Garry's Mod addons and Workshop collections

Garry’s Mod servers load addons from the Steam Workshop or from the garrysmod/addons/ folder. Install Workshop addons with one tap from Mods, or use your own Workshop collection. The server downloads Workshop items from Steam itself, and players download the content they need when they join.

How addons get onto your server

Install from Mods

1. Open Mods and search the Workshop, for example “Wiremod” or “ULX”.
2. Install the addon. We back up your server first, and add the addon to your server’s Workshop list.
3. Restart the server. It downloads Workshop items from Steam when it starts.

The Console shows each download. A big list can make the next start take a few minutes.

Use your own Workshop collection

1. On the Steam Workshop for Garry’s Mod, create a collection and add the items you want. Collections inside your collection are downloaded too.
2. Set the collection’s visibility to Public or Unlisted. The server can’t read a private one.
3. Open the collection and copy the number at the end of its address, after ?id=.
4. Paste it into the Workshop collection field in Settings. Under the hood this is +host_workshop_collection 123456789.
5. Restart the server.

Older guides say you need a Steam Web API key (-authkey) for this. Garry’s Mod no longer needs it.

Install an addon by hand

1. Get the addon as a folder. Inside it you should see folders like lua, materials or models.
2. Open Files, or connect with SFTP (works with FileZilla) using the details on the SFTP card in Files.
3. Upload the whole folder into garrysmod/addons/, so you get a path like garrysmod/addons/myaddon/lua/.
4. Use lowercase folder names. Our servers run Linux, which treats Lua and lua as different folders.
5. Restart the server. A map change isn’t always enough for new addons.

Some addons come with binary modules: files starting with gmsv_ in garrysmod/lua/bin/. Your server needs the Linux build of the module, which has linux in its file name.

What your friends need

Players download content when they join, but only what the server tells them to:

• Workshop maps in your collection download on their own.
• The gamemode downloads on its own when it’s on the Workshop.
• Other content (models, textures, sounds) needs one line per addon in a server Lua file. Create garrysmod/lua/autorun/server/workshop.lua and add a line like resource.AddWorkshop("123456789") for each addon with content.

Only add addons that have models, materials or sounds. Lua code downloads to players by itself, and marking Lua-only addons makes joining slower for nothing.

Players can turn downloads off in their game’s settings. If one friend sees purple and black squares or red ERROR signs while others don’t, ask them to allow downloads. Maps and models from other games, like Counter-Strike: Source, only show for players who own and installed that game.

Updates and version matching

• Workshop items update every time the server starts. To stop that, set host_workshop_autoupdate 0 in server.cfg. Facepunch notes that this keeps out bad updates, but an updated map can then stop players joining.
• Garry’s Mod itself updates through Steam. Our servers move to the newest build when they start, unless you pinned a version in Settings.
• After a Garry’s Mod update, an old addon can start throwing Lua errors. Update it, or remove it until its author fixes it. See Lua errors.

Admin addons

Garry’s Mod servers have no admin menu of their own. ULX, with its library ULib, is the most used admin addon. Its Workshop IDs are 557962280 (ULX) and 557962238 (ULib). Install both from Mods, restart, and follow the steps in getting started.

Addons and Facepunch’s rules

Garry’s Mod’s server operator rules apply to every addon you run. Servers get blacklisted from the server list for addons that:

• wipe or fill up players’ data folders, or change their settings without asking
• crash players’ games or trap them in custom menus
• show adult content without a consent prompt players must accept
• fake the server’s player count or location
• ask players to install other software

Check what an addon does before you install it, especially ones that promise to “protect” your server.