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To configure mods on a tModLoader server, make a mod pack in the tModLoader client, then copy the pack’s install.txt and enabled.json files into the server’s Mods folder. install.txt supplies Steam Workshop IDs for downloading; enabled.json tells the server which internal mod names to load. Add a serverconfig.txt file so the server can start unattended, and make sure every player and the server use the same tModLoader build.
What the two mod-pack files do
tModLoader separates obtaining a mod from enabling it. A server can have a .tmod file in its directory and still not load that mod. The files copied from a client mod pack solve these two different tasks:
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|---|---|---|
install.txt |
Steam Workshop IDs, one per line | Feeds the installation or management process so the required Workshop items can be downloaded through SteamCMD. |
enabled.json |
A JSON list of internal mod names | Defines the mods that tModLoader should load when the server starts. |
Workshop display names are not reliable identifiers. The official tModLoader documentation uses the mod-pack files because Steam Workshop does not provide a server-friendly list keyed by the names players see. Keep the files together and copy them without renaming or editing them unless you understand the identifiers they contain.
Before you begin
Match the tModLoader build
Install tModLoader on the server and on every client that will connect. The builds must match; matching the underlying Terraria version alone is not sufficient. A client on one tModLoader build can be rejected by a server on another even when both report the same Terraria version. Update or roll back all participants to one agreed build before diagnosing mod files.
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Choose where the server data lives
Your server installation should have a tModLoader data directory containing at least Mods and Worlds folders. Docker images and management-script installations generally use this same arrangement. Identify the directory that the running server actually reads; copying files into an unrelated client folder has no effect.
Prepare the world and access details
Decide which world file the server should start, how many players it should permit, which port it should listen on, and whether it needs a password or message of the day. These values belong in serverconfig.txt, described below. If you are migrating an existing world, keep the world’s .wld file available. Do not point the configuration at a .twld file.
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Create a mod pack in the tModLoader client
1. Open the Workshop mod-pack manager
- Launch the tModLoader client using the same build you intend to run on the server.
- Open the Workshop menu.
- Go to the Mod Packs section and create a new mod pack.
- Enable every Workshop mod that the server and its players should use. Include dependency mods required by those entries.
- Save the pack, then use the option to open its folder.
The pack folder is the authoritative hand-off between the client and server. It should contain install.txt and enabled.json. The first file records Workshop IDs, while the second records internal names. Do not substitute the visible title of a Workshop item for an internal name.
2. Check the generated files
install.txtshould contain one Workshop ID per line. Leave each ID on its own line.enabled.jsonshould be valid JSON and contain a list of internal mod names.- A mod that exists only as a downloaded
.tmodfile but is absent fromenabled.jsonwill not be enabled. - If the pack contains a local, non-Workshop mod, its internal name must also appear in
enabled.json.
If you change the enabled set later, return to the client’s Mod Packs section, save the revised pack, and copy the updated files again. This avoids hand-editing identifiers and keeps the client’s intended load list synchronized with the server.
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Install the files on the server
1. Copy the mod-pack files
- Stop the tModLoader server before changing its mod data.
- Open the server’s tModLoader data directory and then its
Modsfolder. - Copy
install.txtandenabled.jsonfrom the client mod-pack folder into that serverModsfolder. - Replace older copies when you are deliberately changing the pack. Keep a backup if you may need to restore the previous loadout.
The server must read these files from the same Mods directory used by its running installation. In a container, that normally means the directory mounted as the persistent tModLoader data volume, not a temporary path inside an image.
2. Download Workshop content
The server needs the actual mod files as well as the list of IDs. A management script can read install.txt and use SteamCMD to download the listed Workshop items. On Linux, manage-tModLoaderServer.sh is designed to install tModLoader and download the Workshop mods listed in install.txt. Follow the script’s own prompts and place its downloaded data in the server’s persistent tModLoader directory.
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With a manual setup, use the equivalent SteamCMD-based installation process supported by your server environment. The important distinction is that install.txt is an input list, not a collection of mod binaries: downloading it or copying it alone does not install the mods.
3. Keep local mods available
Local or privately built mods do not have a Workshop ID to put in install.txt. Place their .tmod files where the server can read them and add their internal names to enabled.json. If the name in the JSON does not exactly match the mod’s internal name, tModLoader will not enable it. A local file’s display title is not a safe substitute.
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Build a serverconfig.txt for unattended startup
Without a configuration file, the server must be configured interactively every time it starts. The tModLoader documentation recommends creating serverconfig.txt so an automated service, container, or remote machine can start without waiting for console answers.
Use key=value lines
Each setting is written as a key, an equals sign, and its value. Keep one setting per line. Common keys include:
| Key | Purpose | Important qualification |
|---|---|---|
world |
Selects the world file to load | Point to the .wld file, not a .twld file. |
worldpath |
Sets the directory in which world files are stored or found | Use the path visible to the server process, which may differ from the host path when using a container. |
autocreate |
Controls automatic world creation when no existing world is selected | Use it only when you want startup to create a world rather than load an existing one. |
difficulty |
Sets the world difficulty | Choose a value supported by the tModLoader build you are running. |
maxplayers |
Sets the player limit | The limit applies to connections accepted by this server. |
port |
Sets the listening port | Allow the port through the host firewall and any required router or container mapping. |
password |
Protects the server with a password | Give players the exact value configured on the server. |
motd |
Sets the message of the day | Use it for a short connection message or server rules. |
Point to the correct world
Use an existing world’s .wld filename in world. The companion .twld data is not the world file to select. If you use autocreate, make sure your startup policy intentionally creates a new world; otherwise an unattended restart may produce a different world from the one your players expect.
Keep paths consistent across environments
A path that works on the host may fail inside Docker if the directory was not mounted there. Confirm that the configured worldpath, the selected world, and the Mods directory are all inside the server process’s visible filesystem. Preserve these folders as persistent storage so a container recreation does not erase the downloaded mods or worlds.
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Start the server and verify the load
Read the server console first
The server console is the authoritative check of the enabled set. On startup, tModLoader reports which mods it found and enabled. Review that output before asking players to connect. It can distinguish a successful load from a directory that merely contains downloaded files.
- Start the server with the intended tModLoader build and
serverconfig.txt. - Watch for the mod discovery and enabling messages.
- Confirm that each expected mod appears by its internal identity.
- Stop the server if a required mod is missing, correct the files or download step, and start it again.
- Only after the expected set loads should clients join the world.
Check a client connection
Have a client using the same tModLoader build and the same enabled mod set connect. A client that has an extra content mod, lacks a required dependency, or runs a different build can fail even when the server itself started successfully. Treat the server’s enabled list and the client’s active list as a pair: both sides must agree.
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The server starts with an empty mod list
- Confirm that
enabled.jsonexists in the server’s activeModsfolder. - Validate that it is valid JSON and contains a list rather than an accidental text export or malformed edit.
- Check that the entries are internal mod names, not Workshop display names or numeric Workshop IDs.
- Verify that the server process is using the folder you copied to, particularly in Docker or scripted installations.
- Read the startup console to see whether tModLoader found the file and which entries it enabled.
If enabled.json is missing, tModLoader enables no mods, even if .tmod files are present. Recreate the mod pack in the client and copy the file again rather than guessing names.
A Workshop mod is listed but unavailable
- Open
install.txtand confirm that the required Workshop ID is present on its own line. - Run the management script or equivalent SteamCMD download process again.
- Check that the downloaded content is stored in the persistent server data directory and is readable by the account running the server.
- Compare the server console with the expected mod list; a download failure and an enablement failure produce different symptoms.
A local mod does not load
Because a local mod has no Workshop ID, it will not be obtained from install.txt. Put its .tmod file in the server’s mod location and add the exact internal name to enabled.json. If the mod was rebuilt under a changed internal name, regenerate the client pack so the JSON reflects the new identity.
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Players cannot join although mods appear loaded
Check the tModLoader build on both sides before changing the mod files. Build mismatches can block a connection even when the Terraria version matches. After aligning builds, compare the enabled lists and ensure every player has downloaded the same Workshop content and any required local files.
The server asks questions instead of starting
That behavior indicates that startup is not receiving a usable serverconfig.txt. Confirm the file name, its location, and its key=value syntax. Also check that the configured world path and world filename are valid from the server process’s point of view.
Manual setup versus a Linux management script
| Approach | Best fit | What you manage | Primary risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manual server setup | Administrators who need direct control over files and startup | tModLoader installation, SteamCMD downloads, the Mods folder, enabled.json, and serverconfig.txt |
It is easy to download content but forget to enable it, or to copy files into a directory the server does not use. |
| Linux management script | Servers where repeatable installation and updates matter | The script’s configuration plus the same mod-pack files | The script still depends on a correct install.txt and persistent data layout; it cannot infer missing internal names in enabled.json. |
The two approaches use the same configuration contract: Workshop IDs come from install.txt, enabled internal names come from enabled.json, and server startup settings come from serverconfig.txt. Changing the installer does not remove the need for either mod-pack file.
Updating a running modded server safely
Change the pack in one place
Use the client’s Mod Packs section as the source of truth. Add or remove mods there, save the pack, and copy the resulting install.txt and enabled.json to the server. This keeps the Workshop download list and enabled list aligned.
Stop before replacing files
Stop the server before changing its mod files or world. Replacing a mod while the process is running can leave an inconsistent set in memory and on disk. Keep a backup of the previous files and world before a significant mod change so you can restore the prior configuration if a dependency or world compatibility problem appears.
Update clients with the server
Players need the same tModLoader build and compatible mod set after an update. Have them refresh their Workshop content and activate the corresponding client mod pack before reconnecting. A successful server restart is not proof that every client has the required files.
A repeatable configuration checklist
- Server and clients are on the same tModLoader build.
- The server data directory contains the
ModsandWorldsfolders used by the running process. - The client mod pack contains both
install.txtandenabled.json. install.txtcontains Workshop IDs, one per line.enabled.jsoncontains internal names, including names for local mods.- Workshop content has been downloaded through SteamCMD, a management script, or the equivalent supported installer.
- Local
.tmodfiles are present in the server’s mod location. serverconfig.txtexists and uses key=value lines.worldreferences the intended.wldfile, not.twld.worldpathand all mod paths are valid inside the server environment.- The configured port is reachable through the host, firewall, router, or container mapping.
- The startup console lists the expected mods as found and enabled.
- Clients use the same build and matching enabled set before joining.
What the configuration files cannot do
install.txt does not enable a mod by itself; it only identifies Workshop content for downloading. enabled.json does not download a Workshop item; it tells tModLoader what to load after the files exist. A .tmod file alone does not opt a mod into the server’s active set. Finally, serverconfig.txt controls startup and world selection, not mod dependency resolution. Keeping those responsibilities separate makes failures easier to locate: download problems belong to the installation step, missing or wrongly named entries belong to enablement, and prompts or wrong worlds belong to server configuration.
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