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Assetto Corsa clients can download missing cars and tracks when they join a server, but only when the server publishes a correct content.json manifest and makes its HTTP service reachable. The reliable workflow is: select the exact cars, track and layout in the active entry list; generate or edit the manifest; expose the download service; then test from a clean client that does not already contain the mods. Managed hosts simplify those steps with a CM Auto Download switch, while self-hosted AssettoServer gives you control over archives and URLs but requires more configuration.

What Content Manager auto-download actually does

Auto-download is a pre-join content delivery path. When a driver follows the server’s Join in CM link, Content Manager compares the lobby’s required cars and track with the files installed on that computer. For missing items, it reads the server’s content manifest and retrieves the corresponding download entries. After installation, Content Manager can continue the join process.

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The manifest is the connection between the lobby and the files being offered. In the common AssettoServer setup it is cfg/cm_content/content.json. It can point to direct download URLs supplied by a content author or authorized host, or to archives served from the server’s own filesystem. The manifest follows the server’s active content selection; files merely stored on disk are not offered automatically.

Auto-download does not repair a damaged archive, convert one mod version into another, or make incompatible client and server files agree. A successful transfer can still end in a checksum error if the package is stale, repacked incorrectly or does not match the version expected by the server.

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Choose a managed host or self-hosted AssettoServer

Both routes use the same idea—a manifest describing downloadable content—but the work you own is different.

Approach Setup effort Archive and URL control Recurring cost Firewall and HTTP work Manifest rebuilding Version responsibility
Managed hosting with CM Auto Download Lower: select content in the panel and apply it Panel-managed selections and the host’s delivery method CM Auto Download may be restricted to a paid Assetto Corsa hosting plan Usually handled by the host, subject to its documented port setup Reapply the selection after content or source changes You still must supply matching, valid mod packages
Self-hosted AssettoServer Higher: install the server, configure the manifest, paths and network Full control of local archives and permitted external URLs No hosting-plan feature fee; you provide the machine and connectivity You must expose the configured HTTP port through the firewall/router Edit or regenerate entries and update paths when files move You maintain every package, version value and checksum match

AssettoServer documentation identifies version 0.0.54 on its cited introduction page and supports Windows and Linux. Its documentation says the easiest starting point is creating the server configuration with Content Manager. Use the current project documentation for the build you install, because labels and defaults can change between releases.

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Managed hosting: enable CM Auto Download

1. Select the content that is actually in the lobby

Open the hosting panel’s server configuration and edit the active entry list or preset. Add every car that drivers may select, then choose the track and the precise layout used by the session. The download list is derived from this active selection; unused cars saved elsewhere in the panel are not silently included.

2. Turn on the feature and apply the selection

  1. Open the server’s content or mod-delivery section.
  2. Enable CM Auto Download.
  3. Click Apply Selection (the panel’s documented action for generating the manifest).

The panel creates cfg/cm_content/content.json with download entries for the selected cars and map. Do not assume that toggling the feature alone publishes a new list; applying the selection is the step that writes the current manifest.

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3. Confirm the host plan and generated files

Some managed providers gate CM Auto Download behind a paid plan. Verify that the feature is enabled for the specific server instance, not just visible in the control panel. If the panel exposes the generated file, check that the selected car names, track and layout appear in it and that the referenced packages are the ones you intend to distribute.

4. Reapply after every content change

Run Apply Selection again whenever you replace an archive, add or remove a car, switch the track or layout, or change a download source. A manifest generated before those changes remains the server’s published description until it is rebuilt.

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Self-hosted AssettoServer: install and prepare the server

Install on Windows or Linux

Install the AssettoServer release appropriate for your operating system, then create the server configuration either with Content Manager or in the dedicated server folder. Keep the server’s configuration and content directories in a location that is backed up; the manifest’s relative paths depend on where the server root lives.

Set the active entry list and map

In the Content Manager server preset, add the cars to the active entry list and select the track and layout. The manifest should describe what the lobby can use, not every archive present on the machine. If an item is removed from the active selection, remove or regenerate its download entry as well.

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Provide download sources in a self-hosted manifest

Method A: direct author or authorized-host URLs

In the server preset, choose the download URL or share mode and paste the direct URL provided by the mod author or an authorized host. The URL must resolve to the actual downloadable package rather than an HTML landing page, login screen or temporary link that expires before drivers join.

AssettoServer’s FAQ gives an important licensing rule: “Please use the download links the authors of the content you’re using provide unless you’re explicitly allowed to reupload them for yourself.” If you do not have permission to redistribute a package, reference the author’s permitted link instead of copying the archive to your own server.

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Method B: archives served from your server

Select or repack the server’s packed archive and store it under the server root or another known path. Add a file entry in content.json for that archive. Relative paths are supported; an example path is cfg/cm_content/car_name.zip. Relative references make a configuration portable within the same server layout, but moving the server or renaming a package requires updating every affected entry.

Use a normal, readable archive name and preserve the package structure expected by Assetto Corsa. Repacking can change file contents and therefore checksums, so test the exact archive that clients will receive rather than an earlier copy on your workstation.

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Expose the server’s HTTP download service

Enable server details

Set EnableServerDetails: true in extra_cfg.yml. The AssettoServer FAQ identifies this setting as required for exposing the server description and content metadata that Content Manager uses.

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Open the configured HTTP port

AssettoServer documents ServerHTTPPort as a server setting and uses HTTP-served resources for this workflow. Allow that port through the operating-system firewall and, for a server behind a router, forward the same port to the machine running AssettoServer. Make sure the public address and port resolve from outside your local network; a browser test from the server itself does not prove that an internet client can reach it.

  • Permit inbound TCP traffic for the configured ServerHTTPPort.
  • Forward the port to the correct internal host if network address translation is in use.
  • Restart AssettoServer after changing the port or extra_cfg.yml.
  • Check the host’s control-panel network rules as well as the operating-system firewall.

Keep versions and checksums consistent

For each downloadable item, a version value should match the version shown in Content Manager’s Author field. Omit the value when the mod has no version. A version string is metadata, not a conversion tool: if the archive’s files differ from what the server expects, clients can still fail checksum validation even when the download completes.

Use one authoritative package for the server and the manifest. Do not replace an archive at a URL while leaving an old cached or locally referenced package in place. When you intentionally publish a new package, update the manifest, restart the server if required by your setup, and perform the clean-client test described below.

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Test auto-download with a genuinely clean client

A driver who already has every car and track installed can join successfully without downloading anything. That proves only that the lobby and installed files are compatible; it does not test the delivery path.

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  1. Stop and restart the server after generating or editing the manifest.
  2. Use a separate Assetto Corsa installation, a second computer, or a test profile from which the custom car and track have been removed. Back up the installation before removing content.
  3. Open the server’s Join in CM link on that clean client.
  4. Confirm that Content Manager identifies both missing items—the custom car and the selected track/layout.
  5. Start the download and watch for completion and installation without manually copying files into the asset folders.
  6. Join the server. A successful result requires both a completed download and a permitted join.

If you cannot maintain a second installation, temporarily move the relevant car and track folders out of the active Assetto Corsa content directory, run the test, then restore them after validation. Never use a client that still has the old package when checking whether a changed archive is being served.

Rebuild procedure for league and event changes

  1. Update the active entry list, track or layout in the managed panel or Content Manager preset.
  2. Replace or add the intended archive, or change the permitted download URL.
  3. Regenerate the manifest: click Apply Selection on a managed host, or update the self-hosted content.json entries.
  4. Check every path, URL and version value, including relative paths after any server move.
  5. Verify EnableServerDetails: true and that ServerHTTPPort is reachable.
  6. Restart the server, open the Join in CM link, and repeat the clean-client test.

Complete this cycle before publishing event instructions. It catches a surprisingly common mismatch: the lobby has changed, but the old manifest is still being served.

Troubleshoot common failures

Symptom Likely cause Fix
Content Manager says the content is missing but shows no download No current manifest, CM Auto Download is disabled, or the active selection was never applied Confirm the car, track and layout are active; enable CM Auto Download and apply the selection, or regenerate content.json on the self-hosted server.
Download starts but fails immediately URL is not a direct package, the file was moved, or the HTTP service is unreachable Open the exact URL outside the game, verify the archive exists, then check firewall, router forwarding and ServerHTTPPort.
Only some cars appear in the download list Those are the only cars in the active entry list; stored but unused assets are not published Add the required cars to the active selection and regenerate the manifest.
Download completes, then a checksum error blocks joining Client and server packages differ, a stale archive is being served, or the version metadata does not describe the package Compare the server’s archive with a fresh client install, replace stale files, set the matching Content Manager Author version or omit it when none exists, regenerate and retest.
Self-hosted clients cannot reach any download HTTP port is closed, forwarded to the wrong machine, or blocked by a host firewall Allow inbound traffic for the configured port, correct the router rule, verify the public address from another network and restart the server.
Server description or metadata is absent EnableServerDetails is false or missing Set EnableServerDetails: true in extra_cfg.yml, save, restart and test the Join in CM link again.
Players receive an unauthorized or inaccessible package The archive was reuploaded without permission, or the author’s link requires a login or has expired Use the direct link supplied by the author or an authorized host, or obtain explicit redistribution permission before serving a local copy.
Old content keeps downloading after a change The manifest or archive was not rebuilt, or a relative path still points to the old file Regenerate entries, inspect paths, restart the server and test from a client with the old content removed.

Operational checklist

  • Active entry list contains every car that should be offered.
  • Track and exact layout in the manifest match the lobby.
  • cfg/cm_content/content.json exists and contains current entries.
  • Each URL is direct and authorized, or each local file path points to the intended archive.
  • Version values match Content Manager’s Author field, or are omitted when no version exists.
  • EnableServerDetails: true is present in extra_cfg.yml.
  • ServerHTTPPort is reachable through the firewall and router.
  • The server has been restarted after configuration changes.
  • A clean client has downloaded the missing car and track and then joined successfully.

What to expect from the two approaches

Managed hosting is the practical choice when you want the panel to build the manifest and avoid exposing a home router. Its trade-off is plan availability and less control over how archives are stored. Self-hosted AssettoServer is suitable when you can maintain Windows or Linux infrastructure, firewall rules and file paths. It gives you direct control over local archives and permitted URLs, but every content update becomes your responsibility.

Whichever route you choose, the decisive test is not whether an already-equipped driver can join. It is whether a client missing the selected car and track can follow the Join in CM link, receive the exact packages described by the manifest, pass checksum validation and enter the session.

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