How to Add Mods to Your ARK Server

Updated June 10, 2026 · By Host Havoc Technical Support Team

All Host Havoc ARK servers support Steam Workshop mods. You can install them automatically from the game panel, or add them manually by editing your configuration file. Either way, back up your server first, since mods can break after a game update.

Before you start: Mods can cause crashes or data loss, especially after game updates, and mod-related support is limited. Run Create Backup in the control panel before installing any mod.

  1. Open your game panel and click the Steam Workshop icon.
  2. Search for a mod by name or mod ID and click Install.

The panel adds the mod ID to your configuration file automatically. You can use this method to install a whole mod collection too.

Method 2: Add mods manually

  1. In Steam, open the ARK Workshop and find the mod you want to use.
  2. Copy the numeric mod ID from the end of the workshop URL.

    Note: If you can't see the URL, enable it in Steam's interface settings or open the page in a web browser.


    Finding the ARK mod ID on the Steam Workshop page
  3. Log into the game control panel.
  4. Open Configuration Files and edit GameUserSettings.ini in the Configuration Editor or Text Editor.
  5. Find the ActiveMods setting. If it doesn't exist, add an ActiveMods= line below the [ServerSettings] section.
  6. Add your mod IDs to the line, separated by commas, with no trailing comma:
    ActiveMods=123456789,987654321
  7. Go to the main control page for your ARK server.
  8. Open the Old Workshop Mod Handler (on the same page as Start, Stop, and Restart).
  9. Enter the same mod IDs, separated by commas, with no trailing comma.
  10. Click Run, wait for it to finish, then start your server.

Warning: Not all mods support stacking, and a mod can break after a game update. If that corrupts your world, restore from a recent backup.

Custom maps: If you create a new command line for a custom map, click Select next to it so it changes to Selected. If the map mod won't load, add /Game/Mods/<MAPID>/<MAPNAME> to the map portion of your command line.