Installing Steam Workshop Mods on Your Server with SteamCMD

As an avid PC gamer and server owner, one of my favorite things is customizing games by installing mods from the Steam Workshop. Mods let you enhance the graphics, fix bugs, add new content like quests/weapons/abilities, and dramatically improve replayability.

However, the process for installing mods on a dedicated server rather than a local PC can be tricky if you don‘t know the steps. In this guide, I‘ll teach you how to effortlessly add Steam Workshop mods to your game server using SteamCMD.

Introduction to SteamCMD and Workshop Mods

For those unfamiliar, SteamCMD is a command-line version of the Steam client that lets you perform useful functions like:

• Installing Steam game servers
• Automated server updates
• Backup management
• Workshop mod installation

It‘s a powerful tool, but the learning curve can be steep.

When browsing the Steam Workshop for a game like Minecraft, Garry‘s Mod or ARK you‘ll see tons of mods that make gameplay more exciting. Maybe you want new character models and textures for your ARK server, or bigger zombie hordes on your 7 Days to Die server.

Without SteamCMD, installing these mods on a remote server is tedious and error-prone. You would have to:

1. Manually download every mod file to your PC
2. Transfer the files to the server via FTP
3. Configure each mod
4. Troubleshoot crashes and dependency issues

But SteamCMD automates all this work for you with just a few console commands!

Prerequisites for Installing Mods

Before installing Steam Workshop mods to your game server, make sure:

• You have SteamCMD setup and functioning. Follow this guide if you need help with the initial installation.
• Your game server files are fully updated and validated via SteamCMD first.
• You know which game App ID your server uses. This is a unique ID Steam assigns to every game/application.
• Server has proper file permissions and dependencies needed for modding. Some games require you to opt into the modding beta branch.
• You have the numeric Workshop ID for the specific mod(s) you want to install.

Here‘s where to find the App ID and Workshop IDs you‘ll need:

Now let‘s look at the step-by-step process…

How to Install Steam Workshop Mods with SteamCMD

The basic syntax for downloading workshop mods only takes 3 lines:

login anonymous
force_install_dir C:\servers\mygame\  
workshop_download_item 3410270

Let‘s break this down:

1. Anonymous Login – Logs into SteamCMD anonymously since we don‘t need an account.

2. Set Install Path – Points SteamCMD to your game‘s server directory where mods should be installed. Make sure to specify the absolute path.

3. Subscribe to Mod – Downloads the mod file where 3410270 is the unique Workshop ID. Repeat this command for multiple mods.

Here‘s a real output log from my Ark Survival Evolved server installing a mods:

Once it finishes, you‘ll see the mod files automatically downloaded to the exact locations your server expects them!

Troubleshooting Tips

If you get an error while running workshop_download_item like missing permissions or authentication failures, try these steps:

• Launch Steam client and verify you can access the mod page there without issues. This checks your Steam account has permission to download that item.

• Make sure SteamCMD is updated to latest stable release

• Double check paths, AppID, mod ID, and server permissions

• Review server logs after trying to load mods, dependency issues will be shown

Configuring and Maintaining Mods After Installation

Once a mod finishes downloading from the Workshop, a few manual follow-up steps are sometimes needed:

• Merge any .mod or description.ext files which hold important load order and config data for the server.
• Check for additional installation instructions on complex mods with custom menus and control panels in-game. This info is usually found on the Steam Workshop page or mod developer‘s website.
• If experiencing crashes or conflicts, adjust the load order of mods. Mods altering similar functionality often need to be ordered correctly.

To keep your mods working properly and prevent abandoned/outdated ones from causing problems:

• Update Mods Regularly – Unfortunately SteamCMD does not auto-update workshop mods. You‘ll need to periodically re-run the workshop_download_item command to grab new versions. I suggest creating a scheduled task or cron job depending on your OS to automate this weekly.
• Monitor Disk Space – Some mods, especially those that add graphics, new regions, quests or items can be very large (1GB+). Keep an eye on available storage with df command and prune old mod versions when necessary.
• Backup Before Updating – Mod updates can introduce breaking changes or bugs. To roll back easily, properly back up your full server directory and database before updating mods.

If you organize mods methodically into folders by type (maps, vehicles, graphics) rather than a messy workshop folder, managing dozens of mods becomes much easier!

In Closing

I hope this guide has demystified the workshop mod installation process using SteamCMD. The steps are actually simple but poorly documented across games. Automating mod management frees up more time to actually play your server instead of constantly maintaining it!

What are your favorite mods to use? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Happy modding!