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To run a Workshop mod on a Don’t Starve Together dedicated server, configure two different Lua files: dedicated_server_mods_setup.lua downloads the mod, while modoverrides.lua enables it and stores its settings. Add the mod to both files, put a separate modoverrides.lua entry in every shard you use (such as Master and Caves), then restart the server. A mod listed only in the download file is present on disk but does not run.
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The procedure below reflects the commonly documented DST layout, but many guides are from 2016–2019 and hosting panels use different paths. Check your host’s current file manager or startup configuration before editing.
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DST separates downloading a server mod from turning that mod on in a world. Keeping those jobs separate is the key to diagnosing most “mod not loading” problems.
| File | Job | What you add | Where it applies |
|---|---|---|---|
dedicated_server_mods_setup.lua |
Requests Workshop content at server startup | One ServerModSetup("ID") line per mod, or a ServerModCollectionSetup("ID") line for a collection |
The server’s main mods directory |
modoverrides.lua |
Enables a downloaded mod and supplies its settings | An entry keyed as ["workshop-ID"], with enabled = true and, when needed, configuration_options |
Each world shard folder, normally Master and Caves |
This distinction is documented in community server guides from GGServers, Nodecraft, and XGamingServer. The syntax has also been discussed on the Klei forums.
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Think of the process as two gates:
- Download gate: the setup file tells the server which Workshop IDs to obtain.
- Activation gate: each shard’s overrides file tells that shard to load the mod and how to configure it.
Passing only the first gate does not activate the mod.
Prepare the server and locate the correct folders
Stop the dedicated server before editing. A running process can overwrite a file, keep an old copy in memory, or make it difficult to tell whether a syntax error occurred during the next boot. Make a backup of the existing Lua files and the cluster folder so you can restore a known-good configuration.
Self-hosted installations
Look for the installation’s mods directory and the cluster’s shard directories. The setup file belongs in the main mods location used by the dedicated server. The overrides file belongs inside each shard directory, for example:
mods/dedicated_server_mods_setup.lua
Cluster_1/Master/modoverrides.lua
Cluster_1/Caves/modoverrides.luaThe exact root and cluster names vary with the operating system, SteamCMD layout, and the way you created the server. Guides describe more than one valid arrangement, so do not copy a Windows path into a Linux installation (or vice versa). The DST dedicated-server guide and the simple setup guide illustrate common layouts.
Managed hosting panels
A managed host may expose a file manager, a “Mods” page, or a startup script instead of the underlying folders. Use the panel’s DST-specific instructions and identify which directory it treats as the cluster. You still need the same two logical files even when the panel hides their paths.
One forum report describes a launch script that rewrites dedicated_server_mods_setup.lua as an empty file. This is not a universal behavior, but it is worth checking the startup command if your edits disappear after every restart. A file manager’s save button can also create .lua.txt; verify that the filename ends in exactly .lua, not plain text.
Find each mod’s Workshop ID
Open the mod’s Steam Workshop page and read the number after ?id= in the page URL. That number is the Workshop ID used in both files.
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For example, if a Workshop URL ends with ?id=123456789, the ID is 123456789. Keep the ID as a quoted string in the setup file and prepend workshop- to it in the overrides key. Do not paste the entire Workshop URL into either Lua file.
- Setup file form:
ServerModSetup("123456789") - Overrides key:
["workshop-123456789"]
Repeat the ID check for every mod. A single missing digit creates a valid-looking Lua line that points to the wrong item.
Add mods to dedicated_server_mods_setup.lua
Open or create dedicated_server_mods_setup.lua in the server’s main mods directory. Add one line for each individual Workshop mod:
ServerModSetup("123456789")
ServerModSetup("987654321")Use the number from each Workshop URL, including the quotation marks. Keep each call on its own line. Do not add a comma between calls; these are function calls, not entries in a Lua table.
Download an entire Workshop collection
If you want the items in a Workshop collection, use the collection’s ID with:
ServerModCollectionSetup("246813579")A collection line is an alternative to listing its individual items one by one. Confirm that the collection contains only the mods you intend to deploy; enabling a collection can bring in additional items when its contents change.
Save as real Lua
Use a plain-text editor that preserves the filename and ordinary quotes. The file must be named dedicated_server_mods_setup.lua. Smart quotes, a hidden .txt extension, or a stray character before the first function call can prevent the server from starting. The Complete Guide to DST Dedicated Server and the dedicated-server mod guide both describe adding these setup calls before a restart.
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Create modoverrides.lua for every shard
Downloading a mod does not make it active. In each shard folder, create or edit a file named modoverrides.lua with a returned Lua table. The smallest working entry is:
return {
["workshop-123456789"] = {
enabled = true,
},
}The key must be the literal word workshop- followed by the Workshop ID. The value is a table, and enabled = true turns the mod on for that shard.
Add several mods to one shard
Separate entries with commas inside the returned table:
return {
["workshop-123456789"] = {
enabled = true,
},
["workshop-987654321"] = {
enabled = true,
},
}The trailing comma after the final entry is accepted by Lua and makes later edits easier. If you prefer, remove it; consistency matters more than the style.
Put settings under configuration_options
Many mods expose settings such as stack sizes, timers, or UI behavior. Add a configuration_options table inside that mod’s entry:
return {
["workshop-123456789"] = {
enabled = true,
configuration_options = {
setting_name = "chosen_value",
another_setting = 10,
},
},
}The option names and value types are mod-specific. Copy the names from the mod’s modinfo.lua, particularly its configuration_options table, rather than guessing spelling or capitalization. An unknown key may be ignored, while a value of the wrong type can cause the mod to fail during loading. The syntax and this relationship to modinfo.lua are covered in the modoverrides configuration guide and the Klei forum clarification.
Repeat the entry in Master and Caves
DST treats Master and Caves as separate shards. If players travel between them, place the mod entry in both shard folders. A mod enabled only in Master can appear to work on the surface while being absent, reset, or incompatible in the caves shard.
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Use the same Workshop ID and option values unless the mod’s own instructions specifically require different settings. If your cluster has additional shards, give each one its own modoverrides.lua entry.
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Use the in-game Mods tab to generate configuration
Hand-editing is useful for simple entries, but the in-game server Mods tab can generate the options table for you. This is especially helpful when a mod has many settings or uses numeric and boolean values that are easy to mistype.
- Start the server or host a world with the mod available.
- Open the server’s Mods tab.
- Enable the desired mod and choose its settings in the interface.
- Save or apply the configuration.
- Stop the server and copy the generated
modoverrides.luafrom the cluster folder into the corresponding shard folders, if your setup has separate shards. - Check the copied file for the expected
["workshop-ID"]key and restart.
This method avoids manually reconstructing the option table, but it does not remove the need for the setup file. The server still has to download the Workshop item through dedicated_server_mods_setup.lua or a collection call.
Restart and verify the first boot
Save every file, then start the server. On the first restart after adding a mod, watch the console or log output. The setup file is read at boot, so this is when the server attempts to download listed items and parses your Lua files.
- If the process stops before the world starts, inspect the newest Lua edit for a missing quote, brace, or comma. A syntax error in
dedicated_server_mods_setup.luacan stop the server from booting. - If the server starts but the mod is absent, compare the ID in the setup file with the
workshop-IDkey in every shard’s overrides file. - If the mod appears in one shard only, add or correct the entry in the other shard’s
modoverrides.lua. - If a setting has no effect, confirm that its option name and value match the mod’s
modinfo.luadefinition.
Do not assume that a successful download means successful activation. Verify both stages: the item is obtained at startup, and the shard loads an enabled entry.
Choose a configuration method
| Method | Best for | Advantages | Risks or limits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manual Lua editing | Administrators comfortable with text files and repeatable deployments | Fast, transparent, easy to back up and copy between shards | A typo, wrong ID, or wrong option type can break startup or leave a mod inactive |
| In-game Mods tab, then copy the generated file | Large option tables or administrators who want the game to write syntax | Reduces hand-written configuration errors | You still must place the file in the correct shard folders and maintain the download setup file |
| Managed-host panel | Servers where the provider supplies a DST mod installer | Can hide SteamCMD paths and provide provider-specific restart controls | Panel paths and startup scripts differ; an automated script may replace your setup file |
These are different interfaces to the same two-stage configuration. A panel does not change the requirement that the mod be downloaded and enabled.
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The mod is listed in the setup file but does not run
Add the matching ["workshop-ID"] entry with enabled = true to modoverrides.lua. Check every shard. This is the most common failure because the download and activation files have separate jobs.
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The server will not boot after an edit
Revert the last change from your backup and start again. Then inspect punctuation: every quoted ID needs a closing quote, every table opened with { needs }, and entries in a table need commas. Keep comments simple while diagnosing. Read the console immediately after startup; the first syntax error is more useful than later cascading messages.
The file keeps reverting to an empty setup file
Inspect the host’s startup command, launch script, or mod-management panel. A reported hosting configuration rewrites dedicated_server_mods_setup.lua at launch. Disable that overwrite option or place the mod declarations in the location the host documents, then restart and check the file again.
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Confirm that the file is in the mods directory read by this installation, that the filename is exactly dedicated_server_mods_setup.lua, and that each ID is only the number from the Workshop URL. On managed hosting, verify that you edited the active server instance rather than a template or inactive cluster.
The mod works on a new world but not an existing one
Check whether the existing cluster actually contains a shard-level modoverrides.lua. One community guide reports that new worlds may receive an automatically populated file while existing worlds may not; that behavior is not consistently documented. If the file is missing, create it manually in each shard and use the standard returned-table format.
Paths in guides do not match your installation
Do not move files solely to match an online screenshot. SteamCMD installs, operating systems, and hosting panels use different roots. Identify the cluster folder configured by your server, then place modoverrides.lua under its shard directories and place the setup file in the mods directory that the server process reads. The Steam discussion on enabling server mods and the Klei discussion of multiple dedicated servers show why layouts can differ.
Complete example for one mod on a two-shard cluster
Assume the Workshop page supplies the ID 123456789 and the mod’s modinfo.lua defines an option named show_status that accepts a boolean. The main setup file would contain:
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ServerModSetup("123456789")Then create the same shard-level file in both Master and Caves:
-- Cluster_1/Master/modoverrides.lua
return {
["workshop-123456789"] = {
enabled = true,
configuration_options = {
show_status = true,
},
},
}-- Cluster_1/Caves/modoverrides.lua
return {
["workshop-123456789"] = {
enabled = true,
configuration_options = {
show_status = true,
},
},
}After saving, restart and inspect the console. If the mod downloads but does not appear in either shard, check the ID spelling and the exact file locations before changing the option table.
Quick Recap
Pre-restart checklist
- The server is stopped and the current files are backed up.
- Every Workshop ID was copied from the number after
?id=. dedicated_server_mods_setup.luacontains one setup call per mod, or a deliberate collection call.- Every active shard has a real
modoverrides.luafile, not.lua.txt. - Each overrides key uses
["workshop-ID"]and hasenabled = true. - Configuration option names and value types came from the mod’s
modinfo.luaor the generated in-game file. - The host’s startup script is not replacing your setup file.
- You will watch the first restart for Lua errors and download messages.
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