Install a downloaded addon by placing its real top-level folder in garrysmod/addons/, then restart the dedicated server. Install Workshop content by supplying a public or unlisted collection ID with +host_workshop_collection, or by listing individual IDs in garrysmod/cfg/srcds_workshop_ids.txt on supported recent versions. Server mounting and client downloads are separate: players also need maps, models, materials and sounds delivered through Workshop resources or FastDL.
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Choose the installation method first
Garry’s Mod supports two addon workflows. A loose addon gives you direct control over files and is the right choice for a downloaded ZIP, a privately edited addon or source-level testing. A Workshop collection lets the server fetch and update subscribed items at startup with less manual copying.
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| Workflow | What you provide | Strength | Main risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Loose addon | An unpacked addon folder under garrysmod/addons/ |
Exact file control, easy local edits and the ability to pin a known copy | Manual updates and a greater chance of placing the folder one level too deep |
| Workshop collection | A public or unlisted collection ID in the startup command | Automatic download, mounting and (when configured) client Workshop delivery | Items can change when authors publish updates, and a private collection cannot be fetched |
| Workshop ID file | garrysmod/cfg/srcds_workshop_ids.txt with individual IDs |
Central list of items without maintaining one collection | The list-file method is documented as new in Garry’s Mod version 2026.09.22 or newer; confirm support on the live documentation before relying on it |
Do not combine the methods accidentally. If the same addon exists as a loose copy and a Workshop copy, remove one while diagnosing conflicts so you know which files the server is mounting.
Prepare the dedicated server
- Stop the server before copying files or changing startup parameters. A running process can keep old Lua or map data in memory.
- Back up the current
garrysmod/directory, or at leastgarrysmod/addons/,garrysmod/cfg/and any custom Lua files. A backup gives you a clean rollback when an update introduces a conflict. - Locate the installation’s
garrysmod/directory. A normal dedicated-server tree contains that directory beside the server executable and Steam runtime files. - Keep every custom addon in its own folder. Do not overwrite the base game tree or merge unrelated addon files into one directory; the Lua-folder guidance associates those practices with conflicts and unpredictable behavior.
Install a downloaded, non-Workshop addon
1. Obtain and inspect the archive
Download the addon from a source you trust and unpack it locally. Open the extracted folders until you can identify the addon itself. The folder you copy should contain the addon’s content directories, not merely another ZIP file or a GitHub-generated wrapper such as project-main.
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An addon may contain any combination of lua, maps, materials, models, particles, resource, scripts and sound. Preserve the directories it actually uses. Empty directories have no purpose and can be removed.
2. Put the real top-level folder in addons
Copy the addon folder to:
garrysmod/addons/<addon_name>/
Facepunch’s addon-creation documentation describes the rule this way: “All Addons, even those downloaded from the Steam Workshop, start as a folder placed in the garrysmod/addons/ folder of the Garry’s Mod installation.” In practice, the final path should look like garrysmod/addons/my_custom_weapons/lua/..., not garrysmod/addons/my_custom_weapons/project-main/lua/....
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3. Restart and keep the copy isolated
Start the dedicated server again after copying the folder. Leave the addon in its own directory so you can disable it by moving or renaming one folder instead of editing shared files. If you change the addon while testing, restart before deciding that a Lua change failed; files loaded during startup can remain active until the process is restarted.
Install Workshop addons with a collection
1. Build an accessible collection
Create a Steam Workshop collection and add every required addon. Set the collection to Public or Unlisted. A private collection cannot be accessed by the dedicated server, even if you can see it while logged into your own account. Record the numeric collection ID from the collection’s Workshop URL.
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2. Add the collection to the startup command
Append this parameter to the command that launches the server:
+host_workshop_collection <COLLECTION_ID>
For example, a launch line that also selects a map can contain +map <map_name> +host_workshop_collection <COLLECTION_ID>. Keep the plus signs and parameter spelling exactly as shown. At startup, the server downloads or updates the collection and mounts the downloaded addons; the Workshop-for-dedicated-servers documentation describes this as downloading the collection at startup and mounting all downloaded addons.
3. Decide how updates should work
By default, the server checks the collection at startup. To disable those startup updates, use:
host_workshop_autoupdate 0
Disabling updates can help you hold a tested content set, but it also leaves old map or addon versions in place. The documented warning is significant: stale content can prevent players from joining. If you pin updates, schedule a deliberate maintenance check and test the resulting files before changing the live server.
4. Restart and read the console
Restart after changing the collection ID or its visibility. Watch the startup console for Workshop download and mount messages. An error there usually points to an incorrect ID, inaccessible collection, Steam connectivity problem or an item that has been removed. Do not treat a successful server boot as proof that every client file was delivered; client distribution is a separate configuration step described below.
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Use srcds_workshop_ids.txt for individual Workshop items
Recent Garry’s Mod documentation describes a list-file approach in garrysmod/cfg/srcds_workshop_ids.txt. The documented structure groups IDs under a named block:
"my_workshop_addons" { "1" { "wsid" "123277559" } "2" { "wsid" "111412589" } }
Create the file manually with the same braces and quoted keys, replace the example numbers with the Workshop IDs you need, and save it under the server’s garrysmod/cfg/ directory. Restart the server so it reads the list. This method is identified as new with Garry’s Mod version 2026.09.22 or newer; version behavior can change, so check the current Facepunch documentation when deploying or upgrading a server. If your build does not recognize the file, use the collection parameter instead.
Start a gamemode or map supplied by an addon
Select the gamemode folder
Use the folder name, not the display name shown in a menu:
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+gamemode <folder_name>
The dedicated-server guide defines this name as the gamemode folder under garrysmod/gamemodes/ or under an addon’s gamemodes/ directory. For a Workshop gamemode, read the exact folder name in the item’s description or ask its author. A title such as “City Roleplay” may use a folder such as darkrp; only the actual folder name works.
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Select the map without the extension
Set the map with:
+map <map_name>
Use the BSP filename without .bsp. For example, write +map rp_downtown, not +map rp_downtown.bsp. The map must be mounted and available to the server before the level change; if it comes from Workshop, include that item in the collection or ID file.
Apply a changed setting
Change the startup command, then fully restart the process. If you alter the map or gamemode while the server is already running, issue a level change or restart after confirming the new setting; otherwise the old map or gamemode can remain active for the current session.
Make custom content download to players
Mounting an addon on the server and delivering its assets to clients are different jobs. The server can load Lua and still leave players without a map, sound, model or material. Symptoms include a map-download failure, invisible props, checkerboard textures or missing sounds.
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For Workshop-hosted content, add the item ID in server-side Lua with:
resource.AddWorkshop("WORKSHOP_ID")
Use the numeric ID of each Workshop item that clients must have. Put this call in a server-side Lua file loaded by your gamemode or addon, and include every dependency that is not already guaranteed by the main item. The server’s Workshop collection parameter handles server mounting; the resource call tells clients what to obtain.
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Non-Workshop files
For files you host yourself, use resource.AddFile or resource.AddSingleFile in server-side Lua to mark the required paths. Match the path and capitalization used inside the addon. Marking a file does not create an Internet download location; clients still need a server download route.
Choose a download route
| Route | Configuration | When to use it | Important limitation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Workshop | resource.AddWorkshop("WORKSHOP_ID") |
The asset is published on Steam Workshop and should be obtained by clients from there | Every required item must be listed; server-side mounting alone is not enough |
| Built-in server download | Mark files with resource.AddFile or resource.AddSingleFile and enable sv_allowdownload 1 |
Small sets of files or a simple setup without a separate web host | The built-in path is slower and still requires correctly marked files |
| FastDL | Place files on a separate web server and set sv_downloadurl |
Larger custom-content sets where faster client downloads matter | The web server is separate from the game server; its directory must mirror the downloadable file paths |
Use one deliberate delivery plan and test it with a fresh client. A player who already has an asset cached can hide a missing resource declaration, so test with content removed or on a machine that has not previously joined the server.
Verify that the server found and mounted the addon
Check the directory before checking the game
- Confirm the addon folder is directly under
garrysmod/addons/. - Open the folder and verify that
lua,maps,materials,models,particles,resource,scriptsorsoundare at the expected level. - Remove an extra archive or wrapper directory if the content tree is one level too deep.
- For Workshop content, confirm the collection is public or unlisted and that the numeric ID is correct.
Use the server console
After startup, run:
path
The command lists active search paths. Look for the addon or Workshop-mounted path in the output. Workshop startup messages also indicate which addons were mounted and which content was made available to clients. These checks prove discovery and mounting; they do not prove that every optional client file has reached every player.
Test the actual feature
Join with a client and exercise the addon: spawn its entity, use its tool, load its map or enter its gamemode. Test both a client that already subscribed to the Workshop item and a clean client. A server can report a successful mount while a client still lacks one dependency.
Troubleshoot the common failure modes
| Symptom | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| The addon does not load at all | The folder is nested inside a ZIP or GitHub wrapper, or it is outside garrysmod/addons/ |
Open the extracted tree, move the folder containing the real content directories directly into addons/, then restart |
| A Workshop addon is absent | Wrong collection ID, private collection, misspelled parameter or Steam Workshop connectivity failure | Check the numeric ID, set the collection to Public or Unlisted, verify +host_workshop_collection exactly, and inspect startup errors |
| The server loads it but players see a missing map, material or model | Server mounting was configured without client delivery | Add the Workshop resource declaration, mark non-Workshop files with resource.AddFile or resource.AddSingleFile, and configure built-in downloads or FastDL |
| The selected gamemode fails | +gamemode uses a display name instead of the folder name, or the gamemode is not mounted |
Find the exact folder under garrysmod/gamemodes/ or the addon’s gamemodes/ directory, then restart |
| The selected map fails to change | The BSP extension was included, the map item is not mounted, or the startup setting was never applied | Use the filename without .bsp, ensure the map addon is downloaded, and restart or change level after correcting the command |
| Everything worked until an addon update | Two addons now define the same files, or Workshop auto-update introduced an incompatible version | Disable or isolate folders one at a time, review the update setting, and restore the last known-good backup or pinned copy |
| The ID file appears ignored | The server version predates the documented list-file feature, the path is wrong or the syntax is malformed | Confirm the build supports the feature, place the file at garrysmod/cfg/srcds_workshop_ids.txt, check braces and quoted keys, or fall back to a Workshop collection |
Operate addons safely after installation
Separate content from configuration
Keep addon folders, server configuration and client-download declarations organized separately. This makes it possible to identify whether a failure comes from discovery, Lua execution, map mounting or download delivery instead of changing several systems at once.
Control update timing
Automatic Workshop updates are convenient for active projects but can change behavior between restarts. If reliability matters more than immediate updates, use host_workshop_autoupdate 0, retain a tested copy and update during a maintenance window. Re-enable updates when you intentionally want the latest collection content.
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An addon may depend on separate models, materials, sounds or libraries. Test the complete feature on a clean client after every content change. A successful path result confirms that the server can search the mounted files; it does not validate optional dependencies or the client download list.
Quick Recap
A repeatable installation checklist
- Stop the dedicated server and back up its custom directories.
- Choose loose files, a Workshop collection or the supported Workshop ID file.
- For a loose addon, remove wrapper folders and place the real addon directly under
garrysmod/addons/. - For Workshop content, make the collection Public or Unlisted and add
+host_workshop_collection <COLLECTION_ID>, or create the documented ID file on a supported build. - Set
+gamemodeand+maponly after confirming the exact folder and BSP names. - Configure client delivery with Workshop resources, built-in downloads or FastDL.
- Restart, inspect startup messages and run
path. - Join with a clean client and test the map, gamemode and every important asset.
- If something fails, isolate one addon or dependency at a time instead of editing the base game tree.
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