Configure a Don’t Starve Together dedicated server in two stages: list Workshop items in dedicated_server_mods_setup.lua so the server downloads them, then enable and configure those same items in modoverrides.lua inside every shard folder you use. A mod that appears only in the download file is installed but does not run.
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The procedure below applies to the standard dedicated-server layout described by community guides. File locations and startup behavior can differ between self-hosted and managed servers, and the available documentation is largely from 2016–2019 rather than the current game build, so verify the paths and console output on your host.
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DST separates downloading a Workshop mod from loading it into a world. Treat these as independent operations:
| File | Job | Scope | What you add |
|---|---|---|---|
dedicated_server_mods_setup.lua |
Requests that the server download Workshop content during startup. | The server’s main mods directory. |
One ServerModSetup line per Workshop mod, or a ServerModCollectionSetup line for a collection. |
modoverrides.lua |
Enables a downloaded mod and supplies its configuration values. | Each shard directory, normally Master and, if enabled, Caves. |
An entry keyed by workshop-ID, with enabled = true and an optional configuration_options table. |
The distinction is confirmed in installation and configuration guides from GGServers, Nodecraft and XGamingServer. The setup file is read at boot to obtain the files; the shard override file determines whether the game actually loads each mod.
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Prepare the server before editing
- Stop the dedicated server before changing either Lua file. This prevents a running process from rewriting or ignoring your edits.
- Back up the existing
dedicated_server_mods_setup.luaand every shard’smodoverrides.lua. - Have the exact Workshop ID for each mod. The ID is the number after
?id=in that item’s Steam Workshop URL. - Identify your cluster and shard folders. A typical cluster has
Master; a world with caves also hasCaves. - Use a plain-text editor that preserves the
.luaextension. Saving a file as.lua.txtleaves the server unable to read it.
Install locations vary between an install made through Steam and one created with SteamCMD. Community setup references show both arrangements, so use your host’s documented root rather than copying a path from another machine. The DST dedicated-server guide and Steam’s complete dedicated-server guide illustrate the common layouts.
1. Find each Workshop ID
Open the mod’s Workshop page and copy only the numeric value following ?id=. Do not copy the entire URL, the mod’s display name, or a collection’s title. Keep the ID as a string in Lua, because it is used in two different forms:
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ServerModSetup('ID'). - Shard override key:
['workshop-ID'].
If a Workshop URL contains additional parameters, the ID still ends at the number immediately following ?id= (or follows &id= when another parameter appears first). Record the IDs in a small checklist so the same value is copied into both files without transposed digits.
2. Add mods to dedicated_server_mods_setup.lua
Open the setup file in the server’s main mods directory. Add one line for each individual Workshop item:
ServerModSetup("WORKSHOP_ID_ONE")
ServerModSetup("WORKSHOP_ID_TWO")Replace each all-caps token with the numeric ID you copied. Leave the quotation marks and parentheses in place. The file can contain comments, but every active line must be valid Lua.
Use a collection when appropriate
For a Steam Workshop collection, use the collection’s ID with the collection function instead of entering every member individually:
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ServerModCollectionSetup("COLLECTION_ID")This asks the server to obtain the mods listed in that collection. You still need entries in modoverrides.lua for the mods you want enabled in the shard; downloading a collection does not, by itself, activate every item.
Save and check the file
Save as a real Lua file named exactly dedicated_server_mods_setup.lua. Avoid smart quotes, extra commas in the wrong place, or a second extension. Start the server once after this edit and watch the console. A syntax error in the setup file can prevent the server from booting, a failure noted in the Nodecraft installation procedure.
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3. Enable and configure the mod in each shard
Inside the cluster, open the shard directory (for example, Master) and create or edit modoverrides.lua. A minimal entry is:
return {
['workshop-WORKSHOP_ID'] = {
enabled = true,
},
}Replace WORKSHOP_ID with the same number used in ServerModSetup. The workshop- prefix is required in the override key. Keep the outer return { ... }; without it, the game cannot read the table.
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Many mods expose settings such as a mode, a rate, or a user interface toggle. Add those under configuration_options:
return {
['workshop-WORKSHOP_ID'] = {
enabled = true,
configuration_options = {
-- Copy the option names and values defined by this mod.
},
},
}Option names are not universal. Open that mod’s modinfo.lua and copy its configuration_options table, as recommended by the XGamingServer configuration guide and the Klei forum syntax clarification. Preserve each key’s spelling, capitalization, commas and value type. A key that is not declared by the mod will not create a new setting.
Repeat the entry for every shard
Copy the relevant entry into Master/modoverrides.lua and Caves/modoverrides.lua when the cluster has both shards. The files are independent: enabling a mod in Master does not enable it in Caves. If a mod is intended only for one shard, place its entry only in that shard’s file.
Use the in-game Mods tab instead of hand-writing options
Manual editing is useful for repeatable deployments, but the dedicated server’s in-game Mods tab can generate the override syntax for you. Enable and configure the mod through that tab, then copy the generated modoverrides.lua from the cluster folder. This approach is particularly helpful when a mod has many option keys or expects non-obvious value types; it avoids guessing the structure while still leaving you with a file that can be backed up and deployed.
| Method | Best for | Main caution |
|---|---|---|
| Manual Lua editing | Administrators who need a version-controlled, repeatable configuration. | A typo in an ID, key, comma or option name can stop loading or leave settings at defaults. |
| In-game Mods tab, then copy the file | First-time setup or mods with extensive configuration tables. | Copy the generated file to the correct cluster and shard; do not assume one shard’s file covers another. |
Managed hosting versus a self-hosted server
On a self-hosted installation, you normally edit the files directly over the server’s filesystem. Managed providers may expose a file manager, an “Install mods” control, or a startup-script setting instead. Their guides describe the same two-file logic, but the visible path and restart button differ.
- Use the panel’s file manager to locate the actual
modsdirectory and cluster shard folders. - If the panel offers a mod installer, verify that it writes both the download list and the shard override file; some controls perform only one of those jobs.
- After saving, use the panel’s full restart rather than a world reload if the provider distinguishes the two.
- Check startup scripts. A forum report describes a hosting launch script that rewrites
dedicated_server_mods_setup.luaas a blank file; this is a single, low-confidence report, but checking the script explains why a correct edit might disappear.
Because sources disagree on exact paths, confirm the layout with your provider or with the server’s startup arguments. The simple dedicated-server setup guide and the Steam installation and update guide show different layouts that can both be valid.
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Plan a repeatable mod rollout
For a small server, add one mod, restart, and test before adding the next. This makes a malformed line or incompatible option easy to identify. For a larger list, prepare a table with the Workshop ID, the intended shard, whether it needs options, and the date of your last successful test. Keep that checklist with the two Lua files so another administrator can reproduce the setup.
Use a consistent order in both files. Although the ID is the important value, matching the order makes visual comparison easier and reduces the chance of enabling the wrong item. Do not duplicate an ID under slightly different spellings; one numeric ID should have one download line and one override entry per shard.
Updating, disabling, and removing a mod
When a Workshop item is updated, restart the server so the setup file is read again and the current download can be obtained. Check the console for a download or loading message before players join. If you want to disable a mod temporarily, leave its download line in place but set enabled = false in the relevant shard override, or remove the override entry and test the result according to your host’s behavior. To remove it completely, stop the server, delete its override entry, remove its setup line (or adjust the collection), then restart and verify that the world still loads. Keep a backup before removing anything from an established world.
Disabling in Master does not disable the same mod in Caves. Review every shard file during an update or removal, and do not assume a collection change automatically cleans old override entries.
Lua syntax details that prevent avoidable failures
The override file must return one table. Multiple mods are separated by commas inside that table:
return {
['workshop-111111111'] = {
enabled = true,
},
['workshop-222222222'] = {
enabled = true,
configuration_options = {
example_option = 1,
},
},
}Use straight quotes, matching braces, and commas between sibling entries. Keep option values in the type the mod declares; do not replace a boolean with a quoted word or a number with a display label. Comments beginning with -- are safe, but remove placeholder text that is not valid Lua. If the file contains a syntax error, restore the backup and add entries one at a time.
Restart and verify the installation
- Stop the server and save both classes of file.
- Start the server. On this boot, the setup file should trigger Workshop downloads.
- Read the console from the beginning, looking for Lua parse errors, Workshop download failures, or a mod-loading message.
- Confirm that every intended mod has an entry in the setup file and an
enabled = trueentry in the relevant shard file. - Join the world and test a visible feature or setting from each mod. Test the
MasterandCavesshards separately if both are enabled.
Do not infer success merely from seeing a mod folder on disk. A downloaded but unlisted override is inactive, while an enabled override for a mod that failed to download cannot load.
Troubleshoot mods that do not load
The mod is downloaded but has no effect
- Check that its numeric ID appears in
dedicated_server_mods_setup.lua. - Check that the same ID appears as
workshop-IDin the shard’smodoverrides.lua. - Confirm
enabled = true, including the underscore and lowercase spelling. - Verify that you edited the shard the server actually starts, not a different cluster or a local client profile.
The two-file requirement is emphasized by the Nodecraft guide and the GGServers guide.
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The server fails to boot after an edit
Read the first Lua error in the console and inspect the most recent file you changed. Common causes are a missing comma between entries, an unmatched brace, smart quotation marks, or a filename saved as plain text rather than Lua. Restore the backup, start the server, and reapply one change at a time so the offending line is isolated.
The mod works in Master but not in Caves
Place the mod’s entry in Caves/modoverrides.lua as well as Master/modoverrides.lua. Each shard reads its own table. If the Caves shard is not part of the cluster, editing a Caves file will have no effect on the active world.
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Options are ignored or reset
Open the mod’s current modinfo.lua and compare every option key and value with your override. Copying a setting from another mod, using a display label instead of the declared key, or placing the table outside the mod’s entry prevents it from being applied. The in-game Mods-tab method is a practical way to obtain the exact structure.
The setup file keeps reverting
Inspect the launch script and provider automation for a step that regenerates the file. Remove that overwrite, change the script’s source list, or use the host’s supported mod-install mechanism. This behavior is reported in one forum-style source rather than established across hosts, so treat it as a host-specific check.
No modoverrides.lua exists
Create it in the appropriate shard directory with the return { ... } structure shown above. One community source claims the file may be auto-filled for new worlds but not auto-created for existing worlds; that behavior is not corroborated, so do not rely on automatic generation.
A complete layout to compare against
Your names may differ, but the relationships should look like this:
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<server-root>
├─ mods
│ └─ dedicated_server_mods_setup.lua
└─ cluster
├─ Master
│ └─ modoverrides.lua
└─ Caves
└─ modoverrides.luaThe important checks are that the setup file is in the server’s main mods directory, each active shard has its own override file, and the same Workshop ID is represented in both stages.
Current-version caution
The available procedures for this topic come primarily from community guides, Steam guides and forum discussions published roughly between 2016 and 2019. No current official Klei documentation was located in those references, and no 2026-specific build verification is available. The two-file workflow and ID syntax are consistent across the cited guides, but a host may change directory names, panel labels or startup behavior. When your installation differs, trust the server’s actual console errors and the host’s current path documentation rather than forcing an example path.
Final checklist
- Every Workshop ID was copied from the number after
?id=. dedicated_server_mods_setup.luacontainsServerModSetuporServerModCollectionSetuplines.- Each active shard’s
modoverrides.luauses theworkshop-IDkey andenabled = true. - Configuration keys came from that mod’s
modinfo.luaor the generated in-game file. - Files are saved with the exact
.luanames and are not being overwritten by a startup script. - The server was fully restarted and the console was checked before players joined.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is my DST mod downloaded but not active?
Downloading and enabling are separate. Put the numeric Workshop ID in dedicated_server_mods_setup.lua and add the same ID as [‘workshop-ID’] with enabled = true in the correct shard’s modoverrides.lua.
Do I need a separate modoverrides.lua for Caves?
Yes. Master and Caves read independent override files. Copy the mod entry into both shard folders when the mod should run in both.
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Open the Steam Workshop URL and copy the number after ?id=. Use that number in ServerModSetup(“ID”) and, with the workshop- prefix, in the override key.
Can I install a whole Workshop collection?
Yes. Add ServerModCollectionSetup(“COLLECTION_ID”) to the setup file. Collection downloading still does not enable every member; add override entries for the mods you want active.
How do I know which configuration options to use?
Open the mod’s modinfo.lua and copy its configuration_options table, including exact key spelling and value types. You can also configure it through the in-game Mods tab and copy the generated file.
Why does the server stop booting after I edit Lua?
Inspect the first console error for a missing comma, unmatched brace, smart quote, invalid placeholder, or a file saved with the wrong extension. Restore your backup and reapply one change at a time.
My mod works in Master but not Caves. What should I check?
Confirm that Caves is an active shard and that Caves/modoverrides.lua contains its own enabled entry. An entry in Master does not carry over.
What if my hosting panel erases the setup file?
Check startup scripts and automation for a step that rewrites dedicated_server_mods_setup.lua. Use the provider’s supported installer or change the script so your mod list is retained.
The Bottom Line
Use both files: dedicated_server_mods_setup.lua downloads Workshop content, while each shard’s modoverrides.lua enables and configures it. Match the same Workshop ID in both places, copy options from modinfo.lua or the generated Mods-tab file, restart fully, and verify the console.
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