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What you need before adding the map
You need access to the dedicated-server files for the specific Unturned instance you want to change. On a self-hosted machine, this normally means local file access. A managed host must provide FTP/SFTP or a web file manager with permission to edit the server configuration.
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- An installed and updated Unturned Dedicated Server.
- The server’s active
ServerIDfolder. - The public Steam Workshop page for the map, unless you are following the separate private-file procedure.
- The map’s numeric Workshop ID and its exact in-game name.
- Permission to restart the server after changing configuration files.
Do not confuse a Workshop collection with a map item. The value placed in File_IDs must identify the map Workshop item itself. If the map depends on other Workshop files, the server can discover those dependencies during startup after the main item is configured.
Install or update the Unturned Dedicated Server
Linux with SteamCMD
Linux installations use Steam app ID 1110390 for the Unturned Dedicated Server. Run SteamCMD with the normal login and installation options for your host, then update that app. A typical SteamCMD command sequence is:
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steamcmd +login anonymous +app_update 1110390 validate +quitThe exact SteamCMD executable path and installation directory depend on your Linux distribution and the account running the service. After installation, launch the server once with its chosen ServerID. Linux hosts commonly start the server through ServerHelper.sh. The first launch creates the per-server directory used for saves and configuration.
Windows
Windows hosts can use the standalone dedicated-server application. Start it once with the server’s ServerID so Unturned creates the matching directory before you edit files. If you maintain more than one instance, each instance has its own configuration and save data; changing one folder does not change another.
Why the first launch matters
Unturned stores each instance under:
U3DS/Servers/<ServerID>The placeholder is the actual ID you use when launching the server. The Workshop configuration and map command must be placed in that instance’s directory, not merely in the top-level game folder and not in a different server’s directory. A frequent reason for “the map did not install” is editing a folder that the running process never reads.
Find the Workshop ID and the exact map name
Copy the numeric Workshop ID
Open the map’s Steam Workshop page and copy the numeric value at the end of its URL. That number is the Workshop ID to put in the File_IDs array. Keep the complete number; do not paste the map title, a collection ID, or the URL itself.
For example, a URL ending in a number such as 1234567890 contributes only 1234567890 to the configuration. The example number is illustrative; use the number shown on your map’s page.
Record the map’s actual name
The Workshop ID and the map name perform different jobs:
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- Workshop ID: tells the server which Workshop item to download.
- Map name: tells the server which installed map to load.
Use the name displayed by the map itself, preserving spelling, spaces, punctuation and capitalization where applicable. Do not use the numeric ID in the Map command. If the Workshop title and the in-game map name differ, the in-game name is the one that matters.
Add the map to WorkshopDownloadConfig.json
Open the active configuration file
In the server instance folder, locate:
U3DS/Servers/<ServerID>/WorkshopDownloadConfig.jsonStop the server before editing when possible. Stopping first prevents a running process from overwriting your changes and gives you a clean startup in which to observe the Workshop download. Make a backup copy of the file before changing it, especially if the server already uses several Workshop items.
Enter the ID in the File_IDs array
The file uses JSON syntax. A minimal configuration for one map looks like this:
{
"File_IDs": [
1234567890
]
}Replace the example number with the map’s real numeric Workshop ID. For multiple items, separate each number with a comma:
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{
"File_IDs": [
1234567890,
2345678901,
3456789012
]
}Use numbers, not quoted strings, unless the file created by your installation already uses a different valid format. Every opening brace, bracket and quotation mark must have a matching closing character. A trailing comma after the final ID is invalid JSON and can prevent the configuration from loading.
Check that you edited the right instance
If you have several servers, verify all of the following before restarting:
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- The
ServerIDin the path matches the ID used by the startup script or launch command. - The file is named exactly
WorkshopDownloadConfig.json. - The map ID is inside
File_IDs, not in a note, comment or unrelated configuration file. - Your file editor did not append an extra extension such as
.txt.
Start the server and wait for Workshop downloads
Start the same server instance after saving the JSON file. During startup, Unturned checks the configured Workshop items, updates them and detects dependencies. The official hosting guidance states that files are updated during startup, dependencies are detected at that stage, and players download the files while connecting.
Do not select the map immediately after clicking Start if the console is still downloading files. Allow the first startup to finish. The time required depends on the size of the map, its dependencies, disk performance and the server’s connection. A map can appear correctly configured while still being unavailable because its files have not finished downloading.
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What a successful startup should show
- The server reads
WorkshopDownloadConfig.jsonwithout a JSON or file-access error. - The configured Workshop item is downloaded or updated.
- Any dependencies discovered during startup are processed.
- The server proceeds to its normal ready state instead of stopping during initialization.
If the process reports a download failure, leave the map selected in the configuration and resolve the underlying access, ID or network problem before trying to force the map through Commands.dat. The map command cannot load files that were never installed.
Select the custom map in Commands.dat
Edit the file in the same ServerID folder
After the Workshop download has completed, open:
U3DS/Servers/<ServerID>/Commands.datAdd a line using the map’s exact name:
Map Exact Map NameReplace Exact Map Name with the real map name. The command uses the name to search the installed Workshop items. It does not use the numeric Workshop ID.
Example Commands.dat
A server may contain other commands as well. Keep existing settings and add the map line as its own command:
Name My Unturned Server
Map Example Island
MaxPlayers 12The other lines are examples only. Use the commands and values appropriate to your server. The important part for map selection is a separate line beginning with Map followed by the exact map name.
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Restart after changing the map command
Save Commands.dat and restart the server. Map selection is applied during startup, so changing the file while the server is already running does not reliably switch the current session. Watch the console for the selected map and for any fallback behavior.
Verify that the server loaded the custom map
Use the startup console as the first verification point, then connect as a player. Check that:
- The server completes Workshop processing before becoming ready.
- The console identifies the intended map rather than the default PEI map.
- A client can connect and begins downloading the configured Workshop files.
- The map loads into the expected world instead of stopping at startup or returning to a default.
Players receive configured Workshop files while connecting. Warn players that the first connection can take longer, particularly when the map has large dependencies. Server bandwidth also matters: every connecting player may need to download the files before entering the world.
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Why an Unturned server loads PEI instead
When a server starts on PEI instead of the custom map, work through these checks in order. Each check addresses a different stage of the process.
- Confirm the active folder. Make sure both files are under the
ServerIDused by the running process. - Confirm the Workshop ID. It must be the numeric ID at the end of the map’s Workshop URL, not a collection ID or map name.
- Validate the JSON. Check commas, brackets, quotation marks and the spelling of
File_IDs. - Wait for the download. Let startup finish updating the map and discovering dependencies.
- Check the map line.
Commands.datmust containMapfollowed by the map’s exact installed name. - Check availability. The normal ID workflow is for Workshop files the dedicated server can access. A private item requires the separate private-file procedure.
- Restart after corrections. Stop and start the server so both configuration files are read again.
A valid ID alone does not select a map, and a correct map name alone does not download one. Both stages must succeed.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Public server access: GSLT and port forwarding
Game Server Login Token
A public Internet server needs a valid Game Server Login Token (GSLT) to appear in the Unturned server list. This requirement is separate from Workshop installation. A map can load correctly on a server that is still invisible in the public browser if its token is missing or invalid.
Home-network hosting
If the server runs on a computer behind a home router, configure port forwarding so outside traffic reaches the server machine. Port-forwarding rules depend on your router and network layout; reserve the server computer’s local address when your router supports that option, then forward the ports required by your Unturned setup to that machine. Test from an external connection rather than relying only on a connection from inside the same network.
Bandwidth and connection time
Because players download Workshop files while connecting, a large map or dependency set increases the amount of data your server must deliver. Account for upload capacity and concurrent connections when deciding whether a home connection is suitable. Slow downloads do not necessarily indicate a bad map configuration; they can reflect the server’s available upstream bandwidth.
Self-hosting versus managed hosting
The map workflow is the same in principle, but the amount of control differs. Before choosing a host, confirm that you can reach the two files and perform restarts.
| Capability | Self-hosted server | Managed host |
|---|---|---|
Access to WorkshopDownloadConfig.json and Commands.dat |
Direct filesystem access, assuming you own the machine | Must be provided through FTP/SFTP or a web file manager |
| Restart control | Use your service, script or console | Use the provider’s control panel or restart option |
| SteamCMD and version maintenance | You install, update and troubleshoot the dedicated server | The provider may handle the base installation; confirm what updates are automatic |
| Backups | You schedule and store backups | Check whether automatic backups exist, how often they run and how restoration works |
| Network exposure | You configure GSLT, firewall rules and home-router port forwarding when applicable | The provider normally supplies the public network endpoint; verify its port and access requirements |
| Workshop troubleshooting | You can inspect the complete console and filesystem | Confirm that logs and Workshop files are accessible to you |
A provider guide may show the same pattern—put the Workshop ID in WorkshopDownloadConfig.json, put the map name in Commands.dat and restart—but provider-specific interfaces and terms vary. Confirm those details before moving an established world.
How private Workshop maps differ
A dedicated Unturned server cannot log in to a Steam account to download private Workshop files. Therefore, a private map cannot be handled by simply placing its ID in the normal public-map File_IDs workflow.
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Updating, replacing or removing a custom map
Updating an existing map
Leave the map’s Workshop ID in File_IDs and restart the server during a maintenance window. Workshop files are updated during startup. Let the update and dependency checks finish before allowing players to join, particularly when the map author has published a major revision.
Replacing the active map
- Stop the server and back up the active
ServerIDfolder. - Replace the old ID in
WorkshopDownloadConfig.jsonwith the new map’s numeric ID, or add the new ID while retaining other required items. - Change the
Mapline inCommands.datto the new map’s exact name. - Start the server and wait for Workshop downloads and dependency detection.
- Read the console to confirm that the new map, rather than PEI or the former map, is selected.
Removing a map
To stop automatically updating a map, remove its ID from the File_IDs array and remove or replace its Map line. Keep a backup of the old configuration and save data before deleting any Workshop folders manually. The current official workflow is configuration-driven; manual copying under Bundles/Workshop/Maps is a legacy method and should be reserved for a provider or older installation that specifically requires it.
Quick Recap
Complete upload checklist
- Dedicated server installed or updated; Linux SteamCMD app ID is
1110390. - Server launched once with the intended
ServerID. - Workshop ID copied from the end of the map’s URL.
WorkshopDownloadConfig.jsonedited inU3DS/Servers/<ServerID>.- ID placed inside the valid JSON
File_IDsarray. - Server started and allowed to finish downloading the map and dependencies.
Commands.datedited in the sameServerIDfolder.Mapline uses the exact map name, not the numeric ID.- Server restarted and console checked for the selected map.
- For public listing, a valid GSLT configured.
- For home hosting, port forwarding configured and tested externally.
- For private maps, the separate private-file procedure followed instead of the public-ID workflow.
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