# How to add mods to a Squad server

> How Squad mods work on a dedicated server, how to add Steam Workshop mods, set their load order in ModsConfig.cfg and add modded layers to your rotation.

By the Wilderack Crew. Last reviewed 2026-11-13. Topic: Mods and plugins.

_Wilderack is not affiliated with Offworld Industries. Squad's license rules out running servers commercially, so Squad servers open on Wilderack only once Offworld makes us a hosting partner._

_Squad is a trademark of Offworld Industries Ltd. Wilderack is not affiliated with or endorsed by Offworld Industries Ltd._

Squad mods come from the Steam Workshop. They add maps, factions, vehicles and whole new ways to play. The server downloads each mod from Steam without a login, and every player subscribes to the same mods on Steam before they join.

> [!NOTE]
> Squad servers can't be ordered on Wilderack yet. We open Squad once Offworld Industries makes us a hosting partner. This guide shows how mods will work then, and the files it names are the same on any Squad server.

## How Squad mods work

- Each mod is a Workshop item with a number, its **Workshop ID**. It's the number after `?id=` in the mod's Steam link.
- The server keeps mods in `SquadGame/Plugins/Mods`, one folder per Workshop ID, and loads all of them when it starts.
- A mod that adds maps adds **layers**. Those only come up once they're in your rotation.
- Players need every mod too, so their game has the same maps and gear.

## Add a Workshop mod

1. Open the mod's Steam Workshop page and copy its Workshop ID, the number after `?id=`.
2. Open **Settings**, then the advanced settings, and add the ID to **Workshop mods**. Separate several IDs with commas.
3. Restart the server. On each start it downloads the mods on the list into `SquadGame/Plugins/Mods`, and updates them when their authors do.

To remove a mod, take its ID out of **Workshop mods** and restart. One-tap installs from the **Mods** tab are coming.

You can also upload a mod folder in **Files**, into `SquadGame/Plugins/Mods`. Use this for a mod that isn't on the Workshop, like one your group made.

## Set the load order

Most mods don't care which loads first. When one depends on another, or two change the same thing, set the order in `SquadGame/ServerConfig/ModsConfig.cfg`:

```
ModLoadOrder=FirstModId,SecondModId
```

These IDs aren't Workshop numbers. Each mod has a `.mi` file in its folder, and the ID is in there. **Mod load order** in **Settings** writes the same line for you. Mods you leave out still load, after the ones you list.

## Put modded maps in your rotation

A map mod does nothing until its layers are picked. Its Workshop page usually lists the layer IDs.

1. Open `LayerRotation.cfg` in **Files**.
2. Add each layer ID on its own line, like your other layers.
3. Under **Settings**, set **Next map** to your layer list, in order or shuffled.
4. Restart.

## Tell players what to install

Players must subscribe to every mod before they join. Make it easy:

- Make a Steam Workshop collection with all your mods, and share one link.
- Put the link in your server's description, your Discord, and the message players see when they join, in `MOTD.cfg`.
- Add a tag like `modded` in **Server browser tags**, so players know before they click.

## Mods and licensing

Offworld's licensing rules cover which mods a licensed server may run. Unlicensed servers, listed under **Custom Servers**, can run any Workshop mod. Read the rules on [Offworld's licensing page](https://www.joinsquad.com/server-licensing-and-administration-policies) before you license a modded server.

## When a mod breaks the server

A Squad update often breaks mods until their authors catch up. If the server stops starting after an update:

1. Remove the newest or biggest mods, then restart.
2. Add them back one at a time once their authors update them.
3. Check [common errors](https://wilderack.com/wiki/squad/common-errors/) for what each symptom means.

Big mods use more memory. If you run several, see [performance](https://wilderack.com/wiki/squad/performance/) for the plan they need.

## Questions and answers

### Do players need to install my Squad server's mods?

Yes. Every player subscribes to the same mods on the Steam Workshop before joining, so their game has the files. Put the Workshop links in your server's description or Discord so players can find them.

### Where does a Squad server keep its mods?

In SquadGame/Plugins/Mods, one folder per mod, named after its Workshop ID. The server loads every mod in that folder when it starts.

### Do I have to list every mod in ModsConfig.cfg?

No. ModsConfig.cfg only sets the order. Mods you don't list still load, after the ones you do. List them when one mod must load before another.

## Sources

- [Server Configuration](https://squad.fandom.com/wiki/Server_Configuration), Official Squad Wiki
- [Squad Workshop](https://steamcommunity.com/app/393380/workshop/), Steam
- [Server Licensing and Administration Policies](https://www.joinsquad.com/server-licensing-and-administration-policies), Offworld Industries

---

Canonical page: https://wilderack.com/wiki/squad/mods/
How we write and check our guides: https://wilderack.com/company/editorial-policy/
Corrections: support@wilderack.com