How to Add Mods to Your Vintage Story Server

Vintage Story mods are installed by dropping their .zip into the server's
data/Mods folder. Players who join are then prompted to download any mods they
need automatically.

Match the version. Download the mod build that matches your server's Vintage
Story version. A mod for a different version may refuse to load or stop the
server from starting. Also check the mod page for any dependencies (other
mods it requires).

Method 1 — Upload From ModDB

1. Go to the official mod database: https://mods.vintagestory.at/ and find the
   mod you want.
2. Download the mod's .zip for your server's version (the latest is selected
   by default — change it if your server is on an older version).
3. Log in to the FSH Panel and stop the server if it's running.
4. Open the File Manager and navigate to:

   data/Mods
   

5. Upload the .zip as-is — do not extract it. Vintage Story loads mods
   directly from their zip.
6. Start the server.

Common mistake: mods must go in data/Mods, not a Mods folder in the
server root. The root folder is ignored.

Method 2 — Install From the Panel Console (RCON)

Because FSH Vintage Story servers accept console commands, you can install a mod
straight from ModDB without downloading anything yourself:

1. With the server running, open the Console tab.
2. Run:

   /moddb install <modname>
   

   Optionally pin a version: /moddb install <modname> <version>.
3. Restart the server so the new mod loads.

After Installing

• Clients auto-download any required mods when they connect, so players don't
  have to install them manually (the mod must support client-side download).
• Restart to load. Mods are only loaded at server start — adding one to a
  running server does nothing until you restart.

Troubleshooting

• Server won't start after adding a mod: It's usually a version mismatch or
  a missing dependency. Remove the mod's zip from data/Mods, start the server
  to confirm it's the cause, then re-add the correct version (and its
  dependencies).
• Mod isn't taking effect: Confirm the zip is in data/Mods (not the root or
  data/), that you didn't unzip it, and that you restarted the server.
• Removing a mod: Stop the server, delete its zip from data/Mods, and start
  again. Note that removing a worldgen or content mod from an existing world can
  cause issues — back up your save first.