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Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →To add a mod to an Arma 3 dedicated server, download its files, place them in an @ModName folder, copy the mod’s .bikey file into the server’s root keys folder, and add the folder to the launch command with -mod= or -serverMod=. Players can join only when their client has the compatible mod files and the server accepts their signatures.
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How the Arma 3 mod system fits together
A working installation has three separate pieces. The mod’s content files, normally including PBO archives, must be present where the server can read them. The mod’s public key, a file ending in .bikey, must be in the server’s root keys directory so signature verification can trust clients using that content. Finally, the server must be told which folders to load in its startup parameters.
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Leaving out any one of these pieces produces a different failure. A folder that is never named in the startup command is ignored. A mod whose key is left inside its own folder may be rejected because the server looks in its root keys folder. A client that does not have the required content, or has a different signed build, cannot complete the connection.
Before you install anything
- Confirm that you can write to the dedicated server’s installation directory and restart the service or process.
- Make a backup of the current startup script, service definition, and
server.cfg. Keep a copy of the unmodified server files so you can remove one mod without rebuilding the installation. - Record the exact mod release you intend to run. The server and every player should use the same content version; updating only one side is a common cause of mismatch errors.
- Decide whether the mod supplies content players must download, or whether it is intended only to change server configuration. That choice determines whether it belongs in
-mod=,-serverMod=, or both.
Do not add a name to the launch command before the folder has been uploaded, renamed, and keyed. A parameter that points to a missing directory makes diagnosis harder and can prevent the server from starting cleanly.
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Step 1: Obtain the mod files
Download through Steam Workshop on the server
If the server machine has Steam and Arma 3 installed, you can subscribe to or download Workshop content there. This approach is convenient, but the Steam account used for the download must own Arma 3. A server account that cannot access the game may not be able to retrieve the Workshop item even when the public server itself is otherwise configured correctly.
Use SteamCMD
SteamCMD is useful on a headless Windows or Linux machine. Use it to download the Workshop item, then move or copy the resulting mod directory into the Arma 3 server’s root directory. SteamCMD normally places Workshop data below steamapps/workshop/content/<appid>/<modworkshopid>/; that numeric directory is not automatically a convenient final name for the server command, so normalize it in the next step.
Upload a manual archive
A mod author may provide a ZIP or another archive. Extract it on a local machine, inspect the top-level directory, and upload the complete mod folder to the server. Uploading only an addons subfolder, or omitting the key file, leaves an incomplete installation.
Step 2: Put the mod in a valid folder
Arma 3 server mod folders conventionally begin with @, such as @VehiclesPack or @ServerTools. Use a short name with no spaces; underscores are safer than spaces when a startup script, shell, or service manager parses the command. The name does not have to be identical on the server and on every client. The files and signatures do have to correspond, however, so renaming a folder is not a way to make incompatible releases work together.
A typical layout looks like this:
Arma3Server/
├── @VehiclesPack/
│ ├── addons/
│ │ ├── vehicles_core.pbo
│ │ └── vehicles_core.pbo.[signature]
│ └── keys/
│ └── VehiclesPack.bikey
├── keys/
└── arma3server_x64.exeThe exact internal filenames vary by mod. The important checks are that the folder contains the mod’s PBO content and that any supplied key can be found. The key’s location inside the downloaded folder is not sufficient for server verification; you still copy it to the server root’s keys directory.
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On Linux, capitalization matters. @VehiclesPack, @vehiclespack, and @Vehiclespack can be different paths. Match the directory spelling in the startup command exactly, and preserve the case of key and PBO filenames when transferring files.
Step 3: Install the mod’s public key
- Open the downloaded mod directory and locate every file ending in
.bikey. Some releases contain more than one key. - Copy those key files into the dedicated server’s root
keysfolder. Do not put them only in@ModName/keys; the server checks the root location for accepted signatures. - Keep keys from different mods as separate files. Do not rename a key to make it look like another mod, and do not delete an existing key unless you are intentionally removing the corresponding content.
- After an update, check whether the mod supplied a replacement key. A changed key can make an otherwise similar update fail signature validation.
If a player is kicked with a message such as “signature not found,” first check this root folder and then check that the client is using the signed PBO files from the same mod release. A key copied to the wrong directory cannot authorize the server’s copy.
Step 4: Add the mod to the server startup command
Use -mod= for content that every connecting player must load, including vehicles, uniforms, weapons, objects, and other player-visible assets. Use -serverMod= for a server-only package that supplies administration, configuration, or other logic players do not need to load. Some packages combine both roles; in that case, list the package in both parameters if the mod’s documentation requires it.
| Parameter | Use it for | What clients need |
|---|---|---|
-mod= |
Player-facing content and any dependency that clients must load | The matching mod files and compatible version |
-serverMod= |
Server-only configuration, administration, or logic | Usually no copy on the client, unless the mod’s documentation says otherwise |
| Both parameters | A package that provides server logic and also adds content used in mission play | The client-facing part must be installed and loaded |
Separate multiple folder names with semicolons. List each folder only once and use the exact directory spelling. For example:
-mod=@VehiclesPack;@UniformsPack -serverMod=@ServerToolsIn this example, players need the first two packages, while @ServerTools is loaded only by the server. If a package fails when treated as server-only, try loading it with -mod= first; if it is genuinely server-only, move it to -serverMod= after confirming its requirements. Do not add quotation marks around a path unless your launch environment specifically requires them, and avoid spaces in folder names so the parameter remains unambiguous.
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Place the parameters in the same launch script, service definition, or control-panel field that already starts the dedicated server. Restart the server after changing the line; editing a script without restarting does not load the new package.
Step 5: Check signature enforcement in server.cfg
Signature settings determine how strictly the server rejects unsigned or incorrectly signed client files. A guide dated 2026 recommends verifySignatures = 2 for public play. That value is a community recommendation rather than a guarantee that it is appropriate for every private test setup, so confirm the current behavior in the official Arma 3 documentation before changing a production server.
A forum answer also mentions allowedFilePatching = 0 as a hardening setting. Treat that value as community-reported guidance, not as an official universal requirement. File-patching restrictions can affect development workflows and some troubleshooting tools, so test the setting with the missions and administrative tools you actually run.
Change one signature-related setting at a time and restart the server. If players begin receiving signature or file-verification kicks, record the exact message, confirm the key placement, and compare the client’s mod release before relaxing security settings.
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Steam installation
Steam stores Workshop material in a normally hidden folder inside the game directory. A common example is SteamsteamappscommonArma 3!Workshop. Downloaded directories generally begin with @, but the location and presentation can vary with the Steam library selected for the installation. Copy or move the finished folder into the server root used by your startup command rather than assuming the hidden Workshop location is the path the server will scan.
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SteamCMD installation
SteamCMD uses a numeric Workshop path in the form steamappsworkshopcontent<appid><modworkshopid> on Windows-style storage, with the equivalent directory separators on Linux. Move the downloaded directory to the server root and give it a readable @ name before adding it to -mod= or -serverMod=.
Linux operators should check case after every transfer. A key that is correctly named on a case-insensitive Windows workstation can fail to match when copied to a Linux server with different capitalization.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Step 6: Make clients use the same mod set
A client must load the server’s required -mod= packages, with compatible PBO files and signatures, before joining. Folder names themselves need not match, so a player may use a differently named local directory; the actual mod content and signed files must match the server’s release.
The practical community workflow is to create or share one preset containing the server’s client-required packages. A3R is one cited method for sharing a preset. Players can then select that preset in the Arma 3 Launcher and check the server in the launcher’s server list. This reduces omissions compared with asking each player to assemble a long list manually.
Server-only packages should not be added to a player’s required preset unless their documentation says they include a client component. Loading unnecessary server tools on a client can create dependency errors and makes it harder to see which content is actually required.
Self-managed server or managed hosting?
The mod process is the same in principle, but the amount of file-system control differs. Choose the option that fits how often you expect to update mods and whether you need direct access to keys and launch parameters.
| Decision factor | Self-managed server with SteamCMD | Managed game hosting with a mod panel |
|---|---|---|
| File and key control | Direct access to the server root, keys folder, scripts, and configuration |
Depends on the host; panels may expose only approved paths or upload tools |
| Setup time | More manual work: download, rename, copy keys, edit startup parameters, and test | Often faster when the panel can install Workshop items and build a launch line |
| Steam ownership for downloads | Steam Workshop downloads on the machine may require an account that owns Arma 3; SteamCMD access still depends on the download method | The provider may handle downloads, but its policy determines whether you supply an account or upload files |
| Mod-management tools | You choose scripts and update procedures | The host may provide a mod browser, preset editor, restart controls, or file manager |
| Debugging flexibility | Full access to paths, permissions, and logs | Support and panel limits can restrict low-level fixes |
Regardless of host, verify where the panel places the root keys directory and how it writes -mod= and -serverMod=. A panel that downloads a Workshop item but leaves its key inside the mod directory has not completed the installation.
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Troubleshooting mods that do not load
The server starts but the mod has no effect
- Confirm that the folder named in the startup command exists in the server root and begins with
@. - Check for a spelling or capitalization difference between the directory and the parameter, especially on Linux.
- Inspect the folder for the mod’s PBO content rather than an extra archive-extraction layer such as
@ModName/ModName/addons. - Make sure the mod appears only once in the complete command line and that the semicolon-separated list has not been broken by an accidental space or line-wrap.
- Restart the process after editing the launch command.
Players receive “signature not found” or signature kicks
- Copy every supplied
.bikeyinto the server rootkeysfolder. - Verify that the client has the signed PBO files from the same release as the server.
- Check filename case and permissions on Linux.
- Confirm that the server’s signature setting has not been tightened without installing the corresponding keys.
Players are told they are missing a mod
- Compare the client’s launcher preset with the server’s
-mod=list, not with the-serverMod=list. - Download the exact Workshop item or archive used on the server rather than a similarly named package.
- Remove stale duplicate copies from the client’s local Workshop and mod directories, then select the intended copy in the launcher.
A server-only package causes client errors
Move a package intended for administration or configuration from -mod= to -serverMod=, then restart and test. If the package adds assets referenced by the mission, it may need to remain in -mod= as well. When the author’s instructions are unclear, test the smallest configuration first and add the package to both parameters only when the package’s documented design requires it.
The Workshop download is present but cannot be found
Locate the actual Steam library or SteamCMD workshop directory, then move the mod folder to the server root used by the launch command. Do not point the command at a numeric Workshop ID unless that is the real directory path and its contents are complete. Check that extraction did not hide the PBOs one directory deeper than expected.
Quick Recap
A repeatable update procedure
- Stop the server and back up the current mod folder, root
keysdirectory, startup command, andserver.cfg. - Download the new mod release through Steam Workshop, SteamCMD, or a manual archive.
- Compare its folder structure with the existing installation and retain the
@-prefixed, space-free name used by the startup line. - Replace or add the release’s PBO files, then copy any new or replacement
.bikeyfiles into the rootkeysdirectory. - Check whether the author changed dependencies or whether the package moved between client-required and server-only roles.
- Start the server with the existing parameter list, verify that players can see the server in the launcher, and test with a client using the updated preset.
- If the update fails, restore the backed-up folder and key set, remove the changed entry from the startup line if necessary, and test the previous release before attempting another update.
Final installation checklist
- The mod was downloaded completely and extracted without an extra outer directory.
- The folder has an
@prefix, contains no spaces, and matches the spelling in the launch command. - All relevant
.bikeyfiles are in the server rootkeysfolder. - Client-required content is listed under
-mod=; server-only content is listed under-serverMod=. - Each mod appears once, with semicolons separating names.
- Linux paths and filenames use the correct capitalization.
- The server was restarted after file or parameter changes.
- Players are using a matching preset and compatible mod release.
- Signature settings were checked against current official documentation before public deployment.
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