How to Install Mods on Your Palworld Server

Published June 11, 2026 · By Host Havoc Technical Support Team

Mods reshape almost everything on your Palworld server, from spawn rates and Pal stats to brand-new items, beyond what the standard server settings cover. Your Host Havoc panel installs them straight from CurseForge and Nexus Mods, or you can upload them by hand with an FTP client.

Before you start: Only mods marked as server-compatible run on a dedicated server. Many Palworld mods are client-side only and do nothing when installed server-side, so read the mod's description first. Back up your save before installing anything.

Method 1: Server hosted by Host Havoc

Your control panel has two built-in mod installers: Mods, which installs from CurseForge, and Nexus Mods. You can use either, or both at once, since some mods are published on both platforms.

  1. Stop your server from the control panel.
  2. Open the Mods installer in the panel to browse CurseForge.
  3. Search for the mod you want and select it. Check its description for a dedicated-server or server compatibility note before installing.
  4. Click install. The panel downloads the mod and places its files in the correct folders for you.
  5. To add mods from Nexus Mods, open the Nexus Mods installer and repeat the same steps. You can queue installs from both platforms before restarting.
  6. Start your server. The mods load on boot.

Tip: Players connecting to your server may also need the matching client-side mod installed locally for mod content to display correctly. Share the mod links with your players.

Method 2: Manual approach

Use this when a mod is not in either installer, or when you want full control over which files land where. Manual installs use Palworld's built-in mod system and an FTP client.

Note: Palworld only loads server-side mods on a Windows-based dedicated server. Confirm your server type before relying on manual mod files.

  1. Download the mod from CurseForge or Nexus Mods. Confirm its description lists dedicated-server support.
  2. Connect to your server with your FTP client.
  3. Upload the mod folder into the Mods/Workshop/ directory next to PalServer.exe. Use any folder name, but make sure Info.json sits directly inside that folder.
  4. Open Mods/PalModSettings.ini. It is generated automatically the first time the server runs. Set bGlobalEnableMod=true.
  5. Add one ActiveModList=<PackageName> line for each mod. Use the PackageName value from the mod's Info.json, not the folder name. Add a separate line per mod to run several at once.
  6. Save the file and restart the server. On restart, Palworld deploys each mod's files automatically, sending Pak, Lua, UE4SS, and PalSchema mods to their correct folders.

Tip: To disable a mod later, remove its PackageName from ActiveModList and restart. The -NoMods launch argument disables every mod at once.

Troubleshooting

A mod that does not load is almost always one of these:

  • Not server-compatible. Open the mod's Info.json and check the InstallRule section for "IsServer": true. If it is missing, the mod is client-side only and will not run on the server.
  • Wrong identifier in the config. ActiveModList must use the PackageName from Info.json, not the folder name you uploaded.
  • Server not restarted. Mods only deploy on a full server restart, not a reload.
  • Missing dependency. Some mods require another mod, such as a loader, to be installed first. Check the mod's requirements.

If a mod corrupts your world or the server will not boot, you can reinstall the server and restore your most recent backup.