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To install a Vintage Story mod on a dedicated server, stop the server, download a version-compatible mod ZIP from the official Vintage Story Mod DB, place the ZIP—without extracting it—in a directory listed by the server’s ModPaths, restart, and read the server log for load errors. The default-style Windows path documented for a dedicated server is %AppData%/VSserverData/Mods, but your actual location is determined by dataPath and ModPaths in serverconfig.json.
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Players do not always need to install the same files manually. Server-side mods normally run without a separate client installation, universal mods can be offered by the server, and client-side mods generally require each player to install them. Vintage Story 1.16 and later can create a per-server client folder for mods supplied during multiplayer connection.
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Use a maintenance window. A dedicated server should be offline while you add, replace, remove, or configure mod files. Editing a ZIP while the server is running can leave the process with a partially changed file or prevent the new version from being detected until a restart.
- Stop the server completely. Confirm that the server process has exited before touching the Mods directory.
- Back up the save. This is especially important for world-generation and content mods. A backup gives you a rollback point if a mod changes terrain, blocks, items, entities, or asset mappings.
- Record the current state. Note the game version, existing mod filenames, and any configuration changes. Keeping a small change log makes a failed update easier to undo.
Do not update a large collection all at once if you can avoid it. Changing one or a small group of related mods, restarting, and checking the log narrows the cause when something fails.
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Find the server’s real Mods directory
The folder is part of the server’s data path, not necessarily the directory that contains the server executable. The official Dedicated Server guidance gives a Windows example of %AppData%/VSserverData/Mods. Treat that as an example, not a guarantee: the server’s dataPath setting and the ModPaths setting in serverconfig.json control where Vintage Story looks.
Check serverconfig.json
- Stop the server and open its
serverconfig.jsonwith a plain-text editor. - Locate
dataPath. This identifies the server data directory used for saves, configuration, logs, and related folders. - Locate
ModPaths. Read every directory listed there; those are the paths Vintage Story scans for mods. - If you use a custom path, place the ZIP in one of the directories named by
ModPaths, or change the setting deliberately and keep a backup of the configuration. - Save the configuration, then restart the server after the file operation is complete.
A mod placed beside the executable, in a player’s local Mods folder, or in an unlisted directory will not necessarily be loaded by the dedicated server. When a mod is missing from the server’s mod list, checking ModPaths is one of the fastest ways to find the mistake.
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Use the official Vintage Story Mod DB and open the mod’s Files entry. Select a file whose supported Vintage Story version matches the version running on the server. “Latest” does not automatically mean compatible: a newer release can drop support for an older game version.
What to verify on the Files entry
- Supported game version: compare the file’s stated version range with the server’s exact game version.
- Release type and dependencies: read the mod’s notes for required libraries or companion mods before copying anything.
- Server suitability: confirm that the author supports dedicated-server use when the mod is not obviously server-side or universal.
- Filename and extension: download the actual mod archive, normally ending in
.zip, rather than a source-code archive or documentation download.
Keep only the copy you intend to run. Vintage Story attempts to load the highest version when duplicate copies of a mod are present. Leaving an old and a new archive together can therefore produce a different result from the one you expect, particularly when the filenames are similar.
Install the ZIP without extracting it
The official wiki’s instruction is explicit: “Do not extract the mod zip. Just place the .zip file into your Mods folder, that’s all you need to do.” Extraction can change the structure Vintage Story expects and makes updates and removals harder to track.
- With the server stopped, open a directory listed by
ModPaths. - Copy the downloaded
.zipfile into that directory. Do not open it, rename its internal files, or unpack it. - Check that you did not create an extra nesting level such as
ModsModNameModName.zipunless the server’s configured path explicitly points there. The archive itself should be directly inside the scanned Mods directory. - Remove unintended duplicate versions, retaining the exact release you selected for the server’s game version.
- Start the server and wait for the normal startup sequence to finish.
If you replaced an existing archive, make sure the old file is actually gone before starting. A stale duplicate can win the version-selection rule and make it look as though the update did not work.
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Restart and read the server log
A restart is required for the server to discover a newly added, replaced, or removed mod. Do not rely only on the server reaching its “ready” state; inspect the log output for the mod’s name and any warnings or exceptions.
What a successful check looks like
- The startup log identifies the mod or shows it in the loaded-mod list.
- There is no exception associated with the mod’s identifier, dependency, or game-version requirement.
- The server remains online long enough to accept a connection.
- The intended feature is visible in a test area or test account before you invite players back.
When a hosted control panel is involved
The operational sequence is the same on a managed host: stop the instance, open the persistent server data area, upload the ZIP to the exposed Mods directory, start the instance, and inspect the available log viewer. A host is practical only if it gives you all of those controls. Before choosing one, verify that you can access the persistent Mods directory, perform a clean stop and restart, read complete server logs, create and restore backups, and understand whether the host can distribute client files. A file manager that uploads into a temporary container is not sufficient for a persistent mod installation.
Self-hosting versus managed hosting
Both approaches use the same ZIP-and-restart procedure, but administration differs. With a self-hosted server, you control the machine, data path, backups, and process directly. With managed hosting, the provider supplies a control panel or file manager, so you must confirm that those controls reach the persistent server data rather than a temporary workspace.
| Operational question | Self-hosted server | Managed host |
|---|---|---|
| Can you reach the Mods directory? | Usually yes, through the configured data path and filesystem. | Verify that the panel exposes the persistent directory used by ModPaths. |
| Can you stop and restart cleanly? | Use the server process or service controls. | Confirm the panel has separate stop and start actions, not just a file upload button. |
| Can you inspect logs? | Read the server’s local log files or console. | Check that the log viewer shows the complete startup output and errors. |
| Can you roll back? | Maintain your own save and Mods-directory backups. | Verify how backups are created and restored before a mod update. |
| Are client files distributed? | The server can offer eligible universal files. | Ask whether the host changes or limits that server behavior; do not assume hosting provides client-side files. |
No hosting plan can make an incompatible mod compatible. The decisive requirements are persistent file access, a clean restart, useful logs, and a recoverable backup.
Understand which files players need
Installation is different for the server and for each connecting client. The mod’s category determines who must have a copy.
| Mod category | Where it runs | What the player normally does |
|---|---|---|
| Server-side | Runs on the server only. | No separate client installation is normally required. |
| Universal (server and client) | Runs on both sides. | The server can offer the required file to joining players; the client keeps a server-specific copy. |
| Client-side | Runs on an individual player’s game client. | Each player may need to install it in the normal client Mods folder or follow the mod’s server-specific setup instructions. |
Do not infer the category from the mod’s name alone. Read its Mod DB description and compatibility notes. A visual, interface, or key-binding mod may be client-side, while a gameplay or world-content mod may require both server and client. The author’s stated category takes precedence over assumptions.
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Automatic client setup from 1.16 onward
Starting with Vintage Story 1.16, the client can automatically set up mods supplied by a multiplayer server. The official wiki says that when you connect to a server offering a modded game, the game automatically configures the required server-side files for that server. This behavior applies to files the server offers; it does not turn every client-side mod into a downloadable server mod.
On the client, Vintage Story can create a server-specific directory under %AppData%/Roaming/VintagestoryData/ModsByServer. Keeping these copies separate prevents one server’s required files from replacing another server’s setup.
Force a fresh client download
- Leave the multiplayer server.
- Open
%AppData%/Roaming/VintagestoryData/ModsByServer. - Identify and delete the subfolder belonging to that server if you suspect that a supplied mod is stale or corrupted.
- Reconnect to the server. The client should download and recreate the server-specific files it is offered.
Do not delete unrelated client Mods folders as a first step; remove the affected server’s subfolder so other multiplayer setups remain intact.
Test the mod before opening the server to everyone
Join with an account that represents a normal player and exercise the feature the mod is supposed to add. For a content mod, test a new item, block, entity, or recipe. For a world-generation mod, use a disposable test world or a recent backup rather than experimenting first on the only established save.
- Confirm that the server stays connected while the feature is used.
- Check both the server log and the client log if a player sees missing textures, items, or entities.
- Have a second player connect when the mod changes multiplayer behavior; a single local test can miss synchronization problems.
- Document the exact mod filename and game version that passed the test.
Updating and removing mods safely
Updating
- Schedule downtime and stop the server.
- Back up the save and, if possible, the current Mods directory.
- Read the new release’s supported game-version and dependency notes.
- Remove or move the old archive so duplicate versions cannot be selected.
- Copy in the new ZIP without extracting it.
- Start the server, read the complete startup log, and perform a focused gameplay test.
Update a small set at a time. If the server fails after several simultaneous updates, restoring the previous archives and reapplying them individually is much faster than diagnosing every change at once.
Removing
Stopping a mod does not necessarily make an established world healthy. Removing a mod can produce missing asset, block, item, entity, or remapping warnings when the save contains data supplied by that mod. Keep the backup until you have confirmed that the world loads and that the affected areas remain usable. If the mod generated terrain or placed custom content, removal may require restoring the save or following the mod author’s migration instructions.
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Troubleshoot a mod that does not work
| Symptom | Checks and corrective action |
|---|---|
| Mod is absent from the loaded-mod list | Confirm the file still ends in .zip, place it directly in a directory named by ModPaths, remove duplicate copies, and perform a full restart. |
| Startup error or crash | Compare the mod’s supported Vintage Story version with the server version, verify dependencies, and confirm that the mod supports a dedicated-server environment. Restore the backup if the world no longer loads. |
| Players cannot join | Compare the server and client game versions, identify whether the mod is server-side, universal, or client-side, and ensure the required mod set is available to the connecting player. |
| Client keeps an old supplied copy | Leave the server, delete that server’s subfolder under %AppData%/Roaming/VintagestoryData/ModsByServer, and reconnect to trigger a fresh download. |
| Configuration or replacement has no effect | Stop the server before editing configuration or replacing archives, verify the path named by ModPaths, start again, and read the log rather than relying on a control-panel status indicator. |
Use the game-version check as the first branch
When an error is vague, begin with compatibility rather than moving files randomly. A newer mod release may no longer support the older game version installed on the server, and an incompatible combination can be game-breaking. Select the matching file from the Mod DB’s Files entry, then retest with a clean restart.
Use the path check as the second branch
If the version is correct but the mod is invisible, inspect serverconfig.json. The archive must be in a directory that the active ModPaths value names. Servers with custom dataPath settings may not use the familiar %AppData%/VSserverData/Mods example.
Check the archive and duplicates as the third branch
Make sure the downloaded item is the mod archive rather than a source package, that its extension remains .zip, and that it sits directly in the scanned directory. Remove older copies before testing again. Because the game attempts to load the highest version when duplicates exist, an apparently harmless backup ZIP can change which release starts.
Separate server and client symptoms
A server startup failure points first to the server archive, dependency, game version, or dedicated-server support. A successful server with missing textures, interfaces, or entities on one player’s machine points to the client category or a stale server-specific copy. Have the affected player leave, remove only that server’s ModsByServer subfolder, and reconnect before changing the server installation.
A repeatable maintenance checklist
- Confirm the server’s Vintage Story version.
- Read the mod’s Files entry and select a compatible release.
- Back up the save and current Mods directory.
- Stop the server.
- Verify
dataPathandModPathsinserverconfig.json. - Copy the intended
.zipdirectly into a scanned Mods directory. - Remove unintended duplicate archives.
- Start the server and inspect the log.
- Connect with a test player and verify the feature.
- Invite the wider player group only after the test succeeds.
This process works for a first installation, a controlled update, and a rollback. The essential rules are simple: use the file that matches the server’s version, leave it zipped, put it in a configured Mods path, and validate both server logs and player behavior after a clean restart.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is the Vintage Story server Mods folder?
A documented Windows example is %AppData%/VSserverData/Mods, but the authoritative location is whichever directory your server’s ModPaths setting lists in serverconfig.json. Check dataPath as well when the server uses a custom data directory.
Do I unzip Vintage Story mods?
No. Leave the downloaded mod as a .zip and place that archive directly inside a directory listed by ModPaths. Do not unpack or modify its internal files.
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Do players need to install the same mods?
It depends on the category. Server-side mods normally need no separate client copy. Universal mods can be offered automatically by the server, while client-side mods generally require each player to install them.
Why does the latest mod release fail on my server?
The latest release may have dropped support for your older Vintage Story version. Select a file from the Mod DB’s Files entry whose supported game version matches the server exactly, and check dependencies and dedicated-server support.
How do I make Vintage Story download a server mod again?
Leave the server, delete that server’s subfolder under %AppData%/Roaming/VintagestoryData/ModsByServer, then reconnect. Starting with Vintage Story 1.16, the client can recreate files supplied by the server.
Can I add or replace a mod while the server is running?
Stop the server first. Add, replace, remove, or configure archives while the process is offline, then restart and inspect the startup log.
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What happens if I remove a mod from an existing world?
The save may contain assets, blocks, items, entities, or mappings supplied by that mod. Missing-content or remapping warnings can result, so keep a backup and be prepared to restore it or follow the mod author’s migration guidance.
What should I check when a mod is not listed?
Confirm the file is still a .zip, place it directly in a directory named by ModPaths, remove duplicate copies, and perform a full restart. Then read the server log instead of relying only on the control-panel status.
The Bottom Line
Stop first, back up the world, choose the Mod DB file that matches your Vintage Story version, and put the untouched .zip in a directory listed by ModPaths. Restart, read the logs, test with a player, and remember that only server-side or eligible universal files can be supplied automatically; client-side mods remain the player’s responsibility.
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