How do I install mods on my Palworld server?

Installing mods on a Palworld server is designed to be as easy as possible. Here’s how you can do it with your AleForge server, based on the official Palworld server modding guide.

Caution

As with any game, mods can cause crashes, save-data corruption, and higher resource usage on your server. This is a risk you take when installing mods. Some mods also require you to install them on both the client and the server, so always check the mod’s documentation if you run into issues.

Before You Start

• Only mods that are built to run on servers will work. If the mod’s Info.json does not include "IsServer": true in its InstallRule section, it is not designed for servers
• Many Workshop and pak-based mods work on the standard Linux Palworld server. Always check the mod page for platform requirements
• UE4SS is optional. Only install it if a mod specifically requires the UE4SS framework — see Installing UE4SS (Optional) below

Installing Steam Workshop Mods

Using the Blacksmith’s Portal

1. Go to the Steam Workshop for Palworld
2. Subscribe to each of the Workshop mods you’d like to install
3. Go to the Steam directory where Workshop mods are downloaded by default, e.g. Steam\steamapps\workshop\content\1623730
4. You will see a bunch of folders with numbers for names. These are your mods, and each one contains an Info.json file
5. Select all of these folders, right click and select Send To -> Compress To Zip
6. Name the file that is created mods.zip
7. Go to the Blacksmith’s Portal and open the Files tab on your server
8. Create a directory called Mods with the Create Directory button, open it, and create another directory called Workshop
9. Upload your created mods.zip file here, then right click it and select Uncompress

Each mod folder must contain an Info.json directly inside it, e.g. Mods/Workshop/[any folder name]/Info.json. The folder name itself doesn’t matter.

Self-Hosting/Other Providers

1. Ensure your server is offline
2. Subscribe to your mods on the Steam Workshop for Palworld
3. Copy the downloaded mod folders from Steam\steamapps\workshop\content\1623730 into the Mods/Workshop directory next to your Palworld server executable

Alternatively, you can point the server directly at your Steam Workshop directory instead of copying files, using either of the following:

• Add WorkshopRootDir=<absolute path> under the [PalModSettings] section in Mods/PalModSettings.ini
• Add the launch option -workshopdir="<absolute path>"

Enabling Your Mods

Unlike the game client, the dedicated server requires mods to be enabled in Mods/PalModSettings.ini before they will load.

1. Start your server once so the Mods/PalModSettings.ini file is generated automatically, then stop it
2. Open Mods/PalModSettings.ini in the file editor
3. Set bGlobalEnableMod=true
4. Add an ActiveModList= line for each mod you want to load, using the PackageName value found in the mod’s Info.json (not the folder name)

[PalModSettings]
bGlobalEnableMod=true
ActiveModList=GamingCattiva
ActiveModList=FarmingQuivern

5. Restart your server to deploy the mods

When the server restarts, Mods/ManagedMods/<PackageName>/InstallManifest.json is created automatically and the mod files are deployed to the correct locations based on the InstallRules in each mod’s Info.json. If you ever need to start the server without mods, add the -NoMods launch argument to forcibly disable all of them.

Installing UE4SS (Optional)

Some mods depend on UE4SS, a mod loader the Palworld community uses to load mods into the game. You only need this if your chosen mods require it — Workshop mods that do not depend on UE4SS can run without this step.

Using the Blacksmith’s Portal

On AleForge, switch to the Palworld UE4SS install when you need the UE4SS framework:

Caution

Game Swap does not migrate your save data. Game Swap is for switching between different game installs, not for changing options on the same Palworld server type. If you use Game Swap to move to Palworld UE4SS, follow Uploading Your World to bring your save into the modded install, and set DedicatedServerName as described there so the correct world loads. Prefer Change Game under Settings, then run a Reinstall, when you want to stay on this server without wiping progress.

Switching from the Linux Palworld server to the Windows (UE4SS) build can also leave player UUIDs misaligned. You may be prompted to create a new character. In that case, manual player migration is the only way to keep your existing character data.

1. Go to the AleForge Panel
2. Select your server and ensure it is offline
3. Go to Settings, use Change Game to select Palworld UE4SS, then click Reinstall Server
4. If you used Game Swap instead, upload your world and set DedicatedServerName using the upload guide before expecting your old save to load

Your server now includes UE4SS.

Self-Hosting/Other Providers

1. Download the latest version of UE4SS
2. Find your dedicated server folder
3. Move your downloaded .zip of UE4SS to PalServer\Pal\Binaries\Win64 (or the equivalent binaries folder for your server build)
4. Extract UE4SS
5. UE4SS will now be installed to your dedicated server

Installing Mods Manually (Outside the Workshop)

Caution

Not all mods are installed the same way. If you’re not sure how to install a mod, remember to check the mod page for exact instructions on where to put its files.

Mods from sources like Nexus Mods can still be installed by hand. For example, using CreativeMenu by Okaetsu:

1. Manually download the .zip file for Steam and Dedicated servers
2. Upload this file to /home/container in the Files tab on your server (or the root directory of your dedicated server if self-hosting)
3. Right-click the uploaded file and select Unarchive

4. Now, you can start your server with your mod installed!

If your mod comes downloaded as a folder and a .pak file, you can simply upload the .pak file to Pal/Content/Paks/LogicMods

Updating or Removing Mods

• Updating: if the Version in a mod’s Info.json changes, restarting the server will automatically uninstall the old version and deploy the new one
• Removing: remove the mod’s PackageName from the ActiveModList lines in Mods/PalModSettings.ini. If needed, also delete its folder under Mods/Workshop/, then restart the server

Troubleshooting

If a mod doesn’t work or won’t enable, check the following:

• Is the mod compatible with dedicated servers? If the InstallRule section in its Info.json does not include "IsServer": true, the mod is not designed to run on servers
• Does the mod require UE4SS? If so, make sure you are on Palworld UE4SS (or have UE4SS installed) and that any other prerequisite mods are present
• Was the mod deployed correctly? Check that Mods/ManagedMods/<PackageName>/ was created after restarting, and verify the deployed files