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1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesWhere do Valheim server mods go? For a BepInEx-based dedicated server, install BepInExPack_Valheim in the server’s game root—the directory containing the dedicated-server executable. Runtime mod DLLs then go in that same instance’s BepInEx/plugins/ folder, usually in a mod-named subfolder:
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<Valheim dedicated-server root>/BepInEx/plugins/<ModName>/<ModName>.dll
What the Valheim server folder layout means
A dedicated server has its own Valheim installation. That installation is separate from the Valheim client profile on your gaming PC, even when both use BepInEx. The server’s BepInEx files must be installed beside the server executable so the server process can load them when it starts.
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Random freezes, missing sound and display glitches usually trace back to one bad driver. Find and replace yours safely.Free scan · under a minuteThe BepInExPack_Valheim package describes moving the contents of its pack folder into the Valheim installation directory. For a dedicated server, interpret that instruction as the server’s game root, not a client mod-manager profile. Once BepInEx has been started successfully, its directories appear under that root.
The important locations are:
| Location | Use |
|---|---|
<server root>/BepInEx/ |
The BepInEx installation for this server instance. |
<server root>/BepInEx/plugins/ |
Runtime plugin DLLs that the server should load. |
<server root>/BepInEx/config/ |
Configuration files generated or edited after a plugin loads. |
<server root>/BepInEx/LogOutput.log |
The startup log used to confirm loading or diagnose errors. |
A folder named required or optional may appear inside a mod’s configuration or save-data area. Those directories can hold reference copies used to check client policies; they are not substitutes for BepInEx/plugins/.
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Where do Valheim server mods go: the installation sequence
Use this order when adding a mod to a self-hosted or managed dedicated server. It avoids changing files while the process is running and gives you a clear log checkpoint.
- Stop the server cleanly. Do not replace DLLs while the dedicated-server process is active. Make a backup of the world before introducing a new mod, especially one that changes content or gameplay.
- Identify the real server root. Find the directory that contains the dedicated-server executable. Do not use a parent directory, a local client installation, or a mod-manager profile unless that is actually where the server process runs.
- Install BepInExPack_Valheim in that root. Move the pack’s contents into the server game directory. Use the BepInEx-enabled startup script or launch parameters supplied with the pack; the package documentation references
start_server_bepinex.shfor server installation. - Launch once, then stop. The first BepInEx-enabled start creates the standard folders and writes a log. After the server has initialized, stop it cleanly before copying plugins.
- Extract the mod download. Locate the runtime DLL and copy it into
<server root>/BepInEx/plugins/. If the package includes a folder named for the mod, preserve that subfolder. A typical final path is<server root>/BepInEx/plugins/<ModName>/<ModName>.dll. - Install any stated dependencies. Read the mod’s own instructions for required libraries, server/client components, and game-version compatibility. A DLL can be in the correct directory and still fail if a dependency is missing.
- Start the server fully. Restart after every addition or replacement so BepInEx scans the new files during startup.
- Check the log. Open
BepInEx/LogOutput.logand look for the plugin’s load line. An error, exception, or missing-dependency message indicates that the installation needs correction before players connect.
Do Valheim mods go in BepInEx/plugins or config?
Put executable plugin DLLs in BepInEx/plugins/. The config/ directory is for settings that a plugin creates or that you edit after the first successful load. Placing a DLL only in config/ does not make it a runtime plugin.
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This distinction also applies to management mods that create policy directories. BeastheimServerMods uses BepInEx/config/BeastheimServerMods/required/ and /optional/ for copies used to check what clients have installed. ServerManager makes the same distinction: its required and optional folders are reference locations, while a mod that must execute on the server still belongs in that server’s BepInEx/plugins/ directory.
Use the directory’s purpose as a quick test:
- If the file is a runtime
.dllthat should execute, place it underplugins/. - If the file is a generated or edited setting, it belongs under
config/. - If the file is a policy or reference copy for checking client installations, follow the mod’s documented
required/oroptional/location, but keep the executable DLL inplugins/.
Examples of correct server plugin paths
A server-only plugin
Dedicated Simulation’s instructions put SarkasticGG_Dedicated_Simulation.dll directly in the server’s BepInEx/plugins/ directory. Its documentation says clients need nothing for that server-side plugin, so there is no matching client DLL to distribute merely because the server has it installed.
A plugin with a subfolder
Valheim Admin Tool documents a path in the form Valheim/BepInEx/plugins/ValheimAdminTool/ValheimAdminTool.dll. The additional folder is organizational; it remains below plugins/, where BepInEx can discover the runtime assembly.
A client-and-server companion arrangement
Valheim Admin Tool uses separate AdminPanel.dll and AdminPanelCompanion.dll components. Follow that project’s placement instructions for each component, and keep both files on the same version when they are used together. Do not assume that copying only the server-side file supplies the client interface.
Do players need the same Valheim mods?
There is no universal rule. Client requirements are defined by each mod.
Server-only behavior
A server-side mod can run without any client installation. Dedicated Simulation explicitly states that clients need nothing. Players can therefore join without copying that plugin into their own game.
Client features or companion DLLs
Mods that add a client interface, visual feature, or companion component may require files on every player’s machine. Valheim Admin Tool is an example with separate server and client companion DLLs, and its documentation requires the paired components to be the same version.
How to decide before opening the server
- Read the mod page’s server-side and client-side sections.
- Check whether it lists a client companion, required client files, or a version-matching rule.
- Tell players exactly which files and versions they need when the mod is not server-only.
- Keep policy copies in any documented
required/oroptional/folders if the management mod uses them to verify clients; those copies do not replace the server plugin.
Self-hosted server versus managed hosting
The folder rule is the same in both environments: BepInEx must load from the game instance that actually runs the dedicated server, and runtime DLLs must be below that instance’s BepInEx/plugins/ directory.
Self-hosted installation
You control the server files and startup process. Install the pack in the directory containing the executable, select the supplied BepInEx startup script or launch parameters, and verify the first run in LogOutput.log. If a local mod manager created a profile elsewhere, copy the needed BepInEx files to the server root rather than treating the profile as the server itself.
Managed hosting installation
Use the host’s file manager or other provided upload method to reach the Valheim instance that launches your dedicated server. Upload the BepInEx files and plugin folders there, not into a separate client profile or an unrelated account directory. Hosting panels can arrange files differently, so confirm the path by locating the executable and checking that the launch configuration actually enables BepInEx. After uploading, perform a complete restart and inspect the server log supplied by the host or the BepInEx log in the instance.
Manual upload versus a mod-manager workflow
A desktop manager such as r2modman or Thunderstore Mod Manager can make a client profile, but that profile is not automatically the remote dedicated-server installation. Treat the manager as a way to obtain and organize package files. The final step is still to place the server’s BepInEx folder and runtime DLLs in the actual dedicated-server root, then confirm that the server starts with BepInEx enabled.
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The server starts, but the mod is absent from the log
- Check that the DLL is below the exact server root’s
BepInEx/plugins/, including any package subfolder. - Make sure you did not copy it only to
BepInEx/config/or to a policy directory. - Confirm that the launch command or startup script is the BepInEx-enabled one.
- Stop and restart the entire server after copying the file.
The server reports an error during startup
- Read the surrounding lines in
BepInEx/LogOutput.logfor a missing dependency, incompatible version, or exception. - Return to the mod’s instructions and install every stated dependency in the same server instance.
- Check whether the mod supports the game version currently installed on the server.
- If you replaced a DLL, restore the previous backed-up version and test the server before making another change.
Players cannot connect or a feature is missing
- Determine whether the mod is server-only or requires client files.
- For paired components, verify that server and client DLLs are the same version.
- Check the mod’s required and optional client policy instructions rather than moving runtime files into those policy folders.
The wrong world or installation is being changed
Recheck the directory containing the executable and the process’s startup configuration. A client profile can look like a complete BepInEx installation while the remote server continues to run an unmodified instance. The definitive check is whether the server’s own LogOutput.log records BepInEx and the plugin during startup.
Safe maintenance after installation
Keep a copy of the world before adding, removing, or upgrading content-changing mods. Record which DLL versions are installed and whether players need matching files. When upgrading, stop the server, replace the plugin in plugins/, start it, and inspect the log before allowing normal play. If the new version fails, stop the server and restore the backed-up DLL rather than repeatedly overwriting files in a live process.
The practical confirmation is always the same: the server starts through its BepInEx-enabled configuration, the plugin DLL is under that instance’s BepInEx/plugins/, and LogOutput.log shows a successful load without a related error.
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