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What a dedicated ETS2 or ATS server actually needs
The dedicated server does not use the Steam client and cannot browse Steam Workshop. You therefore do not install Workshop content on the server by signing it into Steam. Instead, your game client creates a description of the active mod package, and the server consumes that description at startup.
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The export consists of two files:
server_packages.siiserver_packages.dat
Both files matter. Upload them as a pair after stopping the server, replacing the previous pair, then start the server again. The files tell the server which content and package versions the session expects; they are not a substitute for players having the corresponding content available in their own game installations.
Current official guidance does not require copying a second set of Workshop or mod files into a server-side mod directory. Older community instructions sometimes recommend that for non-Workshop modifications, but that conflicts with the newer package-export workflow. If your host has a special, version-specific procedure, follow its stated directory path while retaining the same export process.
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Before you begin: requirements and decisions
Use the game client as the source of truth
Perform the export from an ETS2 or ATS client profile in which every required mod is enabled. The dedicated server package is generated from the active client session, not from a blank profile or from files you manually assemble on the server.
Decide which DLC the server will require
Active downloadable content is included in the export. Enable every DLC that the server should require before running the export command. If you export first and activate additional DLC later, create a fresh export so the package description reflects that change.
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The command is intended to run while a map is loaded. Have the profile enter a playable session rather than stopping at the main menu. If the console command produces no usable files, return to the map and run it again.
Plan for player consistency
Every participant needs the same mods in the same load order. A player with a missing package, a different version, or a different ordering is refused by the server with a missing-content or version-mismatch message. This is a multiplayer requirement, not merely a recommendation for visual consistency.
Step 1: Enable the developer console in ETS2 or ATS
The export command is entered through the game’s developer console. Edit the configuration file in the relevant Documents folder with a plain-text editor such as Notepad.
| Game | Configuration folder | File |
|---|---|---|
| Euro Truck Simulator 2 | DocumentsEuro Truck Simulator 2 |
config.cfg |
| American Truck Simulator | DocumentsAmerican Truck Simulator |
config.cfg |
- Close the game before editing the file, so it does not overwrite your change on exit.
- Open
config.cfgin Notepad. - Find the console setting and set it to
uset g_console "1". In files that show the shorter key-value form, the equivalent value isg_consoleset to1. - Save the file without changing its
.cfgextension.
Some mod-export instructions also recommend setting g_developer to 1 in the same file. It is a commonly suggested companion setting; the essential documented requirement for opening the console is g_console "1".
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Step 2: Activate the server’s mods in your client
- Launch the correct game and open Mod Manager.
- Move every mod intended for the server into Active Mods.
- Arrange the active entries in the exact load order you want the server and players to use.
- Choose Confirm Changes.
- Start a session and load the map.
Do not export from a profile that still has an unwanted map, truck, sound, traffic, or gameplay modification enabled. The export reflects the active state at the moment you run the command. If you change the active list later, the old package files no longer describe the session accurately.
Step 3: Generate the server package files
With the map loaded, press ~ to open the console and enter:
export_server_packagesThe game writes the export into its home (Documents) folder. Locate the newly generated:
server_packages.siiserver_packages.dat
An optional command form lets you specify a destination and filename:
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One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware matchexport_server_packages destination fileUse that form only when you have a clear reason to place the export elsewhere. Regardless of destination, retain both output files together and preserve their exact names when you upload them unless your server documentation explicitly requires another location.
The export is a snapshot. It does not remain synchronized with your Mod Manager. Adding, removing, disabling, or updating a mod after the command has run has no effect on the already-created files.
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Step 4: Stop the server before changing its files
Use the host control panel’s stop action and wait until the server is fully offline. Uploading while the process is running can leave the old package in memory or produce a partial replacement. The safe sequence is stop, replace both files, then start.
Open the host’s file manager or connect through FTP and locate the server’s ETS2 or ATS data directory. Host layouts differ, so the exact path is not universal. Examples seen in hosting documentation include:
.local/share/Euro Truck Simulator 2.local/share/American Truck Simulator./userfiles/American Truck Simulator/
Those examples illustrate why a host-specific path check is necessary; they are not interchangeable instructions for every installation.
Step 5: Upload and replace the package pair
- Copy
server_packages.siifrom the client export location into the server’s game-data folder. - Copy
server_packages.datinto the same folder. - When prompted, replace the existing files rather than keeping the older versions under the active names.
- Confirm that both files are present and that their timestamps reflect the new export.
- Start the server from the control panel.
Replacing the pair is safer than deleting one file and starting the server with an incomplete set. If a host’s file manager offers an overwrite confirmation, accept it for both files. If an FTP client reports a failed transfer, retry before starting the server and verify the remote file sizes or timestamps shown by that client.
Step 6: Make every player match the server
Players should enable the same mods in the same order in their own Mod Manager before joining. They must also have any required DLC enabled and available in their game installation. The server does not send missing mod data to a player.
A player who does not match is blocked rather than allowed to join with a partial setup. The resulting prompt can describe missing content or a wrong version. Have the affected player compare the active list and order with the server’s intended list, update or re-enable the indicated mod, and try again.
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ETS2 and ATS: what changes and what does not
| Item | ETS2 | ATS |
|---|---|---|
| Console configuration folder | DocumentsEuro Truck Simulator 2 |
DocumentsAmerican Truck Simulator |
| Configuration file | config.cfg |
config.cfg |
| Console setting | uset g_console "1" |
uset g_console "1" |
| Export command | export_server_packages |
export_server_packages |
| Generated files | server_packages.sii and server_packages.dat |
server_packages.sii and server_packages.dat |
| Server upload rule | Stop, replace both files, restart | Stop, replace both files, restart |
The game names and home folders differ, but the package-export workflow is the same. Do not use an ETS2 export for an ATS server or vice versa; generate the files from the game whose server you are configuring.
When you must export again
Re-run the command and upload a new pair whenever any of the following changes:
- A mod is added to the active list.
- A mod is removed or disabled.
- The load order changes.
- A Workshop mod updates to a new version.
- A required DLC is activated or removed from the intended server setup.
A Workshop update is especially easy to overlook. Your client may receive the new mod files automatically, while the server still has package descriptions generated before the update. Re-exporting after the update creates a package pair that reflects the new version; failing to do so can lead to a wrong-version rejection even when both sides appear to have the same mod name.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Troubleshooting server mods that do not work
The console does not open
- Exit the game and confirm that
config.cfgis in the correct ETS2 or ATS Documents folder. - Check that the line is set to
uset g_console "1", save it, and relaunch. - Use the
~key after a map has loaded, not only at the title screen. - If you changed
g_developer, make sure the value is written as a numeric1and that the file was not saved as a second extension such asconfig.cfg.txt.
server_packages.sii or server_packages.dat is missing
- Load a map and run
export_server_packagesagain. - Search the game’s Documents home folder and any destination specified in the optional command form.
- Keep the two generated files together; uploading only one does not complete the export.
The server starts but players receive a missing-content message
- Compare the player’s active mods with the list used for the export.
- Check the load order, not just whether each mod appears somewhere in the list.
- Confirm that the player has the required DLC and that it is enabled.
- If the server’s mod setup changed, stop the server, upload a fresh pair, and restart before testing again.
Players receive a wrong-version rejection
This usually indicates that the package description and the files a player is running no longer represent the same mod version. Re-export after a client-side mod update, replace both server files, and have players update or otherwise match the resulting active set. Do not assume that an unchanged mod name means an unchanged package version.
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Adding a mod in your client does not modify the server automatically. Generate a new export while that mod is active, stop the server, replace both package files, and start it again. Also verify that you uploaded to the server’s actual game-data directory rather than a similarly named general-purpose folder.
An old guide says to upload a complete mod folder
The current package-based workflow does not require copying additional Workshop or mod data to the dedicated server. The server is not a Steam client. Treat older instructions that require a manual mod-folder upload as potentially obsolete, and check whether they describe a different server build or an older game version before applying them.
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Keeping a modded server maintainable
Record the exported setup
Keep a local copy of each package pair with a date and a short note about the active mod list. The files are generated artifacts, so a dated backup gives you a known package to restore if a later change causes join failures.
Change one thing at a time
For a stable update, alter the active list or order, load the map, export, upload both files, restart, and test with one matching client before making another change. This isolates the mod responsible when a new version produces a rejection.
Use the same release process for ETS2 and ATS
Although their Documents folders are different, both games follow the same stop-and-replace procedure. Keep separate exports for each title and never mix files between them.
Quick installation checklist
- Correct game selected: ETS2 or ATS.
g_consoleenabled in the matchingconfig.cfg.- All intended mods active and ordered in Mod Manager.
- Required DLC active before export.
- A map loaded when
export_server_packagesis run. - Both
server_packages.siiandserver_packages.datlocated. - Server stopped before file transfer.
- Both files uploaded to the host’s correct game-data directory.
- Existing files replaced, not left alongside an older active pair.
- Server restarted after the upload.
- Every player has the same mods, versions, DLC, and load order.
- A fresh export prepared after every mod, order, DLC, or Workshop-version change.
Why this method is the reliable one
The dedicated server’s role is to validate and run the package definition it reads at startup; it is not a Workshop downloader. Exporting from a loaded client session captures the active configuration, including the DLC state selected for that session. Replacing the two package files while the server is stopped ensures the process starts with the new definition, and matching each player’s setup prevents the server from rejecting incompatible content.
Once the pair has been generated and uploaded, the installation itself is complete. Future maintenance is simply the same controlled cycle: update the client setup, export again, replace both server files while offline, restart, and have players match the resulting list.
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