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How to Set Up Auto Download of Mods on an Assetto Corsa Server

A complete guide to Assetto Corsa server auto-download: choose managed hosting or self-host AssettoServer, generate content.json, expose HTTP files, match versions, and verify the Join in CM workflow.
Length12 min Posted Quest giverVGSources Team
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To enable automatic mod downloads, make the cars and track in the server’s active entry list appear in a content.json manifest, expose that manifest and its files through the server’s HTTP service, and test with a client that does not already have the content installed. A managed host can generate the manifest with its CM Auto Download control; a self-hosted AssettoServer can use an author-provided direct URL or a local archive. Auto-download only transfers files—it cannot repair a bad archive or reconcile incompatible mod versions.

What Content Manager auto-download actually does

When a player follows a server’s Join in CM link, Content Manager compares the cars and track required by the lobby with the files in the player’s installation. If the server publishes valid download entries, Content Manager can fetch and install missing content before allowing the connection.

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The connection between the lobby and those downloads is the server’s cfg/cm_content/content.json manifest. It lists the selected cars and map, then points each item to either a direct download URL or a file served by the server. The manifest is not a second entry list: it describes where the content in the active lobby can be obtained.

  • Only cars in the active entry list and the selected track/layout are offered.
  • Files merely stored on the server, but not used by the active lobby, are not automatically advertised.
  • A successful transfer does not prove that the client can join. The installed files must still match the server’s expected versions and checksums.
  • CM Auto Download does not fix a corrupt ZIP, convert one mod version into another, or make two incompatible releases work together.

That distinction explains most “download succeeded but I still cannot join” reports: transport and compatibility are separate checks.

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Choose a managed host or self-hosted AssettoServer

Both routes use the same basic manifest, but they place different responsibilities on you. A managed panel hides most HTTP and file-serving work. Self-hosting gives you control over archives and URLs, while you maintain paths, firewall rules, and version consistency.

Consideration Managed hosting with CM Auto Download Self-hosted AssettoServer
Setup effort Low: select content, enable the feature, and apply the selection. Higher: configure the server, manifest entries, HTTP service, paths, and networking.
Archive hosting control The host generally handles storage and publication. You choose an author-provided URL or serve your own permitted archive.
Recurring cost The documented CM Auto Download feature may be restricted to a paid Assetto Corsa hosting plan. No project-documented subscription is required, but you pay your own server, storage, and bandwidth costs.
Firewall and HTTP work Usually handled by the host; confirm which HTTP endpoint the plan exposes. You must make the configured HTTP port reachable through the host firewall and router.
Rebuilding the manifest Reapply the panel’s content selection after each change. Edit or regenerate content.json and update paths or URLs yourself.
Version maintenance You still own mod selection and compatibility; the panel cannot repair bad packages. You own every package, path, URL, checksum, and synchronization task.

AssettoServer documentation identifies version 0.0.54 on the cited documentation page and describes both Windows and Linux installation. Its documentation also says the easiest starting point is creating the server configuration with Content Manager.

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Prepare the server and content

Before enabling downloads, make the lobby itself work for a local client. Decide which exact car entries, track, and layout the event will use, then verify that those files are the releases you intend to distribute.

Prerequisites

  • A working Assetto Corsa dedicated server or AssettoServer installation.
  • Content Manager on the administrator’s computer for creating or editing the server preset.
  • The final car entry list, track, and layout selected in the active server configuration.
  • Either a direct download URL authorized by the mod author or an archive you are permitted to host.
  • A reachable server HTTP port for self-hosted installations.
  • A second installation, test account, or removable-content client for a clean download test.

Do not start by uploading every ZIP in a downloads folder. The manifest follows the active lobby selection, so unused assets increase maintenance without making them available to players.

Managed-host setup: enable CM Auto Download

Panel labels vary, but the documented workflow is consistent: select the lobby content, turn on the feature, and apply the selection so the host writes the manifest.

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  1. Open the server’s content or entry-list page. Sign in to the hosting panel and open the Assetto Corsa server instance. Find the area where cars, track, and layout are selected for the active entry list.
  2. Add the exact cars for the event. Add every car that appears in the active entry list. A car saved elsewhere in the panel is irrelevant if it is not active in this lobby.
  3. Select the track and layout. Choose the precise layout used by the server. A different layout can reference different required files, so do not assume that selecting only the track name covers every variant.
  4. Enable “CM Auto Download.” This is the panel feature that publishes download information for the selected content. On the documented provider workflow, it may require a paid hosting plan.
  5. Press “Apply Selection.” The panel generates cfg/cm_content/content.json with entries for the selected cars and map. Treat this button as a build step: changing a selection without applying it leaves the old manifest in place.
  6. Restart the server if the panel requests it. A restart ensures the running instance loads the new manifest and exposes the matching HTTP resources.

After applying, inspect the generated content list if the panel provides a file view. Confirm that every active car and the selected track appear, and that no obsolete entry remains.

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Self-hosted method 1: use an authorized direct URL

For each required item, Content Manager can use a direct URL supplied by the mod author or an authorized host. AssettoServer’s FAQ specifically advises using the links provided by the content authors unless you have explicit permission to reupload the files yourself.

  1. Open the server preset in Content Manager. Choose the download URL or share mode for the server’s content settings.
  2. Enter a direct file URL for each item. The link must deliver the archive itself, not an HTML landing page, login screen, preview page, or temporary link that expires before players join.
  3. Associate the URL with the matching car or track. Check the spelling and the selected layout. A valid URL pointing to the wrong package still produces a mismatch.
  4. Save or export the preset. Confirm that the resulting content.json contains the URL entries and that the running server uses that file under cfg/cm_content/.
  5. Verify authorization and availability. Keep the author’s terms with your event records. If the host removes the file, changes access controls, or redirects the URL, clients will no longer be able to download it.

Do not silently mirror a mod to a file host because it is convenient. Permission to use a car or track in a race does not automatically grant permission to redistribute its archive.

Self-hosted method 2: serve local archives

If you control the server files and have permission to distribute the package, you can keep the archive under the server root or another known path and refer to it with a file entry in content.json.

  1. Choose the exact archive. Use the package that matches the installed server content. If you repack files, preserve the mod’s expected folder structure and document the resulting version.
  2. Place the archive in a stable location. A relative example supported by AssettoServer is cfg/cm_content/car_name.zip. Keep the file where the running server can read it.
  3. Create or regenerate the file entry. Point the manifest’s file value at the archive’s path. Relative paths are safer when the whole server is moved, but every path must still be valid from the server root used by the process.
  4. Check permissions. The account running AssettoServer must be able to read the archive and the directories above it. A web request cannot succeed if the service account is denied access.
  5. Update paths after a move. If you relocate the server or rename an archive, change every affected manifest entry before restarting.

Local serving avoids dependence on a third-party file host, but it makes you responsible for disk space, bandwidth, backups, and keeping an unchanged archive available for the event.

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Expose the HTTP service correctly

AssettoServer publishes HTTP-served resources through its configured server HTTP port. The development documentation names ServerHTTPPort as a server setting. On a self-hosted machine, the port must be reachable from the internet, not merely listening on the loopback interface.

  1. Find the configured port. Read the server configuration value for ServerHTTPPort and record the number.
  2. Allow it through the operating-system firewall. Create an inbound rule for the chosen protocol and port, limited to the server process where practical.
  3. Forward the port on the router or cloud firewall. If the machine sits behind NAT, forward the public port to the host’s private address. Cloud servers may instead require a security-group rule.
  4. Confirm the public address. Use the address players already use for the server, and ensure DNS points to the current host if you use a name.
  5. Check from outside the LAN. Test from a separate network. A request that works only inside your home network does not prove that players can retrieve the manifest.

Do not expose unrelated administration panels on the same public address. Restrict the firewall to the game and HTTP services required for joining, and keep the server software patched according to its documentation.

Set server details and build a correct manifest

AssettoServer’s FAQ identifies EnableServerDetails: true in extra_cfg.yml as required for exposing the server description and content metadata. Without that setting, a correctly placed archive may still be invisible to Content Manager.

EnableServerDetails: true

Use the setting exactly as shown, respecting the YAML file’s indentation and spelling. Restart after saving so the running process loads it.

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Match the Content Manager version field

Each manifest entry can carry a version value. It should match the version shown in Content Manager’s Author field for that mod. If the mod has no version, omit the field rather than inventing one.

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A stale or mismatched package can download normally and still fail the checksum or compatibility check. When replacing an archive, update the manifest entry and regenerate the selection instead of assuming that the filename change is enough.

Keep the active lobby and manifest aligned

The active entry list is the source of truth for what clients need. If you remove a car from the lobby, remove or regenerate its download entry. If you add a car, change the track, switch layouts, or change a URL, regenerate the manifest so the published metadata reflects the new lobby.

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Run a clean-client test before the event

A client that already has every mod installed proves only that the server accepts that installation. It does not exercise the automatic download path. Use a separate installation or remove the custom car and track from a test client.

  1. Restart the server after the final manifest change. This prevents the test from reading an older in-memory configuration.
  2. Open the server’s “Join in CM” link. Use the same link and preset that ordinary players will receive.
  3. Confirm both missing items are detected. The test client should identify the custom car and the selected track (including any required layout content).
  4. Watch the download and installation. Check that each archive comes from the intended URL or local file and that Content Manager reports completion rather than an HTML or permission error.
  5. Attempt to join. The client should proceed only after installation and verification finish.
  6. Repeat after every content change. Replace an archive, alter a car list, switch a layout, or change a source, then apply or regenerate the manifest and perform the clean test again.

Keep a known-good test client or backup copy of the previous archives until the event starts. It gives you a reference if a last-minute replacement introduces a checksum mismatch.

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Troubleshoot the common failure modes

Symptom Likely cause What to check
CM shows no download prompt. The manifest was not generated, is not under the expected path, or server details are disabled. Confirm cfg/cm_content/content.json, reapply the panel selection or regenerate the preset, and set EnableServerDetails: true.
One car is missing from the offered downloads. It is stored on the server but not in the active entry list. Add the car to the active entry list, then apply or regenerate the content selection.
Download returns an HTML page or 404. The URL is not a direct archive, has expired, or the local path is wrong. Open the URL outside the game, verify it returns the archive, and correct the URL or file path.
Download times out. The HTTP port is blocked, NAT forwarding is absent, or the host is unreachable. Check ServerHTTPPort, firewall rules, router/cloud forwarding, and an external-network test.
Download completes but joining fails with a checksum or version error. The client received a different release from the server’s installed files. Compare the archive, Content Manager Author-field version, folder contents, and manifest version; replace the package and regenerate.
A path worked until the server moved. The manifest contains a location that no longer exists. Update every relative or absolute file entry for the new server root.
Only clients on the same LAN can download. The service is bound locally or the router does not forward the public port. Test from a mobile hotspot or other outside network and correct binding or forwarding.
Players download an old car after an update. The panel selection or manifest was not regenerated after replacing the archive. Apply the current selection, restart, and repeat the clean-client test.

Maintain auto-download over a league season

Automatic delivery is reliable only when the manifest, archives, and active lobby are treated as one release. Use this checklist for each event:

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  • Freeze the exact car, track, and layout versions before publishing the server link.
  • Confirm that each URL is direct, reachable, and authorized by the content author.
  • For local files, record the archive filename, path, and the server content version.
  • Regenerate the manifest after any selection, archive, path, or source change.
  • Restart the server and verify the HTTP endpoint from outside the host network.
  • Run the Join in CM flow from a client missing every custom item.
  • Keep a copy of the last known-good archives until the session is over.
  • Tell drivers that an existing installation may need removal if it contains an older package with the same name; a clean download test catches this before race day.

When an author publishes a new release, do not update only the server’s installed folder. Replace the downloadable archive, update the manifest’s version information when one is provided, regenerate the content selection, and test from a clean client.

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Privacy, licensing, and operational safeguards

Direct-download links can reveal the server’s hosting arrangement and may be rate-limited by the file host. Prefer stable, authorized sources and avoid sharing private tokens in a public manifest. If a link contains an expiring credential, replace it with a durable authorized URL before distributing the server address.

Redistribution rights are separate from gameplay rights. The AssettoServer FAQ’s guidance is to use the author’s own download links unless you are explicitly allowed to reupload the content. Follow that rule for cars, tracks, skins, and repacked archives alike.

Finally, remember that auto-download does not validate the quality or safety of a mod. Obtain packages from trusted authors, scan files according to your normal server policy, and keep administrative files outside any directory intended for public HTTP serving.

What a successful setup looks like

A correct setup has four observable properties: the active lobby names the intended cars and track; content.json lists those same items with valid URLs or readable local files; the server exposes its details through a reachable HTTP port; and a clean client downloads, installs, verifies, and joins without manual copying. If any one of those conditions is missing, fix that layer rather than repeatedly reinstalling the entire game.

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