Configure Factorio server mods in two separate layers: install the exact mod set the server should load, then set each mod’s options through Factorio’s Mod Settings screen and save those values with the map. Use server-settings.json only for server-listing and server-level options, and use --mod-directory when the server needs a dedicated mod collection. A dedicated server must be started with a save file, for example factorio --start-server SAVE --server-settings PATH.
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What “mod settings” means on a dedicated server
Factorio has several kinds of settings that look similar in the interface but live at different scopes. Confusing them is the main reason administrators edit the wrong file or believe settings have been lost.
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| Setting scope | What it controls | Where it is applied |
|---|---|---|
| Startup | Options a mod defines for initialization | When the game or map loads, according to the mod’s definition |
| Runtime-global | One value shared by the whole map | During the game for settings the mod permits at runtime |
| Runtime-per-user | A value that can differ for individual players | For each player in the loaded game |
The Mod Settings screen exposes these categories for the mods that are installed. The setting’s scope matters more than the machine on which you edit it: a runtime-global value belongs to the map, while a runtime-per-user value belongs to a player. A local player’s settings are also persisted between sessions in mod-settings.dat.
When a player joins multiplayer, Factorio can either keep that player’s local settings for the save or use the settings synchronized with the save. The player’s “keep mod settings per save” choice determines which values win. This is why a setting can appear correct in single-player and then seem to revert after joining a server.
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The files and options you should not mix up
Each file or command-line option has a narrow job. Treat the following as a map of responsibilities before changing anything.
| Item | Purpose | When it applies |
|---|---|---|
mod-settings.dat |
Persists local player mod-setting choices | Between local sessions; multiplayer synchronization can instead apply the save’s values |
server-settings.json |
Server listing and server-level options such as name, description, tags, visibility and player limits | At server startup when supplied with --server-settings |
--mod-directory PATH |
Selects the directory containing the mods used by the server | At server startup |
map-gen-settings.json |
Map-generator parameters, including terrain and resource generation | When creating a new map with --create |
map-settings.json |
Simulation parameters such as pollution, evolution and biter expansion | When creating a new map with --create |
| Save file | The world and its synchronized map state, including map-wide mod values | Loaded by the dedicated server |
There is no general “mod options” section in server-settings.json. Editing the server listing file will not change a mod’s startup, runtime-global or runtime-per-user value. Likewise, map-generation and map-simulation JSON files describe the world being created; they are not substitutes for the Mod Settings screen.
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Prerequisites: make the server and clients compatible
Install one authoritative mod collection
Place every required mod and the required version in the directory selected for the server. A dedicated collection can be kept separate from another Factorio installation by launching with --mod-directory PATH. This is useful when several worlds need different mod sets or when you want to upgrade one server without changing another.
Every client that joins must be able to load the same compatible mod set. If a client lacks a required mod, has a different version, or has an incompatible dependency, Factorio will stop the join or request synchronization before the player enters the map. Keep a written record of the mod names and versions used for the save so an administrator can reproduce the collection.
Have a save ready
A dedicated server requires a save file. For an existing world, use that save. For a new world, create one before starting the dedicated server with --create SAVE. You may add --map-gen-settings FILE and --map-settings FILE to control generation and simulation. Those files affect the world, not the mod options described in the Mod Settings screen.
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Step-by-step: configure and launch the server
1. Select the mods and directory
- Install the server’s required mods and exact versions.
- Choose the directory Factorio should read. Use the normal installation directory if the server shares the default collection, or specify an isolated location with
--mod-directory PATH. - Ensure each joining client can obtain the same compatible collection before testing the server.
Changing the selected directory changes which mods Factorio sees at launch. It does not itself create or migrate a save, so keep the save associated with the collection that created it.
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2. Create a new save or choose an existing one
For a new map, run a command in the form:
factorio --create SAVETo provide world-generation and simulation parameters during creation, use:
factorio --create SAVE --map-gen-settings MAP_GEN_FILE --map-settings MAP_FILEUse an existing save when you need to preserve a world and its synchronized state. Do not expect map-gen-settings.json or map-settings.json to carry mod options; they have the narrower purposes shown in the file map above.
3. Set the mod options in Factorio
- Open Factorio’s Mod Settings screen.
- Review the installed mods and identify whether each option is under Startup, Runtime-global or Runtime-per-user.
- Set startup values that should apply when the game or map initializes.
- Set runtime-global values for rules that should be shared by the map.
- Set runtime-per-user values for preferences that may legitimately differ between players.
- Apply the changes using the controls shown by Factorio, then use the resulting save as the server’s authoritative world.
Only settings exposed by the installed mod can be changed. A server administrator cannot turn a runtime-per-user option into a map-wide value by editing a server JSON file, and a map-wide option cannot be made player-specific unless the mod provides that scope.
4. Prepare server listing and server-level options separately
Factorio supplies an example server-settings file in its data directory named server-settings.example.json. Copy that example to your own configuration file and edit the copy. Typical fields include the server name, description, tags, visibility and player limits.
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Keep this file separate from the save and from mod settings. It describes how the server is advertised and accepts connections; it is not a backup of the values in the Mod Settings screen.
5. Start the dedicated server
Start a specific save with:
factorio --start-server SAVE --server-settings PATHIf the server should load the most recently available save, use the load-latest form:
factorio --start-server-load-latest --server-settings PATHAdd the mod directory when the server uses an isolated collection:
factorio --start-server SAVE --mod-directory MODS_PATH --server-settings PATHReplace SAVE, MODS_PATH and PATH with real paths. Quote a path when it contains spaces. The command-line reference describes these parameters as a way to set launch-time options, which is especially useful for server hosts.
6. Join and verify synchronization
- Connect with a client that has the same compatible mod set.
- Open the client’s Mod Settings screen after the save has loaded.
- Check a known runtime-global value and a known runtime-per-user value separately; they have different expected behavior.
- If a local value appears to replace the server’s value, inspect the client’s “keep mod settings per save” behavior and choose whether the save’s synchronized settings should be used.
- Have a second player join and confirm that map-wide values match while genuinely per-user preferences remain player-specific.
Why settings reset when you join a server
The client is keeping local settings
mod-settings.dat preserves local player choices between sessions. In multiplayer, the “keep mod settings per save” choice controls whether those local choices are retained for the save or replaced by synchronized values from the save. If the server’s values should be authoritative, use the synchronization behavior that applies the save’s settings rather than preserving a conflicting local copy.
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You changed a different scope
A runtime-per-user setting is expected to differ by player, so changing it on the server does not make every player see the same value. Conversely, a runtime-global option is map-wide and should come from the loaded save. Check the category shown in Mod Settings before diagnosing a reset.
You edited the server listing file
Changing server-settings.json affects listing and server-level fields, not mod options. Return to the Mod Settings screen and save the desired values with the world.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsThe server loaded another save or mod directory
Verify the save named in --start-server SAVE, or confirm which save the load-latest command selected. Then verify the --mod-directory path. A correct setting in one save or mod collection will not appear when the server starts a different one.
Diagnosing connection and configuration failures
Clients report missing or incompatible mods
- Compare the client’s installed mods and versions with the server’s selected directory.
- Check that dependencies required by the installed mods are present.
- Confirm that the server did not start with an unintended
--mod-directory. - After correcting the collection, restart the server with the intended save and test again.
The server will not start because no save was supplied
A dedicated server needs a save file. Create one first with --create SAVE, or provide an existing save to --start-server. The multiplayer documentation explicitly treats the save as required rather than optional.
World terrain or enemy behavior is wrong
Check the files used while creating the map. Terrain and resource generation belong in map-gen-settings.json; pollution, evolution and biter expansion belong in map-settings.json. Neither file is the place to store ordinary mod options.
Changes appear in one session but not another
Determine whether the value is local-player persistence or save-synchronized state. Local persistence is represented by mod-settings.dat; multiplayer can replace it with the loaded save’s settings according to the player’s synchronization choice.
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Choosing a repeatable administration method
For a one-off test, changing values in the Mod Settings screen may be enough. For a long-running server, make each layer explicit so another administrator can reproduce it.
| Administration need | Use | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Keep a map-wide mod rule with the world | Configure the mod in Mod Settings and use the resulting save | The save carries synchronized map state |
| Keep player preferences between local sessions | Allow Factorio to persist local choices in mod-settings.dat |
These are player-specific rather than server-listing values |
| Run a separate mod collection | Launch with --mod-directory PATH |
The server reads the intended directory instead of the default collection |
| Standardize listing and access details | Maintain a copied and edited server-settings.json |
Startup applies server name, description, tags, visibility and player limits |
| Reproduce a new world | Record --create plus the map-generation and map-settings files |
Those inputs define the generated terrain and simulation behavior |
Store the startup command, the selected mod directory and the server-settings file together in your operational notes. Treat the save as the source for synchronized map state and treat the local mod-settings.dat file as a player-side persistence mechanism, not as the server’s configuration backup.
Pre-launch checklist
- The required mods and compatible versions are installed in the directory the server will use.
- Joining clients can load the same compatible collection.
- An existing save has been selected, or a new save has been created with
--create. - Mod options have been set in the Mod Settings screen under the correct scope.
- Any map-generation or simulation JSON files are being used only for a new map.
- The copied
server-settings.jsoncontains listing and server-level values, not mod options. - The launch command includes
--start-serveror--start-server-load-latest. --mod-directoryis present when an isolated collection is required.- A joining client’s “keep mod settings per save” behavior matches the intended synchronization policy.
- At least one client has joined and checked the loaded Mod Settings values.
The practical rule to remember
Use the Mod Settings screen and the save for mod behavior, mod-settings.dat for local player persistence, server-settings.json for server listing and server-level fields, --mod-directory for selecting the mod collection, and the map JSON files only when creating a world. Once those boundaries are respected, configuring a Factorio dedicated server becomes a predictable sequence: prepare compatible mods, create or select the save, set mod scopes, configure server listing options, launch with the correct paths, and verify synchronization from a client.
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