Install ARK modsAdd Workshop mods via their mod IDs

Published on September 2, 2026 · last updated on November 8, 2026

How it works

Unlike games with a mods folder, in ARK you only enter ID numbers. The server then downloads the mods itself and activates them at startup.

1. Look up the ID. It is at the end of the address bar on the Workshop page - a plain sequence of digits.
2. Enter it in the configuration. The list of active mods belongs in the GameUserSettings.ini, with several IDs separated by commas and without spaces.
3. Restart the server. At startup, it downloads the mods - the first time, this can take a few minutes depending on their size.

Your fellow players do not have to do anything by hand: when connecting, the client automatically downloads the matching mods via Steam.

The order decides

The order in the list is the load order, and it is no minor detail: if two mods touch the same game mechanic, one of them wins - depending on which one comes first.

• Map mods always go first.
• Core and framework mods that others build on follow directly after.
• Structure, creature and quality-of-life mods come last.

For overhauls that go very deep, it helps to look at the description page: many authors state explicitly where their mod should be placed and which other mods it is compatible with.

Map mods are a special case

A mod map is more than a mod: it replaces the entire world. In addition to the entry in the mod list, the map itself therefore has to be changed as well - how that works is explained in Change the map.

And as with every map change: the new map starts with a new world. The previous save is kept and becomes active again as soon as you switch back. For an overview of which maps are available without a mod anyway, see Maps compared.

Updating mods

The most unpleasant part of running mods: authors update their mods whenever they want - and an update can affect a running world, for example when items are renamed or removed.

Two habits help:

• Back up before every update. A save backup via SFTP takes minutes, lost server progress costs weeks - see Back up your save.
• Check after the restart. Log in briefly and check whether bases, dinos and items are still there before the group shows up in the evening.

Because mods are updated when the server starts, the timing depends on your scheduled restarts - one more reason to put them in the night hours.

Removing a mod again

This is the riskiest intervention of all. Everything that comes from the mod - structures, creatures, items - disappears from the world. With a structure mod, that can mean half of a base collapses.

If it has to be done: make a backup, warn the group, remove the mod, start the server, assess the damage. And the general lesson: agree on the mod list at the beginning of a round and avoid shrinking it afterwards wherever possible.

When mods do not load

• The server starts, but a mod is missing. Usually a typo in the ID or a space in the list.
• Players cannot get in. Client and server need the same mods in the same version - after an update, the client has to update as well.
• The server does not start at all. Often two mods that are mutually exclusive, or a map mod without the matching map setting.
• The download breaks off. With very large mods, another server start helps, because the download is resumed.

If the server is still unreachable afterwards, it is usually not the mods - then Fix connection problems will help.

Frequently asked questions