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Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →To add Steam Workshop mods to an Unturned dedicated server, copy each item’s numeric Workshop ID into the File_IDs array in WorkshopDownloadConfig.json, save the file while the server is stopped, and restart the server. Keep gameplay and map commands in Commands.dat. On startup, the server should show a Workshop download step; players who join then download the configured content automatically.
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What the two configuration files do
Unturned separates Workshop content from ordinary server commands. Using the correct file prevents a common failure in which a valid mod ID is entered in a place the server does not read.
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Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute| File | Purpose | What belongs there |
|---|---|---|
WorkshopDownloadConfig.json |
Workshop download list | Numeric IDs copied from Steam Workshop item URLs |
Commands.dat |
Server startup and gameplay settings | Commands such as Map, difficulty, mode and other server options |
The Workshop configuration is normally inside the server’s instance folder, for example Servers/YourServer/WorkshopDownloadConfig.json. The exact parent directory depends on how your dedicated server was installed or how your hosting panel names instances. Do not create a second copy in an unrelated folder: edit the file belonging to the server instance you actually start.
Before you begin
- Stop the server before editing its files. A running process can overwrite changes or continue using the old configuration.
- Have the Steam Workshop page for every mod, asset pack or Workshop map you intend to use.
- Make a backup of
WorkshopDownloadConfig.jsonandCommands.datbefore changing them. A backup gives you a known-good configuration if a later edit introduces a syntax error. - Confirm that the content is intended for the version of Unturned and the map you run. Workshop authors may require companion items or map-specific assets.
- Use a text editor that does not silently add rich-text formatting. The file must remain valid JSON.
Find the numeric Workshop ID
Every Steam Workshop item has a numeric ID at the end of its item URL. For example, a URL ending in sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1753134636 has the ID 1753134636. Copy only the number, not id=, the question mark, the rest of the address, or the item’s display name.
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Check the item you are copying
- Open the Workshop page for the mod.
- Look at the address in your browser.
- Locate the digits after
id=. - Copy the complete number exactly, including every digit.
- Repeat for each separate Workshop item.
A mod’s displayed name is not a substitute for its ID. Also, IDs for modded items are different from base-game item IDs. Workshop maps can have map-specific item IDs, so check the map author’s documentation when the map refers to additional content.
Edit WorkshopDownloadConfig.json
With the server stopped, open WorkshopDownloadConfig.json in the server instance folder. The essential property is File_IDs, an array of Workshop IDs.
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{
"File_IDs": [
1753134636
]
}Replace the example number with the ID you want to install. Keep the square brackets and put the number on its own line if that makes the list easier to inspect.
Several Workshop items
Separate IDs with commas. Every entry except the final one needs a comma; the final entry must not have a trailing comma.
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{
"File_IDs": [
1753134636,
1753134636
]
}The second line above is shown only to demonstrate comma placement; in a real configuration, each line should contain a different Workshop ID. Do not add quotation marks around numeric IDs unless the template supplied with your server specifically requires a different format. The standard template represents them as numbers.
Preserve the rest of the template
The default file can contain additional keys such as Query_Cache_Max_Age_Seconds, Max_Query_Retries, Use_Cached_Downloads and Should_Monitor_Updates. Leave those values unchanged unless you understand why you are changing them. They control query caching, retry behavior, use of cached downloads and update monitoring; they are not replacements for the File_IDs list.
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If your file contains properties beyond File_IDs, retain the braces, commas and property names exactly. Removing an unrelated property can change the server’s download behavior. Conversely, do not paste settings from a different game’s server or invent new keys because a hosting tutorial mentions them.
Keep map selection in Commands.dat
Workshop downloading and map selection are related but separate operations. Put the map command in Commands.dat. If you are using a Workshop map, set the map’s name in the Map setting in that file; the Workshop file handles downloading the map item.
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Map YourWorkshopMapNameUse the exact map name required by the map’s documentation. The map name is not a numeric Workshop ID, and placing a Map command in WorkshopDownloadConfig.json will not select the map. Likewise, placing Workshop IDs in Commands.dat is not the documented installation method.
Complete installation procedure
- Stop the server. Use the server console, service manager or hosting panel’s Stop control and wait until the process is fully offline.
- Open the correct instance folder. Navigate to the server folder that contains the
Serversdirectory or the named instance directory. Open theWorkshopDownloadConfig.jsonused by that instance. - Back up the files. Copy the existing Workshop JSON and
Commands.datto a separate backup location. - Collect IDs. Copy the digits after
id=from each Workshop URL. Check every digit before saving. - Edit
File_IDs. Enter the IDs as a comma-separated JSON array. Keep any other template keys unless you have a specific, documented reason to change them. - Configure the map, if applicable. Put the Workshop map’s name in the
Mapcommand inCommands.dat. Leave the map’s numeric ID in the Workshop file’sFile_IDsarray. - Validate the edit visually. Check that the file starts with an opening brace, closes with a brace, uses straight quotation marks for property names, and has no trailing comma after the final array entry.
- Save and restart. Start the server normally. Do not assume a live reload has occurred; the reliable way to apply a changed Workshop list is a restart.
- Watch startup output. Look for the Workshop download step and messages showing the configured items being queried or downloaded. Keep the console output available until that stage completes.
- Join as a client. A joining player should automatically download the server’s configured Workshop content. If the server starts but a client reports missing assets, use the troubleshooting branches below.
How to verify that the installation worked
Server-side checks
- The server reaches its normal running state after the Workshop stage rather than stopping while reading the JSON file.
- Startup output identifies a Workshop download or query operation.
- The configured map loads when its name is present in
Commands.dat. - After a restart, the same items are not repeatedly treated as unknown IDs because of a typo or malformed list.
Client-side checks
- A player who does not already have the content is prompted to download it automatically when joining.
- The player can see the modded assets or enter the Workshop map rather than receiving a missing-content error.
- All required companion items are present if the mod author lists dependencies.
Do not judge success solely by seeing a file somewhere in a cache directory. The useful test is that the server completes its Workshop stage and a clean client can join with the expected content.
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Troubleshooting by symptom
The server ignores the mod
- Recheck that the ID is the number after
id=, not the Workshop item’s name or a base-game item ID. - Confirm that you edited the instance’s
WorkshopDownloadConfig.json, not a similarly named file for another server. - Make sure the ID is inside
File_IDsand separated from the preceding entry by a comma. - Stop and start the server again. Editing while it is running does not reliably apply the list.
- Watch the startup output for a failed query, a rejected item or a download message that names a different ID.
The server fails while reading the JSON file
JSON syntax errors commonly come from a missing comma, an extra trailing comma, mismatched braces or smart quotation marks inserted by a word processor. Restore the backup, then add one ID and restart. If one item works, add the remaining IDs one at a time so the faulty entry is easy to identify.
The map does not load
- Verify that the map’s Workshop item is in
File_IDs. - Verify that
Commands.datcontains the map’s documented name after theMapcommand. - Do not put the numeric ID in the
Mapcommand unless the map’s own instructions explicitly use that format. - Check whether the map requires additional Workshop items; map-specific dependencies may not be the same as base-game IDs.
Players receive a missing-content or dependency error
Check the Workshop item’s description for required child or companion items and add each required item’s own numeric ID to File_IDs. A single parent item is not proof that every dependency is present. Have the player restart the game or allow the Workshop download to finish before reconnecting.
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A guide tells you to add "Workshop": true
That key appears in some newer third-party instructions, but it is not listed in the standard template or the official configuration description used for this procedure. It is not required for the documented method. Start with the template’s File_IDs array and avoid adding unverified properties merely to copy a tutorial.
A guide tells you to use WorkshopDownloadIDs in Commands.dat
That is a different, unverified method. The documented arrangement is numeric IDs in WorkshopDownloadConfig.json, with map and other startup settings in Commands.dat. Mixing the two formats can leave the server starting without downloading anything.
Downloads are stale or repeatedly queried
The default template’s cache and update-monitoring keys affect how the server reuses downloaded data and checks for changes. Read the comments or documentation shipped with your exact template before changing Query_Cache_Max_Age_Seconds, Use_Cached_Downloads or Should_Monitor_Updates. Do not delete these keys as a first troubleshooting step; first verify the ID and JSON structure.
Adding, updating and removing mods safely
Add a mod
Stop the server, append the new numeric ID to File_IDs with the correct comma, save, and restart. Keep the previous entries unchanged so a new failure can be isolated quickly.
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Remove a mod
Stop the server and delete only that item’s ID from the array. Restart and check the console. Removing a parent item while leaving a required child can produce confusing dependency behavior, so review the Workshop item’s requirements before pruning related entries.
Update a mod
The ID normally remains the same when an author publishes an update. Keep the ID in the array and restart so the server can perform its normal Workshop query and download process. If the author creates a replacement item with a new URL, treat it as a new ID and update the list accordingly.
Roll back a change
Stop the server, restore the backed-up JSON or Commands.dat, and restart. A rollback is preferable to repeatedly editing a damaged file because it restores both syntax and the previous known-good list.
Using a hosting control panel
A hosting panel may hide the filesystem behind a file manager, but the configuration logic is unchanged. Open the panel’s file manager, locate the server instance’s WorkshopDownloadConfig.json, stop the server from the panel, edit File_IDs, save, and use the panel’s restart control. If the panel offers a separate Workshop-mod field, compare what it writes to the actual JSON file and startup output. Do not enter the same IDs in multiple systems unless the panel documentation explains how they interact; duplicate management can create conflicting lists.
Some panels regenerate configuration files when you change a setting. Take a backup first and verify the file again after saving through the panel. The final authority is the file read by the instance and the startup output produced by that instance.
Practical checklist
- Server stopped before editing.
- Correct instance folder opened.
- Every Workshop URL checked for its numeric ID.
- IDs entered under
File_IDs. - Entries separated by commas, with no trailing comma.
- Map name kept in
Commands.dat. - Required companion items checked.
- Backup retained.
- Server restarted after saving.
- Workshop download stage observed in startup output.
- Clean client tested for automatic download and successful joining.
Key distinctions to remember
| Question | Correct answer |
|---|---|
| Where does a mod ID go? | WorkshopDownloadConfig.json, inside File_IDs. |
| What number should be copied? | The digits at the end of the Workshop URL after id=. |
| Where is the map selected? | In Commands.dat using the map’s name. |
| When do changes apply? | After saving while stopped and restarting the server. |
| How do players get the content? | Configured Workshop content is downloaded automatically when they join. |
| What should you do with unverified keys? | Do not treat "Workshop": true or WorkshopDownloadIDs as required; use the documented template structure. |
Final verification
If the server starts normally, reports its Workshop download step, loads the map named in Commands.dat, and a joining client receives the configured content, the installation is complete. When it does not work, return to the three most consequential checks: the ID copied from the URL, the exact instance file edited, and the JSON syntax. Those checks resolve most configuration mistakes without changing unrelated server settings.
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