How to Install Mods on Your Palworld Server

Palworld has no built in mod support on a dedicated server, so mods are installed by putting their files on the server yourself with the file manager. It works, but it is the part of running a server most likely to break, so this guide is as much about not losing your world as it is about installing anything.

1Back Up First

• Log in to your game panel and click your Palworld server.
• Open Backups in the left menu and take a manual backup before you touch anything. See how to create a manual backup.
• A bad mod can stop the server booting. A backup turns that from a lost world into a five minute fix.

2Stop the Server

• Go to Console and press Stop.
• Wait until the status reads offline. Adding files while the server is running gets you a half written mod and a confusing crash.

3Upload the Mod Files

• Open Files in the left menu.
• Most Palworld mods are pak files that belong in Pal/Content/Paks. Follow whatever path the mod author gives you, because it is their mod that decides where its files go.
• Use the Upload button, or drag the files into the file manager. For anything larger than a few files, FTP is easier.
• Keep a note of exactly which files you added. That list is what you delete if something goes wrong.

4Start and Watch the Console

• Press Start and read the console output as it boots.
• A working server ends on Running Palworld dedicated server on :18003, with your own port.
• If it crashes, or loops restarting, remove the files you just added and start again. That is why step 3 said to keep the list.

5Make Sure Players Have the Same Mods

• Most Palworld mods have to be installed on the client too, and every player needs the same versions as the server.
• A player without the mods usually cannot connect at all, or behaves strangely once in the world.

Good to Know

• Updates break mods. Your server updates itself on every restart, and a patch replaces the game files a mod was built against. After a Palworld update your mods may stop working, or stop the server booting.
• You can pin the version. If you need to stay on a build your mods support, open Startup and disable Auto Update. Remember that a server left on an old build cannot be joined by players who have updated. See how to update your Palworld server.
• Mods are unsupported. We host the server and keep it running, but we cannot debug a specific mod. If the server misbehaves, removing the mods is always the first test.

Finished

Your mods are installed and the server boots cleanly. Take another backup now that it works, so you have a known good copy to return to after the next Palworld patch.