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To install mods on a Euro Truck Simulator 2 (ETS2) or American Truck Simulator (ATS) dedicated server, activate the mods in your own game, load a map, run export_server_packages, then upload the generated server_packages.sii and server_packages.dat files to the stopped server. Restart the server after replacing both files. The dedicated server does not download mods from Steam Workshop, so every player must already have the same mod content and load order.
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This method is the current, documented approach for both games. It also handles DLC requirements: any active DLC selected when you export is recorded in the package files and becomes a server requirement.
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What a dedicated ETS2 or ATS server actually uses
A dedicated server does not run the Steam client and cannot browse or download Steam Workshop items. It reads a description of the required content from two files exported by a normal game client:
| File | Purpose | What to do with it |
|---|---|---|
server_packages.sii |
Text package information describing the active content | Upload it to the server data directory |
server_packages.dat |
Binary package data created with the matching SII file | Upload it together with the SII file |
The pair is generated by the export_server_packages console command while your client is in a loaded map. The server reads the pair during startup. It does not need a copy of every Workshop download in a server-side mod folder when using this documented package-export method.
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Every joining player still needs the actual mods in their own game installation. The server uses the exported package list to check that a player’s content and order match. A missing mod, different mod version, or different load order causes the connection to be refused with a missing-content or wrong-version message.
Requirements and preparation
Have these items ready before changing the server:
- A PC copy of ETS2 or ATS that can load the map you intend to use.
- The desired mods installed in the client, whether they came from Workshop or were installed manually.
- Access to the server host’s control panel, file manager, or FTP account.
- Permission to stop and restart the dedicated server.
- The exact game and profile environment in which you will activate and export the mods.
Make a note of the server’s current package files before replacing them. Downloading a backup of the existing server_packages.sii and server_packages.dat gives you a quick rollback if the new export is incomplete or the server stops accepting players.
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 errorsDo not export from a profile that has only some of the content you want. The command records active mods and active downloadable content (DLC) at the time of export, so prepare the complete set first.
How the installation workflow fits together
| Stage | Where it happens | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Enable the developer console | Your ETS2 or ATS client | The tilde key can open the console |
| Activate mods and DLC | Mod Manager and game profile | The client has the exact content to publish |
| Load a map and export | Inside a running game session | Two server package files are written to the game home folder |
| Upload the pair | Server host file manager or FTP | The server has the new package definition |
| Restart and test | Server control panel and player clients | Players can join only when their content matches |
Step 1: Enable the console in ETS2 or ATS
The export command is entered in the in-game console. You enable it by editing the game’s config.cfg file with a plain-text editor such as Notepad.
- Exit ETS2 or ATS completely, including any launcher that might rewrite the configuration on exit.
- Open the game’s Documents folder. ETS2 normally uses
DocumentsEuro Truck Simulator 2; ATS normally usesDocumentsAmerican Truck Simulator. - Open
config.cfgin Notepad or another plain-text editor. Do not use a word processor that adds formatting. - Find the console setting and make sure it reads
uset g_console "1". - Set the developer option to
uset g_developer "1"as well. Some installations can export with only the console enabled, but enabling both avoids command-access problems described by common setup guides. - Save the file without changing its name or adding a second extension such as
.txt.
If the tilde key does not open a console after this change, verify that you edited the Documents folder used by the active installation and that the settings remain set to 1 after launching the game. Keyboard layouts can place the console key differently; use the key assigned to the backtick/tilde position on your layout.
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Step 2: Activate the exact mods and DLC in your client
- Start the appropriate game and open the profile you will use for the export.
- Open Mod Manager.
- Move every required mod into the ACTIVE MODS list. Leave out test, disabled, or optional items that should not be required on the server.
- Arrange the active mods in the intended load order. The server checks order as well as presence, so a player with the same files in a different order may still be rejected.
- Press Confirm Changes and wait for the game to finish applying the profile.
- Enable every DLC that the server should require before exporting. Active DLC is written into the export, so a DLC that is not active at this point will not be represented in the package list.
- Start a session and load a map. The command is intended to run while a map is loaded rather than from the title screen.
For a reliable export, use the same profile and mod arrangement that you will document for players. If a mod has optional compatibility files, activate the complete combination in the order required by that mod’s author before exporting.
Step 3: Run export_server_packages
- While the map is loaded, press the key that opens the console, usually
~(backtick). - Enter
export_server_packagesand press Enter. - Wait for the command to complete, then close the console and exit the game normally so the files are flushed to disk.
The command writes server_packages.sii and server_packages.dat into the game’s home (Documents) folder. Look in the same ETS2 or ATS Documents directory that contains config.cfg.
An optional form lets you choose a destination filename: export_server_packages destination file. Use this only when you have a specific file-management reason; the standard filenames make it easier to identify the pair and avoid uploading the wrong export. If you use a custom destination, confirm which files were produced and preserve the matching SII and DAT pair.
Do not edit either generated file by hand. They are produced together, and changing one or mixing files from separate exports can make the server reject clients or fail to load the package definition.
Step 4: Stop the server and upload both files
- Open the host control panel and stop the dedicated server. Wait until its status shows that the process has fully stopped.
- Open the host’s file manager or connect with FTP.
- Locate the ETS2 or ATS user-data directory used by that installation.
- Download the existing package files as a backup, if they are present.
- Upload the newly generated
server_packages.siiandserver_packages.dat, replacing the old pair. - Check that both files are in the directory the server actually reads, not in a parent folder or an unrelated profile directory.
- Start the server and wait for it to finish loading before testing a player connection.
Host layouts differ. Examples seen in hosting documentation include .local/share/Euro Truck Simulator 2, .local/share/American Truck Simulator, and ./userfiles/American Truck Simulator/. These are examples, not universal paths. Use the path specified by your host for that particular game and installation.
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Replacing the old pair is safer than deleting files first. If the upload fails halfway, stop the server and restore the backed-up pair rather than leaving an SII file without its matching DAT file.
Step 5: Make every player match
Package export does not distribute the underlying mods. Give players the exact mod list and load order they must reproduce in their own ETS2 or ATS clients.
- Players install or subscribe to every required mod.
- They activate the same items in Mod Manager.
- They place them in the same order used for the export.
- They install or own every DLC recorded in the package list.
- They launch the same game title and a compatible game build.
A player who lacks one required item receives a missing-content prompt and is blocked. A player whose local copy has changed after a Workshop update can receive a wrong-version rejection even when the mod name appears correct. Re-exporting after the update and uploading the new pair is necessary; simply restarting the server does not refresh its package definition.
Updating, removing, or replacing mods
Treat every mod-list change as a new export. This includes adding a truck, removing a map, changing a compatibility patch, updating a Workshop item, or enabling a new DLC.
- Stop using the server or announce a maintenance window.
- Update the mods in the client and open Mod Manager.
- Confirm the final active list and load order.
- Load a map and run
export_server_packagesagain. - Exit the game, then upload the newly generated SII and DAT files as a pair.
- Restart the server and test with a client that has just synchronized its mods.
Keep a dated copy of each exported pair while you operate a busy server. A simple naming scheme outside the server directory, such as an archive folder with the game, date, and mod-set name, makes rollback possible without editing generated files.
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Troubleshooting an ATS or ETS2 modded server
The server starts, but everyone is rejected for missing content
- Confirm that both package files were uploaded and that their timestamps match the latest export.
- Check that the files are in the server’s active data directory, not merely in an FTP home directory.
- Compare the server’s required list with the player’s active Mod Manager list.
- Check load order, including compatibility patches and map dependencies.
- Verify that the player owns and has enabled every DLC included in the export.
A player sees a wrong-version message
Most often, the player’s local mod changed after the server export or the server still has an older package pair. Update the player’s mod, export again from the current client state, upload both files, and restart. Do not assume that a Workshop subscription automatically updates the server’s package definition.
The console command appears to do nothing
- Make sure
g_consoleis set to1in the correct game’sconfig.cfg. - Enable
g_developeras well, then restart the client. - Run the command after a map has loaded.
- Look in the game home folder for both output files after exiting.
- Check that security software or file permissions did not prevent writing to Documents.
Only one generated file is present
Do not upload a lone file. Run the export again, exit the client, and confirm that both server_packages.sii and server_packages.dat exist. They are a matched pair and should be transferred together.
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The server fails after uploading new files
- Stop the server and restore the backed-up pair to determine whether the failure is tied to the new export.
- Confirm that the upload was binary-safe and that the filenames were not changed by the file manager.
- Re-export from a clean, loadable profile with the intended mods active.
- Check the host’s server log for a path or package error and verify the host’s game version is compatible with the client export.
Players can join but experience map or asset errors
Joining successfully does not prove that optional dependencies are correct. Review the complete load order and make sure every map, asset pack, and compatibility file required by the selected map is active in the exporting profile and in each player’s profile.
Why older installation advice can conflict
You may find older forum posts recommending that you upload every non-Workshop mod into a server-side mod folder. The newer official package-export workflow does not require copying additional mod data for a dedicated server. The server does not access Steam Workshop, but it can use the package information exported by a game client. Following both methods at once can create duplicate or stale content and makes troubleshooting harder.
Likewise, instructions that say to delete the old package files before uploading are unnecessary for normal updates. Stop the server, replace the existing pair, and keep a backup. Host-specific folder names also vary; the path difference does not change the export or upload procedure.
Operational checklist
- Console enabled in the correct game’s
config.cfg. - All intended mods active and ordered in Mod Manager.
- Required DLC active before export.
- A map loaded when
export_server_packagesis run. - Both generated files found in the game home folder.
- Server stopped before upload.
- Old package pair backed up.
- New SII and DAT files uploaded together to the host’s real data directory.
- Server restarted and tested with a matching client.
- New export prepared after every mod, DLC, or version change.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can the dedicated server download a Workshop mod for a player?
No. The server cannot access Steam Workshop. Players must have the required content locally, while the server uses the exported package files to verify it.
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One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware matchDo I need to upload the actual mod files to the server?
Not for the official package-export workflow. Upload the generated server_packages.sii and server_packages.dat pair; do not mix this process with older advice about copying a separate server-side mod folder.
What should I do after a Workshop mod updates?
Update the client, verify the active list and order, run export_server_packages while a map is loaded, and replace both server package files before restarting.
Why does my host’s folder not match another guide?
Host operating systems and layouts differ. Follow the host’s documented ETS2 or ATS data path; the export, paired upload, and restart steps remain the same.
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