The safest pattern is to make SteamCMD or a Docker entrypoint the update engine, run it before the Project Zomboid server starts, and restart only after new Workshop files have downloaded successfully. Keep the old mod copy until replacement succeeds, back up Zomboid/Saves/, and keep the numeric Workshop item list synchronized with the in-game Mod ID list. Runtime polling is possible, but only when you can stop the server cleanly, notify players, and verify that every client receives the same content.
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What the automation must do
A reliable updater is more than a scheduled download. It has to resolve the content the server is configured to use, detect whether any item changed, download the new copy without damaging the working copy, and coordinate a restart. The server should never load files while they are being replaced.
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- Resolve Workshop content. Read the configured item IDs and, where supported, expand collection IDs through the Steam Web API.
- Map IDs correctly. Project Zomboid uses numeric Workshop item IDs for downloads but uses Mod IDs in the server’s
Modssetting. - Download changed items to a staging location. Leave the currently installed copy available until the new download finishes.
- Back up the world and configuration. A mod change can alter recipes, items, maps, or scripts that an existing save expects.
- Stop and start in a controlled window. Startup updates are safest; a runtime poll must trigger a planned restart rather than replacing files under a live process.
- Validate after startup. Read the server log, check for missing Mod IDs and map errors, and confirm that players are using the same Workshop versions.
Workshop item IDs, collections, and Mod IDs
Most update failures are configuration failures rather than SteamCMD failures. Treat these identifiers as separate fields.
| Identifier | What it represents | Where it is used |
|---|---|---|
| Workshop item ID | The numeric ID of one published Workshop item. | WORKSHOP_ITEMS and the downloader’s item list. |
| Collection ID | The numeric ID of a Workshop collection containing multiple items. | WORKSHOP_COLLECTIONS when the deployment supports collection expansion. |
| Mod ID | The identifier Project Zomboid reads when loading a mod. | The server’s in-game Mods setting and the corresponding server configuration. |
An item can have a numeric Workshop ID that is different from its Mod ID. An updater that downloads the item but leaves the wrong value in Mods will still produce a missing-mod or version-mismatch error. Keep a written mapping for every item and review it whenever a mod author changes the description or package.
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Collection expansion adds another moving part. A deployment that calls the Steam Web API can turn a collection ID into its current item list, download missing or changed items, derive Mod IDs from the Workshop description’s Mod ID: convention, and link the resulting files into the server’s Workshop directory. If your deployment does not perform that expansion, list each Workshop item explicitly instead of assuming the collection will be interpreted automatically.
Prerequisites and a safe directory layout
- A dedicated Project Zomboid server installation managed by SteamCMD or by a container entrypoint that invokes SteamCMD.
- A service account with permission to write the server directory, its Workshop directory, the backup location, and the log directory.
- A repeatable way to stop and start the server, such as a system service, supervisor, or container restart policy.
- Enough free disk space for the current copy, a staging download, and at least one backup of
Zomboid/Saves/. - A player-notification method so nobody reconnects while a restart is in progress.
Keep downloaded content separate from saves and configuration. A practical arrangement is a server directory such as /opt/pz-server, a persistent user-data directory such as /home/pz/Zomboid, and a backup directory outside both. The exact paths differ between Linux, Windows, and containers; the important rule is that updating the server binaries must not delete the persistent Zomboid data.
Build a startup update job
1. Install or update the dedicated server with SteamCMD
Run SteamCMD before the game process starts. The Project Zomboid dedicated-server application ID cited by the Docker documentation is 380870. A typical Linux command is:
steamcmd +force_install_dir /opt/pz-server +login anonymous +app_update 380870 validate +quitUse the equivalent SteamCMD invocation supplied by your operating system or container image. validate checks the installed server files; it does not replace the need to update Workshop content. If your deployment pins a specific build branch, pass that branch through its documented SteamCMD configuration. Otherwise, the updater follows the current branch selected by the deployment.
2. Declare the content once
Keep the source of truth in version-controlled environment settings or a clearly documented server configuration. The documented Docker workflow uses:
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WORKSHOP_ITEMSfor numeric Workshop item IDs.WORKSHOP_COLLECTIONSfor collection IDs when collection expansion is available.MODSfor the Project Zomboid Mod IDs that the server loads.
Do not copy a collection’s numeric ID into MODS. Conversely, do not put a Mod ID in WORKSHOP_ITEMS. After adding or removing an item, update both the downloader list and the server’s Mod list, then check the order if your mod set has dependencies that require a particular load sequence.
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3. Let the updater resolve and stage Workshop files
On each startup, the entrypoint should read the item and collection lists, expand supported collections through the Steam Web API, compare the recorded update state with Steam, and download only missing or changed items. It should derive the Mod ID from each Workshop description when the deployment supports that convention and create the links or directory entries Project Zomboid expects.
Stage each changed item in a temporary directory. Only after the download exits successfully should the updater replace the live copy. Retain the previous directory until the replacement has passed its basic integrity checks. If Steam is unreachable, a robust implementation leaves the installed copy untouched and starts with that known-good content instead of deleting it and starting empty.
4. Back up before the server process starts
Back up the save and the configuration after the server has stopped cleanly but before changing the Workshop directory. The critical path is Zomboid/Saves/; also preserve the server’s configuration files and the exact item and Mod ID lists used for that session. Include a timestamp in the backup name so you can identify which mod set produced it.
The reason is practical: “Updating mods mid-save can break an ongoing world (items that no longer exist, changed recipes).” If a new version changes data that the save references, reverting the files may not undo changes already written to the world. A pre-update backup gives you a recovery point.
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5. Start only after the update job succeeds
Configure the service or container entrypoint so the order is:
- Stop any existing server process and wait for a clean exit.
- Back up
Zomboid/Saves/and configuration. - Run the SteamCMD server update.
- Resolve collections and Workshop items.
- Atomically promote successful downloads into the live Workshop directory.
- Start Project Zomboid.
- Run the validation checks described below.
This sequence prevents a partially downloaded mod from being mistaken for a valid update. It also makes a container restart predictable: the same environment values produce the same update decision each time.
Control whether updates are enabled
Some Docker deployments expose WORKSHOP_AUTO_UPDATE. Setting WORKSHOP_AUTO_UPDATE=0 disables refresh and pins the files already on disk. This is useful during a scheduled event or while you investigate a compatibility problem, but it also means security and bug-fix releases will not arrive until you re-enable refresh.
A separate Docker implementation documents MOD_AUTO_UPDATE=true as a runtime option. Do not assume the two variables are interchangeable: use the variable and restart behavior documented by the image you actually run. Record the chosen setting alongside the server configuration so an image change does not silently alter your policy.
Startup updates versus runtime polling
| Decision point | Startup update | Runtime polling |
|---|---|---|
| Update timing | Checks before every controlled launch. | Checks while the server is healthy at an interval chosen by the deployment; no authoritative interval is specified. |
| Risk to a live process | Low, because files are changed while the server is stopped. | Higher unless a detected change schedules a clean stop and restart. |
| Rollback behavior | Old files can be retained until the staged download succeeds. | Requires the same retention policy plus a way to defer activation until restart. |
| Save-backup integration | Easy to make the backup a mandatory pre-start step. | Must pause polling, stop the server, back up, update, and then restart. |
| Player notification | Announce a maintenance window before launching. | Automate a warning and block new connections during the restart. |
| Collection handling | Expand the collection at launch and use the resulting item list. | Re-expand on each poll, but do not activate changes until the restart workflow completes. |
| Operating-system support | SteamCMD commands are portable, while service paths and wrappers vary by OS. | Also depends on the scheduler, process supervisor, and restart mechanism of the OS or container. |
| Build branch | Can pin a branch if the deployment exposes that SteamCMD setting; otherwise follows its current branch. | Uses the same branch policy, but can detect a branch change while the server is running. |
Choose startup updates unless you operate a server with a controlled maintenance system. Polling is valuable when you need prompt awareness of Workshop changes, but it is not a justification for replacing files beneath a running process.
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Make restarts safe for players
Announce the maintenance window
Tell players that a Workshop update is pending, stop accepting new sessions, and wait for the current server process to exit cleanly. The clients must receive the same Workshop items and compatible versions before they reconnect; otherwise they can see a version mismatch even when the server itself started normally.
Keep a rollback point
Retain the previous Workshop directory, the prior item and Mod ID lists, and the save backup as one identified update set. If the new server fails validation, stop it, restore the old directory and configuration, and start again with the matching save backup when necessary. Do not delete the old copy immediately after a successful download; the first post-update startup is when configuration and map errors become visible.
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Validate every update after restart
- Download result: confirm that every configured item completed and that no collection member was skipped.
- Mod mapping: compare the loaded Mod IDs in the startup log with the
MODSsetting. - Workshop directory: check that the expected item directories or links exist and are readable by the server account.
- World loading: look for map, Lua, recipe, or configuration errors before allowing players back in.
- Version consistency: connect with a test client that has refreshed its Workshop files, then verify that the server no longer reports a version mismatch.
- Persistence: confirm that the expected save appears and that the server is writing to the intended
Zomboid/Saves/location.
Keep the failed-start log with the backup and the old Workshop copy. That evidence tells you whether the failure came from an unavailable download, an incorrect ID, a changed mod dependency, or a save that is no longer compatible.
Fix the common “Workshop item version is different than the server” error
The server has a newer item than the client
Have the client close Project Zomboid, allow Steam to finish its Workshop download, and start again. If the client still has the old files, remove only the affected local Workshop item through the normal Steam client workflow and let it redownload. Do not downgrade the server blindly until you have identified which side changed.
The client has a newer item than the server
Check whether WORKSHOP_AUTO_UPDATE=0 is pinning an old server copy, whether the startup job was skipped, or whether Steam was unreachable during the last run. Re-enable the updater, download the changed item, and restart during a maintenance window.
The numeric IDs and Mod IDs do not describe the same content
Compare each Workshop item description’s Mod ID: value with the corresponding entry in MODS. Correct the mapping, remove duplicate entries, and restart. A successful download cannot compensate for a wrong Mod ID in the server configuration.
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Collections are mutable. Re-expand the collection, record the new item list, and decide whether the added or removed item is safe for the current save. If collection expansion is unsupported in your deployment, replace the collection reference with an explicit, reviewed WORKSHOP_ITEMS list.
The updater deleted the old copy after a failed download
Change the update job to stage downloads and promote them only after success. Restore the last known-good Workshop directory, verify permissions, and rerun the job with Steam connectivity fixed. A failed network request should leave the installed copy untouched.
Operational checklist
- Record the server branch, SteamCMD command, item IDs, collection IDs, Mod IDs, and update setting.
- Run the updater while the server is stopped, or ensure runtime polling queues a controlled restart.
- Back up
Zomboid/Saves/and configuration before activating changed mods. - Keep the previous Workshop copy until the new server has passed log and connection checks.
- Notify players before and after the restart; require clients to refresh their Workshop files.
- Review the startup log for failed downloads, missing Mod IDs, map errors, and version-mismatch messages.
- When an update breaks the world, stop further automation, preserve the logs, and restore the matching files and save backup rather than repeatedly starting the server with mixed versions.
When to pin instead of auto-update
Automatic refresh is appropriate when you can test updates and maintain backups. Pin the existing files with WORKSHOP_AUTO_UPDATE=0 when a long-running world, tournament, or role-play event cannot tolerate an unplanned content change. Test a new mod set on a copy of the save, then schedule one deliberate update that changes the item list, performs the backup, and restarts everyone together.
The objective is not to update at the shortest interval. It is to ensure that the server, save, and every connecting client move to the same known content set as one transaction.
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