Arma 3 reads dedicated-server parameters from left to right after the executable name. Put client-visible content in -mod, keep administration and other server-only components in -serverMod, and use one explicit, repeatable order for every restart. A typical Windows command is arma3server_x64.exe -name=server -config=server.cfg "-mod=@CBA_A3;@ACE3;@UnitContent;@UnitPatch" "-serverMod=@ServerTools;@AdminFramework". The folders and their order must match what is actually installed on the server.
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Load order is only one part of a reliable setup. Correct semicolon syntax, Workshop metadata, signature keys, and client/server parity determine whether players can join. This guide explains the distinction between the two parameters, a practical ordering method, automatic Workshop pairing, enforcement settings, and a recovery path when a mod works for a client but not for the dedicated server.
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What -mod and -serverMod actually do
The dedicated server consumes startup parameters after arma3server_x64.exe (or the executable name used by your installation). Each parameter contains a semicolon-separated list of subfolders. The folder names are not Workshop display names; they are the exact directory names visible under the server’s mod root or another permitted path.
| Parameter | Use it for | What connecting players see | Typical examples |
|---|---|---|---|
-mod |
Client-visible content and dependencies required by a mission or unit | The server advertises this set to clients attempting to join | Frameworks, units, maps, weapons, terrain, mission content, compatibility patches |
-serverMod |
Server-side components that should not be broadcast to clients | Not advertised as required client content | Administration, logging, monitoring, server automation |
Bohemia Interactive’s startup-parameter reference defines -serverMod as loading server-side subfolders that are not broadcast to clients. A Bohemia developer explanation describes the companion behavior: mods in -mod are shown to clients trying to connect, while -serverMod remains server-side. Do not move a server-only component into -mod just to make it load; that changes the join requirements and can expose an unnecessary dependency to every player.
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A mod can contain both client and server functions. In that case, follow the mod author’s deployment instructions. If the package supplies a client-facing addon and a separate server component, place each folder in the corresponding parameter rather than duplicating the same folder in both lists.
Build a stable load order
There is no universal, documented “last mod wins” rule for every Arma asset type. Config inheritance, addon contents, and mission code can make conflict behavior specific to a particular set of files. The sequence below is therefore an operational convention that makes a setup understandable and reproducible, not a promise of precedence for every PBO.
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1. Inventory the installed folders
Before editing a command line, list every directory you intend to load. Record its exact spelling, capitalization, leading @ character if used, and physical location. Remove stale shortcuts and duplicate copies from the list. A folder that exists only on a player’s PC cannot satisfy a dedicated server’s parameter.
2. Classify each folder
- Place foundations and compatibility libraries in
-modwhen clients also need them. - Place broad content such as maps, terrain, weapons, and vehicle packs next.
- Follow with unit-specific or mission-specific content.
- Put compatibility patches and local overrides after the content they modify, when the package documentation calls for that arrangement.
- Put administration, logging, monitoring, and other non-broadcast components in
-serverMod.
This order gives an administrator a predictable reading of the command: dependencies first, shared content next, and narrow adjustments last. It does not replace a mod’s own installation notes. If a package explicitly requires a different position, document the exception beside your parameter file.
3. Keep one authoritative list
Save the sequence in a parameter file (commonly a .par file) or in a Launcher preset. The Bohemia Launcher documentation covers mod management, load-order handling, and presets. A saved list prevents an operator from rebuilding a long command from memory and gives you something to compare when a client reports a mismatch.
4. Restart after every change
Stop the dedicated server, apply the edited parameters, and start it again. Read the startup log before inviting players. Look for missing-folder messages, duplicate or incompatible addon warnings, and signature failures. Then test the affected mission, map, or asset on a staging instance rather than changing a busy production server first.
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5. Change one variable at a time
If a conflict appears, move one suspected mod, restart, and repeat the same test. Changing several positions at once makes it impossible to identify which adjustment mattered. Keep a dated copy of every known-good parameter file and Launcher preset so you can roll back immediately.
Write the parameter correctly
Windows example
On Windows, semicolons separate folders inside a value. Quote the entire value when a path or folder name contains spaces, and quote it consistently even when the current names do not. For example:
arma3server_x64.exe -name=server -config=server.cfg "-mod=@CBA_A3;@ACE3;@UnitContent;@UnitPatch" "-serverMod=@ServerTools;@AdminFramework"
The executable, -name, and -config options are separate arguments. The two quoted lists are also separate arguments; do not replace their semicolons with commas or spaces. If you use absolute paths, preserve the path syntax required by the official parameter reference and confirm that each path is allowed by the server installation.
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In a Linux shell, the semicolon is also a command separator. Protect it from the shell by quoting the complete list or escaping each semicolon. A quoted form is easiest to audit:
./arma3server_x64 -name=server -config=server.cfg "-mod=@CBA_A3;@ACE3;@UnitContent;@UnitPatch" "-serverMod=@ServerTools;@AdminFramework"
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If you construct the command through a service unit, container entrypoint, or control panel, check how that layer handles quotes. A string that is correct in an interactive shell can be split incorrectly by a panel that expects each argument in a separate field. Inspect the server’s effective launch command, not just the text saved in a web form.
Relative folders versus absolute paths
Relative folder names are convenient when the mods live beside the server installation. Absolute paths can be useful when content is stored on another mounted volume, but they increase the chance of a typo and may be rejected by a host’s path policy. Whichever form you choose, use the same convention in every environment and verify that the account running the server can read the folders.
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| Method | Best fit | Advantages | Trade-offs to check |
|---|---|---|---|
| Launcher preset | Interactive administrators with a desktop workflow | Visual mod management, saved order, and easy reuse | Less convenient for headless machines; the preset must be exported or communicated accurately |
| Command line or parameter file | Automation, version control, and dedicated Linux or Windows servers | Auditable text, scripted restarts, and straightforward rollback | Quoting, path handling, and semicolon escaping must be correct |
| Managed host panel | Operators who want the provider to maintain the operating system and SteamCMD workflow | Web-based restarts and often integrated Workshop updating | Verify that it exposes ordered mod parameters, key management, update controls, and complete logs |
For a team, keep the parameter file and Launcher preset under change control together. The preset helps a human select the same set; the parameter file remains the definitive record used by the server. A host panel is suitable only if you can retrieve the exact generated command and logs when something fails.
Make Workshop mods pair with joining players
The official Workshop-support tutorial describes a browser flow in which a server’s required mods can be paired with Steam Workshop items and offered for activation or download. The server still has to load the mod locally; Workshop pairing does not repair a wrong folder name or a missing dependency.
Create meta.cpp
In the mod’s root directory, create a file named meta.cpp containing:
protocol = 1;
publishedid = 123456789;Replace 123456789 with the numeric Workshop ID. The ID is the number after id= in that item’s Workshop URL. Keep the file in the mod root, not inside a PBO or a nested folder, and use the syntax shown by the official tutorial.
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What happens without metadata
Without the metadata, a player may still be able to obtain the files, but the browser may not offer automatic activation or download. The player then has to locate and activate the mod manually, which is a common reason a client appears to have the right files yet fails to join. After adding or changing meta.cpp, restart the server and test the join flow from a clean client profile.
Keep IDs and folders aligned
Record each Workshop ID beside its installed folder name. An ID pointing to one item while the server loads a similarly named fork or an old local copy creates confusing diagnostics. When a Workshop item updates, review its required dependencies and restart the server after the update so the running process is not using a mixture of old and new files.
Handle keys and signature verification
Signed mods commonly ship a .bikey file in a Keys folder. Copy every required key into the server’s keys directory, or use the documented -keysFolder parameter to point the server at a directory containing them. The key belongs to the server’s verification setup; it is not a replacement for loading the mod in -mod or -serverMod.
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When signature verification is enabled, a missing key can prevent a mod from loading or cause clients using that mod to be rejected. Check the key set before changing order. A signature error has a different remedy from a config conflict: adding a key or correcting the signature settings is appropriate, while moving an addon in the list is not.
- Confirm that the key file matches the mod version installed on the server.
- Check the directory name and case, especially after moving between Windows and Linux.
- Read both server and client logs; one may identify the missing key more clearly.
- After replacing keys, restart the server and reconnect with a client using the same mod build.
Require exact client parity when policy demands it
Set equalModRequired = 1; in the server configuration when every player must use exactly the same -mod startup set as the server. This is useful for tightly controlled units where optional client additions are not allowed. It also means a player with one extra, missing, or differently ordered client-visible mod can be rejected even if the mission itself would otherwise start.
Publish the exact Launcher preset or parameter file alongside the server’s connection instructions. Do not ask players to reconstruct a long list from screenshots or memory. Keep server-only entries out of the client list: equalModRequired concerns the client-visible -mod set, while -serverMod remains a server-side list.
Troubleshoot a wrong-mod or failed-load message
The server reports a missing folder
- Copy the folder name from the installed directory and compare it character by character with the parameter.
- Confirm that the folder is under an allowed path and readable by the account running the server.
- Check for a duplicated
@, an accidental trailing space, or a path that points to an outdated drive. - Restart and inspect the first startup error; later messages may only be consequences of the missing dependency.
The server starts, but players are asked for the wrong mods
- Separate client content from server-only tools. A component in
-modis advertised to clients; move it only if its documentation confirms that it is server-only. - Compare the server’s effective launch command with the client’s active preset.
- If
equalModRequired = 1;is enabled, check both membership and order of the client-visible list. - Remove stale local copies from the client and activate the Workshop item associated with the server’s
meta.cppID.
A mod works in single-player or client hosting but not on the dedicated server
Client hosting can load files from a local profile that the dedicated account cannot see. Verify the server copy, its dependencies, and its startup path first. Then check signatures and keys. Finally, test the mission on a staging server with the same parameters as production. Do not assume that a successful client launch proves that a server-only component belongs in -mod.
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Record the exact old and new sequences, the game build, the mod versions, and the mission used for the test. Move only one item at a time and repeat the test after a clean restart. Because no universal conflict-precedence guarantee covers every Arma asset type, preserve the observed working order as a documented requirement for that particular set rather than treating it as a rule for all servers.
Clients are rejected with a signature error
Inspect the server’s signature setting, the keys directory or -keysFolder target, and the mod’s shipped .bikey. Make sure the client is running the same signed build. Resolve that chain before investigating load order.
Use a repeatable deployment checklist
- Inventory and spell every installed folder exactly as it appears on disk.
- Classify each item as client-visible
-modor server-only-serverMod. - Order dependencies, broad content, unit or mission content, and documented patches in a stable sequence.
- Quote the complete semicolon-separated values; escape semicolons in any Linux layer that would otherwise treat them as command separators.
- Save the command in a parameter file and, where useful, a Launcher preset.
- For Workshop items, verify
meta.cpp,protocol = 1;, and the numericpublishedid. - Install matching
.bikeyfiles and verify the configured key folder. - Decide deliberately whether
equalModRequired = 1;fits your server policy. - Restart after changes, read the complete startup log, and test the affected mission on staging.
- Keep a dated copy of the last known-good files and the exact mod versions used.
What the historical example tells you
Bohemia Interactive’s SPOTREP #00058 from 2016 included a dedicated-server example using -mod=curator;kart;heli;mark;expansion;dlcbundle and described fixes related to server-mod ordering and matching behavior. It demonstrates the semicolon-separated syntax and the importance of matching lists, but it is not a current universal preset. Mod authors, game builds, and server policies change; use the folders installed for your current deployment and verify behavior in logs.
Bottom line
Put everything clients must load in one explicitly ordered -mod list, put non-broadcast administration and service components in -serverMod, and preserve that exact sequence in a parameter file or preset. Correct quoting and paths prevent silent omissions; Workshop metadata makes the join flow practical; keys and signature settings prevent false load-order diagnoses; and equalModRequired = 1; enforces parity when your group needs it. When a problem appears, change one item, restart, read the log, and validate on staging before touching production.
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