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This guide covers both installation methods, gamemode and map startup, client downloads, verification, update policies, and the failures that commonly make an addon appear installed when players still see missing content.
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Understand the two addon workflows
Garry’s Mod dedicated servers support two practical ways to install custom content:
| Workflow | What you install | How the server finds it | Main advantage | Main trade-off |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loose (non-Workshop) addon | An unpacked addon folder | Folder under garrysmod/addons/ |
Direct control over files and source-level edits | You handle downloads, updates, and client distribution |
| Workshop collection | Collection of Workshop item IDs | +host_workshop_collection at startup, or srcds_workshop_ids.txt |
Automatic download and updates from the Workshop | Depends on collection visibility, Steam access, and update state |
Both methods affect server-side discovery. A mounted addon can run Lua or provide a map on the server while a player still lacks the corresponding client files. Treat installation and client content delivery as separate tasks.
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Before you copy anything
Identify the server’s Garry’s Mod root
All paths in this article are relative to the dedicated server’s Garry’s Mod installation. The target is the folder that contains garrysmod/, not the directory that holds SteamCMD itself. A typical installation therefore contains a path such as garrysmod/addons/, garrysmod/cfg/, and (for the base game) garrysmod/gamemodes/.
Back up configuration and stop the process
Stop the server before copying or replacing files. Keep a backup of the startup command, garrysmod/cfg/, and any custom Lua files. Restarting after each change gives you a clean load and makes console errors easier to associate with one addon.
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Do not run an archive blindly. Open it and find the folder that actually contains addon subfolders such as lua, maps, materials, models, particles, resource, scripts, or sound. Empty directories have no purpose in the official addon structure. Keep each addon in its own directory so it can be removed or isolated without changing the base game tree.
Install a downloaded (non-Workshop) addon
1. Unpack to the real addon folder
Extract the download locally, then look at the first level inside the extracted directory. The correct layout is:
garrysmod/
└── addons/
└── my_addon/
├── lua/
├── materials/
├── models/
└── sound/The name my_addon is an example. A simple lowercase name using letters, numbers, underscores, or dashes avoids avoidable path problems. The addon’s own folder must be directly inside addons/.
A frequent mistake is leaving an archive or repository wrapper in the path:
garrysmod/addons/my_addon-main/my_addon/lua/...If the addon files are one or more levels deeper than the folder directly under addons/, Garry’s Mod may not discover them. Remove the extra ZIP or GitHub-style wrapper level so the folder containing lua, maps, and similar directories is the one placed in addons/.
2. Preserve the addon’s content tree
Do not flatten files into the base game. Keep the subfolders supplied by the addon:
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luafor server, client, and shared Lua files.mapsfor BSP maps supplied by the addon.materials,models, andparticlesfor visual assets.resourceandscriptsfor files used by the game’s content system.soundfor audio files.
Only copy folders the addon actually uses. Editing files in the base game tree can create conflicts and makes later troubleshooting or removal harder; the addon-folder model is the supported organization.
3. Restart and read the console
Start the dedicated server again. Watch for Lua errors, missing dependencies, or a message indicating that the addon was discovered. A restart is required after adding or replacing a loose addon; loading a map again without restarting does not reliably reload every file.
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1. Create a collection with the required items
Create a Steam Workshop collection and add every addon the server needs. The collection must be public or unlisted so a dedicated server can access it. Private collections cannot be downloaded by the server.
Record the collection’s numeric ID from its Workshop URL. Distinguish this collection ID from the individual item IDs inside the collection; the startup parameter expects the collection ID.
2. Add the collection to the startup command
Add the following parameter to the command that launches the dedicated server:
+host_workshop_collection <COLLECTION_ID>For example, a launch command can include the collection and the initial game settings:
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srcds.exe -console -game garrysmod +host_workshop_collection 123456789 +gamemode sandbox +map gm_constructUse your actual collection ID. At startup the server downloads the collection and mounts all downloaded addons. The first launch can therefore take longer while files are fetched; subsequent launches check the collection again according to the update setting.
3. Set the gamemode and map when the collection provides them
If the collection contains a custom gamemode, add +gamemode <folder_name>. If it contains a map, add +map <map_name> without the .bsp extension:
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+gamemode my_gamemode +map my_custom_mapThe folder name must be the gamemode directory name, and the map value must be the BSP filename without its extension. Read the Workshop description or the author’s installation notes for the exact names; item titles are not necessarily folder or map names.
4. Choose an update policy
Workshop collections normally update at startup. To disable startup updates, the official dedicated-server documentation provides:
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Use the Workshop ID list file (Garry’s Mod 2026.09.22 or newer)
Garry’s Mod introduced a list-file method documented as new with version 2026.09.22. Because this version note can change, check the current dedicated-server documentation when upgrading.
Create the file
Manually create garrysmod/cfg/srcds_workshop_ids.txt. Use the documented key/value structure, for example:
"my_workshop_addons"
{
"1" { "wsid" "123277559" }
"2" { "wsid" "111412589" }
}Replace the example IDs with the numeric Workshop item IDs you need. Keep the quotation marks and braces. This approach lists individual items in a server-side configuration file instead of requiring one collection startup parameter.
When the file method is useful
- Use it when you want an explicit, reviewable list of item IDs.
- Use a collection when curating content for players or when nontechnical administrators need to manage the set in the Workshop interface.
- Do not configure the same content in conflicting ways without a reason; duplicate entries complicate update and error diagnosis.
Restart after creating or editing the file so the server performs discovery and mounting from a clean startup.
Make addon content available to players
Server mounting and client downloads solve different problems. The server can execute an addon while clients lack its map, sound, model, or material files. Symptoms include a map-download error, invisible props, checkerboard textures, or missing sounds.
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Workshop delivery with resource.AddWorkshop
The official Serving Content guidance documents adding a Workshop item for client delivery from Lua:
resource.AddWorkshop("WORKSHOP_ID")Use the numeric Workshop item ID and place the call in the server-side Lua file that runs for your configuration. This tells clients to obtain the associated Workshop content, but it does not replace correct server mounting or guarantee that every optional dependency is represented by one ID. Check the addon’s documentation for dependencies and add each required item.
Non-Workshop files with resource.AddFile or resource.AddSingleFile
For files that are not delivered through the Workshop, mark the required paths with resource.AddFile or resource.AddSingleFile. The paths must match the game’s content tree, for example a file under sound/ or materials/. Marking a file does not itself host it; clients still need a download route.
FastDL versus the built-in download path
FastDL uses a separate web server and the sv_downloadurl setting. It is the usual choice when you need to distribute a larger set of non-Workshop files. The built-in server download path is slower and requires:
sv_allowdownload 1Choose one delivery plan for each asset set, keep the directory structure identical between the game server and the download server, and test from a clean client. A server-side addon that works for an administrator who already owns the content can still fail for a first-time player.
Start a custom gamemode or map
Gamemode folder names
The +gamemode value names a folder under garrysmod/gamemodes/ or an addon’s gamemodes/ directory. It is not necessarily the display name shown in the Workshop. Use the actual folder name supplied by the addon.
Map names
The +map value is the BSP name without .bsp. For maps/arena_night.bsp, use:
+map arena_nightIf the map or gamemode is part of a Workshop item, read the item description or ask the author for the exact folder and map names. Changing these startup values requires a restart or a deliberate level change before the new setting takes effect.
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Verify that the server found and mounted the addon
Check the startup console
Look for Workshop download or mount messages and for errors naming a missing dependency, Lua file, or map. A successful download message confirms retrieval; it does not prove that all client-side files are available.
Inspect search paths with path
After startup, run:
pathThe command lists active search paths. Confirm that the expected addon or Workshop content path appears. This verifies discovery and mounting, not that every optional client asset has reached players.
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Test as a fresh client
Connect with a client that does not already have the addon’s files cached. Join the target map, observe downloads, and check representative models, materials, particles, and sounds. Test the actual gamemode and map combination rather than only loading the default sandbox map.
Troubleshoot the common failure branches
The loose addon does not load
- Open the installed folder and confirm the addon’s
lua,maps, or other content directories are directly beneathgarrysmod/addons/<addon_name>/. - Remove ZIP, repository, or release-wrapper levels around the real addon folder.
- Confirm the server process is using the Garry’s Mod installation you edited.
- Keep the addon isolated in its own folder and restart after correcting it.
The Workshop addon is absent
- Confirm the collection is public or unlisted, not private.
- Check the numeric collection ID and the spelling of
+host_workshop_collection. - Verify that the server can reach the Steam Workshop and that startup logs show a download attempt.
- If using
srcds_workshop_ids.txt, check its location, braces, quotation marks, and numericwsidvalues.
Players see a missing map or assets
- Separate server mounting from client delivery; mounting alone is insufficient.
- For Workshop content, configure
resource.AddWorkshopfor the required item IDs. - For non-Workshop content, mark files with
resource.AddFileorresource.AddSingleFileand provide FastDL or enablesv_allowdownload 1. - Test with a clean client and verify that dependencies are included.
The gamemode or map fails to start
- Use the exact gamemode folder name, not its display title.
- Use the exact map filename without
.bsp. - Restart or change level after editing startup parameters.
- Confirm the map and gamemode are actually mounted by checking
pathand the startup console.
An update creates conflicts
- Keep each addon in a separate folder so you can disable one suspected component.
- Avoid editing core game files.
- Review whether Workshop auto-updates are enabled and whether a newly updated map or dependency now differs from the server’s pinned content.
- Temporarily isolate the changed addon, restart, and reintroduce components one at a time.
Choose a maintainable setup
Use loose addons when source-level control matters
Loose folders are appropriate when you need to inspect Lua, apply a local configuration, or control exactly when files change. The cost is administrative: you must obtain updates, preserve a clean folder layout, and arrange client downloads for every non-Workshop asset.
Use a Workshop collection when administration should be centralized
Collections make a defined set of items easy to distribute and can update automatically at startup. They require a reachable, public or unlisted collection and careful monitoring when authors publish updates. If a stable production environment needs pinned content, disable automatic updates only with a process for reviewing and deploying new versions.
Plan delivery before opening the server
For every addon, record whether it contains server-only Lua, a map, or client assets. Pair the installation method with a delivery method: Workshop delivery for Workshop items, or resource marking plus FastDL/built-in downloads for loose files. This inventory prevents the common situation in which administrators verify the server while players receive an incomplete installation.
A complete restart checklist
- Stop the dedicated server and back up its startup command and configuration.
- For a loose addon, place the real addon folder directly in
garrysmod/addons/and preserve its content tree. - For Workshop content, verify collection visibility and add
+host_workshop_collection <COLLECTION_ID>, or creategarrysmod/cfg/srcds_workshop_ids.txton supported versions. - Set
+gamemodeand+maponly with the exact folder and BSP names. - Configure client delivery with
resource.AddWorkshop, resource file calls plus FastDL, or the built-in download path withsv_allowdownload 1. - Start the server, read the console, and run
path. - Connect from a clean client and test the map, gamemode, and representative assets.
- Document the addon version and update policy so the next restart is reproducible.
Bottom line
Put non-Workshop addons in a correctly unpacked folder under garrysmod/addons/. Load Workshop content with a public or unlisted collection startup parameter or the supported ID list file. Then configure client downloads separately, set exact gamemode and map names, restart, inspect path, and test from a clean client. That sequence distinguishes discovery, mounting, and player delivery—the three stages that determine whether a custom addon actually works for everyone.
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