Install Squad mods in five stages: install the dedicated server with SteamCMD, record each mod’s Steam Workshop ID, download the Workshop files with SteamCMD, copy the mod folder into SquadGame/Plugins/Mods/, and restart the server to verify that the mod loads. The Squad server uses app ID 403240; Squad’s Workshop uses app ID 393380.
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Keep the server stopped while downloading or replacing mod files. A running process can lock files or continue using an older copy, producing startup failures or a server that appears to ignore the update.
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- A Windows or Linux machine running the Squad dedicated server. Docker is supported as a separate deployment pattern.
- SteamCMD installed and able to log in anonymously.
- The server’s root directory, such as
C:serverssquad_serveron Windows. - The numeric Workshop ID for every mod you intend to install.
- Administrative access to stop the server, copy files, and edit its configuration.
- Firewall and router access if players will connect over the internet.
Do not confuse the two Steam application IDs. 403240 installs or updates the dedicated server. 393380 identifies Squad Workshop content when you download a mod. The Public Testing server has a different server app ID, 774961; use it only when you intentionally operate the Public Testing build.
How Squad’s mod installation works
A Workshop subscription on a gaming PC is not the same as installing a mod on a dedicated server. The server needs its own copy of the Workshop files. SteamCMD downloads that copy into a content directory, and the server loads the mod only after its numeric folder is placed under SquadGame/Plugins/Mods/.
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Workshop items can contain maps, factions, game modes, weapons, or other content. A mod’s Workshop page is the authoritative place to check its current requirements and compatibility notes. Record the number in the item’s URL, not the item’s display name; the number is what SteamCMD and server configuration use.
Step 1: Install or update the dedicated server
Windows
Use SteamCMD to install the Squad server into a dedicated directory. The following is an equivalent command; replace the SteamCMD and server paths with your own locations:
%STEAMCMD% +login anonymous +force_install_dir "C:serverssquad_server" +app_update 403240 validate +quitapp_update 403240 downloads the server package. Running the command again updates an existing installation. The optional validate pass checks the installed files and can repair missing or damaged server files, although it does not validate third-party mod content.
Linux
Run the same SteamCMD operations from a shell, using your SteamCMD executable and a Linux path:
./steamcmd.sh +login anonymous +force_install_dir "/home/steam/squad-dedicated" +app_update 403240 validate +quitThe exact location of steamcmd.sh and the server directory is up to your deployment. Keep the path consistent with the service, systemd unit, or startup script that launches Squad.
Locate the server configuration directory
Squad’s server configuration files are under SquadGame/ServerConfig/ inside the server root. A typical Windows layout is:
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C:serverssquad_serverSquadGameServerConfigOn Linux, the same relative directory appears below the directory passed to +force_install_dir. Finding this directory now makes later editing of Server.cfg and backup work predictable.
Step 2: Find the Workshop ID
- Open the Squad Steam Workshop, which uses app ID
393380. - Open the mod’s item page and read its numeric Workshop ID from the URL.
- Write down the ID alongside the mod name and the date you checked it.
- Read the item description for required dependencies, supported game versions, and any server-specific instructions.
Use the numeric ID throughout the installation. Names can change or contain spaces; the ID remains the unambiguous identifier used by SteamCMD and scripted deployments.
Step 3: Stop Squad before touching mod files
Stop the running Squad server cleanly before starting a Workshop download, deleting an old mod directory, or copying a replacement. The published update procedure explicitly requires that the server not be running while its update script operates.
- Stop the service, scheduled task, Docker container, or foreground process that launches Squad.
- Confirm that the Squad server process has exited before manipulating files.
- Do not start the server again until every selected mod has been copied and configuration changes are saved.
If a control panel automatically restarts failed processes, disable that restart temporarily. Otherwise it can race the update script and leave a partially replaced folder.
Step 4: Download the mod with SteamCMD
Run SteamCMD with the Squad Workshop app ID and the mod’s numeric ID. On Windows, an equivalent command is:
%STEAMCMD% +login anonymous +force_install_dir "C:serverssquad_server" +workshop_download_item 393380 <mod-id> +quitReplace <mod-id> with the actual number, for example 123456789. The angle-bracket form above is a placeholder for your ID; do not type the brackets.
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SteamCMD initially places Workshop content below:
steamappsworkshopcontent393380<mod-id>On Linux, the directory separators become forward slashes:
steamapps/workshop/content/393380/<mod-id>If you use a different SteamCMD working directory, the full path will be relative to that installation or to the force-install directory used by your script. Search for the numeric folder rather than assuming a drive letter or home directory.
Download several mods
Run one +workshop_download_item 393380 <mod-id> operation for each item, or place the operations in an update script. Keep the server stopped for the entire batch. A script is preferable once you operate more than one mod because it makes the download and copy order repeatable.
Step 5: Copy the mod into the server’s plugin directory
For each downloaded item, copy its numeric directory into:
<server-root>/SquadGame/Plugins/Mods/On Windows, the resulting path for a mod might look like:
C:serverssquad_serverSquadGamePluginsMods123456789On Linux, use the equivalent path beneath your server root. Preserve the numeric folder and its contents; do not rename it to the Workshop item’s title.
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Replace an existing version safely
- Confirm the server is stopped.
- Delete the old directory for that mod ID under
SquadGame/Plugins/Mods/. - Copy the refreshed numeric directory from
steamapps/workshop/content/393380/intoPlugins/Mods/. - Check that the copied directory is not nested one level too deep. The mod files must be inside the numeric ID directory the server scans.
- Start the server only after the copy completes.
Deleting the old directory matters when a new release removes or renames files. Leaving obsolete files beside the new files can create conflicts that are difficult to diagnose from the startup screen alone.
Step 6: Start the server and verify the load
Start Squad using your normal service, script, or container command and watch the startup log from the beginning. The documented boot output lists the standard maps first and then the added modded maps. Seeing the expected modded maps is a useful installation check.
- If the modded maps appear, note the successful update date and keep a copy of the working folder.
- If no modded content appears, stop the server and inspect the destination path, numeric folder name, and file ownership.
- If startup reports a dependency or version error, check the mod’s Workshop notes and the current Squad build before trying another copy.
A successful download message from SteamCMD alone does not prove that the dedicated server can load the mod. The server log and an in-game map or feature test are the final checks.
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Some hosting documentation supports declaring Workshop IDs in SquadGame/ServerConfig/Server.cfg with Mods= entries. This can make a multi-mod setup configuration-driven instead of relying only on manual file copies.
Because configuration syntax can change between server builds and hosting images, confirm the exact spelling, separators, and whether one or several IDs belong on each line against the documentation for the build you are running. Do not assume a syntax copied from an older guide will be accepted by a current server.
Use configuration and files together
A Mods= line does not remove the need to obtain the mod files. SteamCMD still has to download the Workshop item, and the server still needs the content under SquadGame/Plugins/Mods/ unless your managed environment performs that copy for you. Keep the configured ID list and the directories on disk in sync.
- Remove an ID from configuration when you retire the mod.
- Remove its stale numeric directory after stopping the server.
- Restart and inspect the log so you know which set the server actually loaded.
Docker deployment: persist the right directory
Container replacement can erase changes made inside a container. The documented Squad container pattern uses /home/steam/squad-dedicated/ as the in-container server path and recommends bind-mounting a host directory there. Store the server configuration and mod files in that mounted location so a recreated container does not discard them.
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Container mod lists
The CM2Walki container README describes a MODS Bash array. Its values are numeric Workshop IDs, obtainable from Workshop URLs or from the numeric directories under steamapps/workshop/content/393380. Follow the image’s current variable name and formatting exactly; container entrypoints differ, and an array that is valid in one image may be ignored by another.
Before replacing a container:
- Stop the existing container.
- Verify the host bind mount contains
SquadGame/ServerConfig/andSquadGame/Plugins/Mods/. - Update the image or run its documented Workshop update routine.
- Confirm that the host directory still contains the downloaded numeric mod folders.
- Start the replacement container and inspect its logs for the modded maps.
Choosing an installation method
| Method | Control | Repeatability | Persistence | Main responsibility | Failure visibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manual SteamCMD and file copy | Highest; you control every path and file | Low for one-off installs unless scripted | Native Windows or Linux filesystem | You handle updates, compatibility, ports, and backups | Direct filesystem inspection and server logs |
| Scripted SteamCMD update | High, with a defined download/delete/copy sequence | High for repeat updates | Native filesystem plus script backups | You maintain the script and verify IDs | Command output plus startup logs |
Server.cfg ID configuration |
Depends on the current server build and host tooling | High once syntax is validated | Configuration file must be backed up | You keep IDs, files, and syntax aligned | Configuration errors may appear only at startup |
| Docker with a bind mount | Container image defines part of the workflow | High when the image’s update variables are used correctly | Host-mounted directory survives container replacement | You manage mounts, image updates, and permissions | Container logs plus host-file inspection |
For a single mod, manual SteamCMD is easiest to understand. For a regular server rotation, a script or a documented container variable reduces repeated work. Whichever method you choose, retain direct access to the files and startup logs so an automated update can be audited.
Updating mods after a Squad patch
Mod compatibility is the most important maintenance risk. A mod that worked before a Squad update may be incompatible with the new server build even when SteamCMD downloads it successfully.
- Update the dedicated server with app ID
403240. - Check each mod’s Workshop page for a release or compatibility note for the new Squad version.
- Stop the server.
- Download the current Workshop content using app ID
393380. - Delete the old numeric directory under
Plugins/Mods/and copy the refreshed directory. - Start the server and inspect the complete startup log.
- Test a modded map or feature before announcing the server as available.
Do not keep multiple copies of the same mod ID in different locations and expect the server to choose the newest one. Keep one deliberate copy in the destination directory and archive older versions outside the active server tree if you need rollback capability.
Networking requirements for players
Mod installation does not automatically make a server reachable. An internet-hosted server generally needs the game’s required ports forwarded from the router to the server machine and allowed through the host firewall. Use the ports required by your current Squad server configuration rather than copying a port list from an unrelated game or an old build.
When the server and a test client are on the same local network, the installation guide notes that the router may need NAT loopback (also called hairpin NAT). Without it, local players may fail to connect using the public address even though external players can connect. Test from both inside and outside the network when possible.
Troubleshooting common failures
SteamCMD downloads the item, but the server cannot see it
- Confirm the Workshop app ID is
393380, not the dedicated-server ID. - Find the actual numeric folder under
steamapps/workshop/content/393380/. - Copy that folder into
SquadGame/Plugins/Mods/, preserving the ID as the folder name. - Check that the destination is inside the active server root, not a second unused installation.
The server starts but no modded maps are listed
- Stop the server and inspect the startup command or service working directory.
- Verify that the mod files are not nested as
Mods123456789123456789.... - Check file ownership and read permissions, especially after copying from a different account or host volume.
- Review the Workshop item for dependencies or a required load order.
An update leaves errors or crashes
- Confirm the mod supports the current Squad version.
- Remove the old numeric directory completely before copying the refreshed one.
- Test with the recently updated mod isolated from other newly changed mods.
- Read the first relevant error in the startup log; later messages can be consequences of the initial failure.
Docker loses configuration after recreation
- Verify that the host directory is actually bind-mounted to
/home/steam/squad-dedicated/. - Move configuration and active mod files out of the container’s writable layer.
- Recheck the container’s
MODSarray and numeric IDs after image updates.
Players cannot connect
- Check the server firewall and router forwarding rules.
- Test NAT loopback if the client and server share a network.
- Confirm the server is running the intended build and that clients have the required mod content.
Operational checklist
- Back up
SquadGame/ServerConfig/before changing mod declarations. - Keep a written list of Workshop IDs, mod names, and the Squad version last tested.
- Stop the server before every download, deletion, and replacement copy.
- Use a script once updates involve several IDs, and log its output.
- After every update, verify modded maps in the startup log and perform an in-game check.
- Remove retired IDs from both
Server.cfgandPlugins/Mods/. - For Docker, back up the host bind-mounted directory rather than relying on a container layer.
- Recheck compatibility after every Squad server update.
The Bottom Line
The dependable sequence is SteamCMD download, clean replacement, and log verification: use server app ID 403240, Workshop app ID 393380, and place each numeric mod folder under SquadGame/Plugins/Mods/ while the server is stopped.
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