
One mod prevents all mods from loading Malformed override or incompatible configuration Temporarily remove the newest entry, restart, then add entries back one at a time while reading the log.

Use the log to separate download from enable errors

First determine which phase failed. A missing download message or missing Workshop directory points to dedicated_server_mods_setup.lua. A successful download followed by no load message points to the shard’s modoverrides.lua, its key spelling, or its syntax. This two-phase check prevents repeatedly changing the wrong file.

Validate one change at a time

When several mods are involved, stop the server, make one correction, and restart. If the server starts after one entry is removed, inspect that entry’s ID, option names, commas, and braces before restoring it. This is safer than rewriting the entire file and losing a working configuration.

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Older ForceEnableMod instructions

Older community threads describe a different route: adding ForceEnableMod('workshop-<id>') to modsettings.lua. Some users found that approach convenient for mods without configuration options, but available guidance does not agree on when it should be used, and the retrieved examples do not establish that it still works on the current game build.

For a current server, use dedicated_server_mods_setup.lua plus modoverrides.lua first. Treat ForceEnableMod as an unverified legacy option, keep a backup before testing it, and remove it if the server reports a syntax or loading error. Do not use it as a substitute for downloading a Workshop mod.

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Hosted control panels and managed servers

Control panels often expose a web file manager instead of the server’s normal filesystem and may use different absolute paths. Locate the panel’s mods directory, the Master and Caves configuration folders, and the shard-specific server.ini files through that manager or the host’s documentation.

  • Edit the panel’s actual dedicated_server_mods_setup.lua, not a similarly named local file on your computer.
  • Upload modoverrides.lua separately to Master and Caves when both shards are enabled.
  • Use the panel’s restart control after saving; a simple browser refresh does not restart the game server.
  • Read the panel’s console and downloadable logs for Workshop download and mod-load messages.

If the panel regenerates configuration files, make a backup and check whether it preserves manual changes after a restart. When its documentation uses different paths, follow those paths while retaining the same Lua declarations and workshop- keys shown here.

Complete preflight checklist

  1. Every desired mod has a verified numeric Workshop ID.
  2. Each ID appears in dedicated_server_mods_setup.lua as ServerModSetup('id'), or the intended collection is declared with ServerModCollectionSetup('collection-id').
  3. The setup file has balanced syntax and a real .lua extension.
  4. Master contains modoverrides.lua under DoNotStarveTogether/config/server/Master/.
  5. Caves contains a matching override file when the world uses a Caves shard.
  6. Every override key is written as workshop-id and every intended mod has enabled = true.
  7. Configuration option names and values match the mod’s own instructions.
  8. Master’s server.ini says is_master = true; Caves says is_master = false.
  9. The server was restarted after the edits.
  10. The startup log confirms downloads and loads, and the expected mods/workshop-<id> directories exist.

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