How to add Steam Workshop mods to an ARK: Survival Evolved server

Steam Workshop mods

Your ARK: Survival Evolved server can load mods published on the Steam Workshop. Just enter their IDs: they are then downloaded, installed and updated automatically each time the server starts. Players have nothing to prepare, the game offers to download missing mods when they join the server.

1
Find the mod

Browse the mods available on the ARK: Survival Evolved Workshop: https://steamcommunity.com/app/346110/workshop/

2
Get its ID

Open the mod page: the URL looks like https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=XXXXXXXXX. The number after "id=" is the mod ID.

3
Add the mods to the server

On your server's administration page (server stopped), open the "Steam Workshop mods" section and enter the IDs separated by commas, for example 731604991,889745138. Then start the server.

Important: only ARK: Survival Evolved mods (Steam Workshop) are compatible. ARK: Survival Ascended mods, distributed via CurseForge, do not work. An ID that cannot be found or a private mod is skipped: the server starts without it.

Best practices

  • Order matters: if two mods conflict, the first one in the list wins. Put structure or stack mods (e.g. Structures Plus, Super Structures) first.
  • The first start after adding a mod takes longer: downloading and installing can take several minutes depending on mod size.
  • Removing a mod that adds structures or creatures makes them disappear from the game. Make a backup first.
  • 30 mods maximum. Each mod uses additional disk space on your machine.