How to Update Mods on a Terraria Server (tModLoader Guide)

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To update mods safely, run the server through tModLoader, stop it cleanly, back up the world and mod manifests, update the runtime and mods using the same method used to install the server, then restart and test with clients on the same tModLoader branch and mod versions. A restart is required before new binaries or mod files can load.

The exact command depends on whether the server was installed with the official management script or Docker. The files install.txt and Mods/enabled.json determine which Workshop mods are installed and which mods are activated, so preserving and reviewing them is as important as replacing the server files.

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What a Terraria mod update actually changes

A dedicated modded Terraria server has three related but separate pieces: the tModLoader runtime, the mod files, and the manifest that tells the server what to install and enable. Updating only one piece can leave the server unable to start or clients unable to join.

• tModLoader runtime: The server executable and supporting files that load Terraria mods.
• Mod files: Workshop or manually supplied files in the server’s Mods area.
• Manifests: install.txt lists Workshop content to install, while Mods/enabled.json lists every mod that should be enabled, including local mods.
• Client compatibility: Each player must run a compatible tModLoader branch and the same mod set, with client downloads completed before connecting.

For that reason, treat an update as a controlled deployment rather than simply copying a newer file over a live server.

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Prepare a safe maintenance window

1. Tell players when the server will be unavailable. A mod update requires a restart, so do not begin while players are connected or actively changing the world.
2. Stop the server cleanly. Use the normal stop operation for your installation and wait for the process to exit before replacing files.
3. Back up the world. Copy every world file used by the server to a separate location.
4. Back up the mod and configuration state. Preserve the complete Mods directory, install.txt, Mods/enabled.json, the server configuration, and any Docker bind-mounted data.
5. Record the current state. Write down the tModLoader branch and version, the enabled mod list, and the order or set that currently works. This gives you a precise rollback target.
6. Review the change. If you use a modpack manifest, check additions, removals, and dependency changes before running the installer.

Keep the backup until players have joined successfully and the updated content has been exercised in the world. A backup made after the update cannot restore the previous working state.

Choose the procedure that matches your installation

The script documented for dedicated servers can install tModLoader from SteamCMD or GitHub. Use the same installation family you used originally; mixing a manually copied runtime with a container or script-managed directory makes later rollbacks harder to reproduce.

Update a SteamCMD or GitHub installation with the management script

Update tModLoader and all installed mods

After stopping the server and making the backups, run the combined operation from the directory containing the script:

./manage-tModLoaderServer.sh install

This is the normal choice when you want the runtime and its installed mods brought forward together. Allow the command to finish before starting the server. Do not delete the manifests first: the installer uses them to know what Workshop content belongs on the server.

Update only the mods

When the runtime branch is intentionally staying fixed and you are troubleshooting a mod change, separate the two operations:

./manage-tModLoaderServer.sh install-mods

This operation requires install.txt to identify Workshop mods and Mods/enabled.json to identify which mods are enabled. If either file is absent, the documented behavior is that nothing is installed or enabled. An empty-looking result is therefore often a manifest problem, not a failed download.

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Update only tModLoader

To change the runtime without changing the mod installation step, run:

./manage-tModLoaderServer.sh install-tml

Keeping runtime and mod updates separate is useful when diagnosing a failure. If the server worked before a runtime-only update, you have a smaller change to reverse; if only the mod operation changed, the same reasoning applies.

Start the server after the update

Use the script’s start operation once the files and manifests are in place:

./manage-tModLoaderServer.sh start

If the server was installed in a custom location, pass the same --folder option that was used for the installation. Starting without that option can point the script at a different data directory, making a successful update appear to have had no effect.

Update a Docker-based server

For a Docker deployment, updating the host files alone does not replace the tModLoader and mod files inside the image. Stop the service according to your Compose setup, preserve the host-mounted Terraria data, and rebuild the image:

docker compose build

If the builder reuses a cached layer and you need a completely clean image, run:

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docker compose build --no-cache

The official documentation states that rebuilding updates tModLoader and the mods. Keep the bind-mounted worlds, manifests, configuration, and other Terraria data in place while replacing the container. The container itself is disposable; the mounted data is what must survive the update.

1. Stop the running Compose service and confirm no server process remains.
2. Copy the bind-mounted world directory, Mods directory, install.txt, Mods/enabled.json, and configuration to a backup location.
3. Review manifest changes and rebuild with docker compose build.
4. Use docker compose build --no-cache if a clean rebuild is required.
5. Start the service with the same Compose configuration and data mounts.
6. Read the startup output and test with one character before reopening the server to everyone.

Use a modpack manifest as the source of truth

A repeatable server update is easiest when the client-side tModLoader modpack is treated as the canonical list. Create or maintain the modpack in tModLoader, then copy its install.txt and enabled.json into the server’s Mods area. On the server, the enabled file is named Mods/enabled.json.

What each manifest controls

• install.txt tells the management script which Workshop mods to install.
• Mods/enabled.json tells tModLoader which mods to activate. It must include all enabled mods, including local mods.

Before applying a new manifest, compare the old and new lists. Confirm that an intentional removal is not actually a dependency needed by another mod, and that every newly enabled item is available to the server. Keep the previous pair in the backup so you can restore the exact former set rather than reconstructing it from memory.

Verify the server before inviting players

1. Start with the same world and configuration paths. An update should not silently select a different world or data directory.
2. Read the startup log. Look for missing dependencies, load exceptions, duplicate files, and explicit version mismatches.
3. Check the enabled list. Confirm that every expected mod appears and that an intentionally removed mod is no longer active.
4. Join with a test character. Enter the world and exercise content supplied by the updated mods, rather than stopping at a process that merely stays running.
5. Check a client connection. Have a player launch the intended tModLoader branch, wait for Workshop or client downloads to finish, and connect before announcing the maintenance complete.

A process that starts is not proof that the update is compatible. A missing dependency can affect only a particular content path, and a branch mismatch may appear only when a client joins.

Keep clients and the server on compatible branches

The tModLoader player guidance says most users should use the default release branch. Steam beta branches provide legacy or preview choices when a project has a specific compatibility need.

The server and every client need a compatible branch, not merely the same Terraria title. A player on the default release cannot reliably join a server kept on a legacy branch for an older mod. Publish the branch you selected in the maintenance notice and ask players to let their client downloads finish before connecting.

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What Terraria 1.4.5 means for mod updates

Compatibility with Terraria 1.4.5 is still a moving target. In a current announcement, the tModLoader team wrote: “Due to how much has changed in the Terraria v1.4.5 update, the short answer to this is ‘no’.” The statement means that not all existing mods can be assumed to work immediately on the new runtime.

Maintained mods are expected to become available when compatible stable support exists, while the 1.4.4 version and its mods remain available as a Legacy version with maintenance updates. If a critical mod has not been ported, selecting the previously working legacy branch is the documented compatibility escape hatch rather than forcing an unready upgrade.

The team also noted that an earlier 1.4.4 porting process took nine months. That figure is historical context from the team’s 2026 announcement, not a promise about the duration of the 1.4.5 transition. Plan a branch decision around the mods your server actually requires.

When Workshop downloads fail

tModLoader can still run when Steam cannot download Workshop content, but the player guidance says the mods must then be installed manually. Do not assume that a successful runtime update also supplied the missing Workshop files. Verify the server’s Mods directory and enabled manifest, and use the same mod versions on clients and the server.

If you use the management script, remember that its Workshop installation depends on install.txt. A missing file means the script has no Workshop list to process. If the file exists but the server still lacks a mod, stop before enabling players, inspect the installation output and startup log, and restore the previous known-good files if necessary.

Troubleshoot common update failures

The command finishes but no mods are present

• Confirm that install.txt exists in the expected server location.
• Confirm that Mods/enabled.json exists and contains the intended enabled set.
• Check that you ran the command against the correct installation directory, including the proper --folder value for a custom location.
• Inspect the log for download or load errors before attempting another restart.

The server starts with missing-dependency or load errors

• Stop the server and identify the first missing dependency or exception in the startup log.
• Compare the enabled list with the backup and with the new modpack manifest.
• Restore the previous mod files and manifests if the dependency cannot be resolved on the selected branch.
• Restart without players connected and verify a clean startup before reopening access.

Clients are rejected or report version mismatches

• Confirm that the client and server use the same tModLoader branch.
• Have each player finish Workshop or client downloads before joining.
• Compare the enabled mod set, including local mods, rather than checking only the number of files.
• If a required mod supports only the older runtime, move both server and clients to the corresponding Legacy branch.

Docker appears unchanged after an update

• Rebuild with docker compose build.
• Use docker compose build --no-cache to force a clean rebuild.
• Verify that the service is using the rebuilt image and that the host bind mount points to the data you backed up and intended to reuse.

The updated world behaves incorrectly

Stop the server before making further changes. Restore the backed-up world, mod files, manifests, configuration, and previously working runtime or branch as a unit. Re-enable the prior mod set, start with no players connected, and inspect the log. Do not overwrite the only backup with files from the failed run.

A repeatable update checklist

• Maintenance window announced and players offline.
• Server stopped cleanly.
• World, Mods, install.txt, Mods/enabled.json, configuration, and Docker-mounted data backed up.
• Current tModLoader branch, version, and enabled list recorded.
• Manifest additions, removals, and dependencies reviewed.
• Correct update method selected: combined install, runtime-only, mods-only, or Docker rebuild.
• Server started with the original world and configuration paths.
• Startup log checked for dependencies, exceptions, duplicate files, and version mismatches.
• Expected mods confirmed in the enabled list.
• Test character entered the world and exercised updated content.
• One client connected on the same branch after downloads completed.
• Rollback files retained until the update is accepted.

How to roll back safely

1. Stop the server and keep players out.
2. Restore the previous tModLoader files, mod files, manifests, and configuration from the backup, or select the previously working Legacy branch.
3. Restore the prior enabled set and order recorded before the update.
4. Start with the original world path and no players connected.
5. Read the startup log and verify that the known-good client branch can join.
6. Only then reopen the server and announce that the rollback is complete.

Rolling back the runtime without rolling back the manifests can leave a different mod set than the one that originally worked. Restore the complete recorded state whenever possible.

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