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How to Add Mods to a Core Keeper Dedicated Server

Core Keeper servers do not use your personal Workshop or mod.io subscriptions. Stop and back up the server, extract each mod into its local Mods folder, install dependencies, and keep every client on the same compatible mod set.
Length10 min Posted Quest giverVGSources Team
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Core Keeper’s dedicated server does not install mods from your Steam Workshop or mod.io subscriptions. To mod a server, stop it, back up its world data, download the required mod files, extract each mod into the server’s local Mods directory, install dependencies, and make sure every player is running the same compatible mod set and game build.

The exact folder path depends on the operating system, and paths, Workshop behavior, and configuration locations can change after game updates. Treat the steps below as the current community-consistent method, then check each mod’s own instructions and the current official Core Keeper documentation before applying version-specific changes.

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What a Core Keeper dedicated server actually loads

A server reads mod files from its own installation or data directory. A subscription made on an administrator’s personal Steam account or mod.io account does not copy anything to the dedicated server. Even when the same mod is already installed on your gaming PC, the server needs its own downloaded copy.

There are two separate installations to keep in mind:

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  • Server installation: the files in the dedicated server’s local Mods folder. These are read when the server starts.
  • Player installation: the mods each player has installed in their Core Keeper client. A mod marked for both client and server generally has to be present on both sides.

A server can therefore be configured correctly while a player still receives a version or missing-mod error. The server and every connecting client must use a compatible game build, and players must install the client-side portion of every mod that requires it.

Before changing the server

Confirm access and compatibility

  • Have access to the dedicated server’s installation or data directory and permission to stop and start the process.
  • Record the Core Keeper build currently running on the server and on players’ clients. Mod compatibility is tied to the game build, and a game patch can break previously working files.
  • Read each mod’s download page for its supported game version, whether it is server-side, client-side, or both, and any required dependencies.
  • Download the actual mod archive for the server. A Workshop or mod.io subscription on a personal account is not a server deployment method.

Back up the world first

Stop the server and make a separate copy of the server’s worlds folder before adding, removing, or updating any mod. Keep that backup outside the live server directory and label it with the date and the mod change. If a mod prevents startup or causes world problems, you need a known-good copy to restore rather than an already modified save.

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Start from a known-good vanilla state

If the server has never been tested in its current installation, start it without mods and confirm that it can launch and load the world. This separates an existing server problem from a mod installation problem. Once the unmodded server works, add one mod at a time so the first failure identifies a small, known change.

Server folder paths

Create a directory named exactly Mods, including the capital M. The commonly documented locations are:

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Server operating system Mods directory Important detail
Windows CoreKeeperServer_DataStreamingAssetsMods The folder is under the server’s data directory. If it does not exist, create it with that exact name.
Linux (installdir)/CoreKeeperServer_Data/StreamingAssets/Mods Use the equivalent path under the actual dedicated-server installation directory.

These paths are the community-consistent locations described for dedicated servers, but they are volatile: a game update, distribution method, or hosting panel can alter the layout. If your installation uses a different data directory, check the current official documentation and the mod’s instructions instead of creating several competing Mods folders.

Install a mod on the dedicated server

  1. Stop the server cleanly. Do not replace files while the server is running. A running process can hold old files open or save the world while you are changing its contents.
  2. Back up the worlds folder. Preserve a dated copy before the first mod and before every later update or removal.
  3. Verify the vanilla server. Start it once without new files if necessary, confirm the world loads, then stop it again.
  4. Create the server’s local folder. Under CoreKeeperServer_DataStreamingAssets on Windows, or the corresponding Linux path, create Mods if it is missing. Match the spelling and capitalization exactly.
  5. Download the mod archive. Use the download offered by the mod’s page on mod.io or Steam Workshop. Downloading it for your client does not deploy it to the server; obtain a separate copy for the server directory.
  6. Extract the mod into its own subfolder. Each mod should have a unique folder inside Mods. A name based on the mod makes later updates and troubleshooting easier. Avoid placing several unrelated archives together or overwriting one mod’s files with another’s.
  7. Install every listed dependency. If the author identifies a framework, library, or prerequisite mod, download and extract that dependency as its own required folder as well. A main mod without its dependency may be ignored or prevent the server from loading.
  8. Check the mod’s target. A client-only mod does not become a server feature merely because its files are present. A mod identified as client-and-server normally needs the server copy and a matching client copy for each player.
  9. Start the server and load the world. Test the server with the newly added mod before adding anything else. Confirm that it starts, the expected world is available, and players can connect under the mod’s stated requirements.
  10. Repeat one mod at a time. Stop the server, back up again when appropriate, add the next unique folder, and test. This gives you a clear rollback point if a particular addition fails.

Set up every player’s client

Tell players exactly which mods and versions the server uses. They should install the client-side files using the method specified on each mod’s page. A Workshop or mod.io subscription can help a player obtain a client copy, but it still does not install that copy on the dedicated server.

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Use the mod’s own classification as the authority:

Mod classification Server action Player action
Client-only Usually no server installation is required unless the author says otherwise. Install it on the client that needs the visual or interface feature.
Server-side Install the mod and its dependencies in the server’s local Mods folder. Follow the author’s client instructions; a client copy may not be required.
Client-and-server Install the server copy and all dependencies. Install the corresponding client copy and use the same compatible release.

Do not assume that two files with the same display name are compatible. Check the release version and supported Core Keeper build. If one player updates early while the server remains on an older build, have that player return to the server-compatible version or wait until the server and the rest of the group can be updated together.

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Steam Workshop versus mod.io

Both services are player-facing ways to discover or download Core Keeper mods. Neither service, by itself, supplies files to a separately running dedicated server.

Question Steam Workshop mod.io
Can a player use it to obtain a client mod? Yes, when the mod is published there and the author supports that route. Yes, when the mod is published there and the author supports that route.
Does subscribing automatically change the dedicated server? No. Copy and extract the server files into its local Mods directory. No. Copy and extract the server files into its local Mods directory.
Does the server update its files automatically? No for a manually maintained server installation. No for a manually maintained server installation.
What should an operator keep? A downloaded server archive, its release information, and any dependencies. A downloaded server archive, its release information, and any dependencies.

Workshop support and its release status have changed across Core Keeper versions. Do not rely on an old guide’s description of beta or full-release status; check the current official FAQ or changelog for the build you are running.

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Windows and Linux considerations

Windows

Use the Windows data path CoreKeeperServer_DataStreamingAssetsMods. If you install through a hosting control panel or a nonstandard directory, locate the actual folder containing CoreKeeperServer_Data rather than creating a new folder beside the wrong executable.

Linux

The commonly cited Linux location is (installdir)/CoreKeeperServer_Data/StreamingAssets/Mods. Replace (installdir) with the real server installation directory. Linux file names and directory capitalization are significant, so Mods is not interchangeable with mods.

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One community guide reports that some Windows-only components may not load on a Linux server. That is a single-source, version-sensitive claim rather than a universal compatibility rule. Treat a mod’s stated operating-system support and current release notes as decisive; do not assume a Windows-only dependency will work under Linux.

Mod configuration files: do not guess the location

Mod configuration is separate from the main mod binaries, and published guides disagree about where server configuration files belong. One describes a Save/mods directory under the server installation; another describes DedicatedServer/mods. The commonly referenced wiki pages do not establish one universal path.

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Do not create both locations and hope the server chooses the right one. Follow the individual mod’s documentation, use the file name and location it specifies, and verify the behavior on a disposable or backed-up world before changing a live configuration. If a mod loads but ignores settings, an incorrect configuration path is one possible cause.

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Updating, removing, and rolling back mods

Updating safely

  1. Check the mod and dependency release notes after every Core Keeper patch.
  2. Stop the server and create a fresh worlds backup.
  3. Record the currently working mod set and versions.
  4. Replace only the intended mod folder with the new release, preserving the dependency folders unless the author says they must also change.
  5. Start the server and test the world before allowing the full group to join.
  6. If the update fails, stop the server, restore the previous mod folder and the matching backup, and test again.

Manually installed mods do not update themselves. A server can continue running old files after players have received a new client release, producing a mismatch that looks like a connection or save problem. Make checking mod releases part of every game-patch maintenance window.

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Removing a mod

Removal can be more consequential than installation if the mod added items, blocks, entities, or world data. Follow the author’s uninstall notes, back up first, and test the removal on a copy of the world when possible. Do not delete a folder merely because the server starts; a world may still contain data created by that mod.

Rolling back

For a failed change, stop the server, restore the previous mod set and the corresponding worlds backup, then launch without adding another variable. Keep the failed archive separately so you know which release caused the problem and can check for an author fix later.

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Troubleshooting common failures

Symptom Likely checks Recovery
The server behaves exactly like vanilla. Confirm the folder is named Mods, is under CoreKeeperServer_Data/StreamingAssets, and contains extracted mod folders rather than unopened archives. Verify that the mod is intended to affect the server. Stop the server, correct the path or extraction, and retest with one known server-side mod.
The server fails after adding one mod. Check the mod’s supported game build, required dependencies, operating-system support, and folder contents. Restore the last working folder and world backup, then add the mod again only after resolving the stated requirement.
Players cannot join or receive a mod mismatch. Compare the server’s mod list, each player’s client-side list, mod releases, and Core Keeper build. Bring all clients and the server to the same compatible set; do not update only one side.
A mod loads but its settings have no effect. Check the author’s configuration path and file name. Do not rely on conflicting generic guides. Move or recreate the configuration exactly where the mod documentation specifies, using a backed-up test world.
The problem appears after a Core Keeper update. Review every mod and dependency for a release supporting the new build. Manually installed files will not update on their own. Roll back to the last known-good game/mod combination or update the complete set together.
A Linux server refuses a mod that works on Windows. Check whether the mod or one of its dependencies is marked Windows-only. Remove the incompatible component or use a release with explicit Linux support; confirm with the author’s current documentation.

A repeatable maintenance checklist

  • Record the server’s Core Keeper build and operating system.
  • Keep a text list of every installed mod, dependency, and release version.
  • Stop the server before every file change.
  • Back up the worlds folder before installation, updates, and removals.
  • Use one uniquely named subfolder per mod inside Mods.
  • Test an unmodded server before diagnosing a modded failure.
  • Add or update one mod at a time.
  • Distribute the same compatible client/server requirements to every player.
  • Review mod compatibility after every game patch.
  • Keep the previous working files until the new set has been tested.

Key limitations to keep in mind

Core Keeper’s modding behavior is not static. Workshop availability, mod.io collections, server folder layouts, and configuration paths can change with game patches. The documented Windows and Linux paths are practical starting points, not a promise that every hosting environment uses the same layout. Mod authors’ release notes take precedence over a general guide, especially for dependencies, client requirements, and operating-system support.

The reliable principle is unchanged: the dedicated server only knows about the files in its local mod directory. Install those files deliberately, match the server and clients, and preserve a rollback copy before every change.

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