How to Add Workshop Addons to Your Garry's Mod Server

The easiest way to add addons, maps and gamemodes to your Garry's Mod server is a Steam Workshop collection. You put everything in one collection, give the panel its number, and the server and your players download it all by themselves.

1Make a Workshop Collection

• Open the Garry's Mod Workshop on steamcommunity.com and go to Collections.
• Click Create collection, give it a name and add the addons you want.
• Save and publish the collection. It may be set to unlisted, the server can still use it.
• Look at the address bar of the collection page. The collection ID is the number at the end of the link, for example 2301024880 in https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2301024880.

2Enter the Collection ID

• Log in to your game panel and click your Garry's Mod server.
• Open Game Settings in the left menu.
• In the Workshop section, fill in Workshop Collection ID with the number only. Do not paste the whole link.
• The panel saves the field by itself. A yellow bar at the top says Settings saved. Restart the server to apply your changes.

3Restart and Watch the Download

• Go to the Console page and click Restart.
• The server downloads every item in the collection while it starts. Watch the console to follow the progress.
• A big collection can take a few minutes. Wait until the status next to the server name reads RUNNING.

4Join the Server

• Players do not need to install anything. They download the same collection automatically when they join.
• The How players join card on the Console page also says this once a collection is set.
• Need the join steps? Read how to join your Garry's Mod server.

Good to Know

• Changes need a restart. Adding or removing items in the collection, or changing the ID, only takes effect after the server restarts.
• Workshop gamemodes still have to be selected. Downloading a gamemode does not switch to it. Pick its folder name under Gamemode in Game Settings. See how to change the gamemode and map.
• Workshop maps must be typed in. Enter the map name without .bsp in the Start Map field.
• Workshop addons are not in the addons folder. They are downloaded as .gma files into the server's cache, so you will not see them under garrysmod/addons. For addons you have as a plain folder, use the manual install guide.
• Keep the collection tidy. Every extra addon makes joining slower for players, so only add what you really use.

Finished

Your server now loads your Workshop collection and your players get the addons when they join. Next, learn how to install addons and gamemodes manually for content that is not on the Workshop.