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To add Steam Workshop mods to an Unturned 3.x dedicated server, copy each item’s numeric Workshop ID into the File_IDs array in WorkshopDownloadConfig.json, save the file while the server is stopped, and restart. Keep startup commands, including the name of a Workshop map, in Commands.dat. When the server starts, its Workshop download stage should fetch the configured content; players then download the same configured mods when they join.
What you need before editing
This procedure applies to an Unturned 3.x dedicated server that uses the standard server configuration files. You need administrative access to the machine or hosting control panel, permission to stop and start the server, and the Workshop page for every mod you intend to install. Make a copy of the server configuration folder before changing anything. A backup gives you a quick way to restore a working configuration if a comma, quotation mark or incompatible item prevents startup.
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- Workshop pages: Have the exact item page for each mod, map, vehicle pack or other addon.
- A text editor: Use an editor that does not silently add rich-text formatting. Preserve the file’s UTF-8 text and JSON punctuation.
- A maintenance window: Stop the server before editing, then restart it after saving.
Find the numeric Workshop ID
Unturned identifies Workshop content by the number at the end of its Steam Workshop URL. For example, a URL ending in sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1753134636 has the ID 1753134636. Copy the digits only. Do not copy sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=, the item’s title, or any surrounding punctuation.
Check every item individually
Repeat the process for every mod you want the server to download. Keep a small list of IDs and the corresponding item names while you work; the names make later troubleshooting much easier, while the server configuration itself needs only the numbers. A Workshop map also has an item ID for downloading, but selecting that map for play is a separate Commands.dat setting described below.
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Modded items can use IDs that are unrelated to base-game item IDs. Workshop maps may also define IDs that are specific to that map. If a map’s documentation lists custom item IDs or required companion items, follow that map documentation rather than assuming a base-game ID will work.
Open WorkshopDownloadConfig.json
In a standard server layout, the file is inside the server-specific folder, for example Servers/YourServer/WorkshopDownloadConfig.json. Your installation may use a different root directory or server name, but the filename should remain exactly WorkshopDownloadConfig.json. Do not edit a similarly named file in an unrelated profile or client installation.
- Stop the Unturned server cleanly and wait for its process to exit.
- Open the folder containing that server’s
Commands.datand configuration files. - Open
WorkshopDownloadConfig.jsonin a plain-text editor. - Locate the
File_IDsarray. If the installation generated a default file, retain its other keys unless you have a specific, documented reason to change them.
The default template can contain settings such as Query_Cache_Max_Age_Seconds, Max_Query_Retries, Use_Cached_Downloads and Should_Monitor_Updates. They control download behavior and caching; they are not replacements for the File_IDs list. The essential change for adding a mod is the ID in that array.
Add one or more IDs to File_IDs
Enter each numeric ID as a JSON number or quoted string in the existing array format used by your generated file; follow the file’s template consistently. A typical list is written one item per line with commas between entries:
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{
"File_IDs": [
1753134636,
1234567890,
1987654321
]
}The numbers above illustrate formatting; use the IDs you actually copied from the Workshop pages. The final entry has no trailing comma. JSON is unforgiving: a missing comma, an extra comma, mismatched quotation mark or unmatched brace can make the configuration unreadable.
Validate the list before saving
- Every entry is the complete Workshop ID, with no spaces inside the digits.
- Entries are separated by commas.
- The opening and closing square brackets around
File_IDsremain present. - Any additional template keys remain separated from the array by a comma.
- You edited the server’s file, not a local game’s Workshop cache or another server profile.
If your file already contains other generated keys, add the IDs inside the existing File_IDs array instead of replacing the entire document. Preserve the template’s spelling and capitalization: File_IDs is not the same key as File_IDs with different case or punctuation.
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Commands.dat is where you keep normal server startup commands. For a Workshop map, put the map’s name in the Map setting in Commands.dat; put the map’s numeric Workshop ID in WorkshopDownloadConfig.json so the server can download it. Downloading the map and selecting it are two separate operations.
Map YourWorkshopMapNameUse the map name required by that map’s own documentation. The name is not automatically interchangeable with the Workshop item’s title or numeric ID. If the map author specifies capitalization, spacing or a particular internal name, copy that value exactly.
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Do not move IDs into Commands.dat
The supported arrangement is File_IDs in WorkshopDownloadConfig.json and startup commands in Commands.dat. Some third-party guides describe a WorkshopDownloadIDs command in Commands.dat; that method is not established by the official documentation used for this guide, so it should not be treated as required. Likewise, a guide may suggest adding "Workshop": true to the JSON. The official documentation and the default template do not list that key as necessary. Do not add either setting merely because a copied tutorial includes it.
Restart and confirm the Workshop download
- Save
WorkshopDownloadConfig.jsonand close the editor. - Start the server using the same launcher or control panel you normally use.
- Watch the startup console or log from the beginning of the boot sequence.
- Find the Workshop download stage and check that the configured items are queried or downloaded without an error.
- Allow startup to finish before testing a connection.
Editing while the server is running can be overwritten by a shutdown or ignored until the next launch. A restart is therefore part of the installation procedure, not an optional refresh. When the configured Workshop content is available, joining players automatically download the server’s configured mods through Unturned’s normal Workshop handling.
What a successful result looks like
- The log reaches the Workshop download step and processes the IDs you entered.
- The server continues through its normal map and gameplay startup instead of stopping on a configuration error.
- A client joining the server is prompted to obtain the required Workshop content rather than being rejected for missing configured items.
- If you selected a Workshop map, the server loads the map name specified in
Commands.datafter the map content is available.
Install a Workshop map and its mods together
A Workshop map generally requires two pieces of configuration: its ID in File_IDs so the server can obtain the files, and its internal map name in the Map command so the server knows what to load. Additional mods used by that map belong in the same File_IDs array. Read the map’s documentation for required companion items, custom dependencies and any per-map item IDs.
- Copy the map’s Workshop ID from its Workshop URL.
- Add that ID to
File_IDswith the other required content. - Find the map’s documented playable name.
- Set
Mapto that name inCommands.dat. - Stop, save, restart and inspect the download and map-loading portions of the log.
Do not assume that a map’s display title is its loadable name, or that downloading a map automatically changes the active map. The download file and the startup command perform different jobs.
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Dependencies, child items and update behavior
Required companion items
A Workshop item can depend on other Workshop items. If the author lists required child items, add the required IDs to File_IDs unless the server’s current documentation explicitly describes another dependency mechanism. The Ignore_Children_File_IDs array appears in some configuration guidance as a way to skip required child items, but that behavior is not confirmed by the official documentation referenced here. Treat it as an advanced, unverified option rather than a normal installation step; skipping a required child can leave assets missing or produce a server that starts without functioning content.
Keeping downloaded content current
The generated configuration can include Should_Monitor_Updates, Use_Cached_Downloads, query-cache age and retry settings. Leave these values at their generated defaults unless you understand the effect of changing them and have a reason tied to your server’s download behavior. The reliable workflow for adding content remains the same: update the ID list, stop the server, save the JSON, restart and inspect the Workshop stage.
Troubleshoot common failures
The server starts but the mod is not present
- Reopen the exact server profile’s
WorkshopDownloadConfig.jsonand confirm the ID is insideFile_IDs. - Compare the digits with the Workshop URL; a single missing or transposed digit points to a different item.
- Confirm that the server was restarted after saving and that the startup log processed the ID.
- Check whether the mod requires companion Workshop items or a particular map.
The server refuses to start after editing
- Restore the backup, then compare the edited file character by character with the original template.
- Check brackets, braces, quotation marks and commas, especially after the last ID.
- Make sure the file is still named
WorkshopDownloadConfig.jsonand was not saved as a rich-text document or with an extra extension. - Remove unverified keys copied from a third-party guide, then retry with only the documented
File_IDschange.
The Workshop map downloads but another map loads
Downloading does not select a map. Verify that Commands.dat contains a Map command using the map’s documented internal name. Keep the map ID in File_IDs; do not replace the name with the numeric ID.
Players cannot join because content is missing
Check the server’s Workshop log first, then verify that every required item is in the array and that the client is connecting to the same server instance you edited. A client can only automatically download content that the server has successfully configured and made available. If the server log shows a failed or incomplete download, fix that failure before troubleshooting the player’s installation.
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A guide tells you to copy files manually
Older community instructions may describe copying Workshop content directly into a Bundles/Workshop/Content directory. That manual approach is not the current documented configuration path for a standard Unturned 3.x server. Prefer the server’s WorkshopDownloadConfig.json mechanism and verify any exceptional instruction against current official documentation before using it.
A repeatable checklist for each new mod
- Record the Workshop page and copy the numeric ID at the end of its URL.
- Stop the server and back up its server-specific configuration folder.
- Open
WorkshopDownloadConfig.jsonbeside the profile’sCommands.dat. - Add the ID to the
File_IDsarray, using commas and valid JSON. - If the item is a map, add its documented internal name to the
Mapcommand inCommands.dat. - Save without changing the filename or adding rich-text formatting.
- Restart the server and watch the Workshop download output.
- Confirm the map and gameplay load, then connect with a client to verify that the configured content is delivered.
Configuration decisions at a glance
| Task | File or setting | Value to enter | Important qualification |
|---|---|---|---|
| Download a mod | WorkshopDownloadConfig.json → File_IDs |
Numeric ID from the Workshop URL | Use one entry per item and valid JSON punctuation. |
| Download a Workshop map | WorkshopDownloadConfig.json → File_IDs |
Map’s numeric Workshop ID | Downloading does not select the active map. |
| Select a Workshop map | Commands.dat → Map |
Map’s documented internal name | Do not substitute the numeric Workshop ID. |
| Make changes take effect | Server process | Stop, save, restart | Inspect the Workshop stage during startup. |
Use WorkshopDownloadIDs |
Commands.dat |
Not established as required | Do not add it solely because an unverified hosting guide recommends it. |
Use "Workshop": true |
WorkshopDownloadConfig.json |
Not listed as required | The official guidance and default template use File_IDs instead. |
What not to change
Do not rename the configuration file, place IDs in Commands.dat, or treat a Workshop title as a map command. Do not remove generated cache and retry keys simply to make room for IDs. Do not assume that a successful download proves the map is selected, or that a server boot proves every dependent item is functioning. The startup log and a real client connection are the two useful checks after an edit.
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Bottom line
Use the Workshop URL’s numeric ID in WorkshopDownloadConfig.json under File_IDs, keep map selection in Commands.dat, and restart the stopped server after saving. This separates downloading from startup configuration, lets joining players obtain the configured Workshop content automatically, and avoids the outdated or unverified settings that appear in some third-party instructions.
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