How to Install Project Zomboid Mods (Steam Workshop)

Installing Project Zomboid mods on a server trips up almost everyone the first time, because the game needs two separate lines to work, not one. Get either wrong and your mods silently fail to load. Here is exactly how it works.

The two lines you must set

Every Project Zomboid server config (servertest.ini or your named preset) has two mod-related settings:

ini WorkshopItems=2452271168;2685168362 Mods=Brita;Brita_2

• WorkshopItems takes the numeric Workshop IDs. These tell Steam which items to *download*.
• Mods takes the string Mod IDs. These tell the game which downloaded mods to *activate*.

Both are required. WorkshopItems downloads the files; Mods turns them on. If you only set WorkshopItems, the mod downloads but never loads. If you only set Mods, the game looks for files that were never downloaded. This is the single most common Project Zomboid modding mistake.

Where to find each ID

Workshop ID (numeric): open the mod's Steam Workshop page and look at the URL:

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2452271168

The number after id= is your Workshop ID.

Mod ID (string): scroll down the same Workshop page. Authors list the Mod ID in the description, often like Mod ID: Brita. Some Workshop items contain *multiple* Mod IDs (for example a pack with several sub-mods). You must add every Mod ID the page lists, or parts of the mod will be missing.

Putting it together

Say you want two mods:

• Brita's Weapon Pack, Workshop ID 2452271168, Mod ID Brita
• A companion item, Workshop ID 2685168362, Mod IDs Brita_2 and britas_extras

Your config becomes:

ini WorkshopItems=2452271168;2685168362 Mods=Brita;Brita_2;britas_extras

Note that the two lists do not have to be the same length, because one Workshop item can carry several Mod IDs. Separate every entry with a semicolon and use no spaces.

Load order

The Mods= line is read left to right, and that is your load order. Frameworks and libraries go first, base content next, and quality-of-life or patch mods last. A rough template:

Mods=library;weaponBase;weaponAddon;vehicleMod;mapMod;qolMod

If a mod says "requires X" or "load after Y," respect it or you will get missing-texture and script errors on startup.

Maps need a third setting

Custom map mods also need to be registered in the Map= line so the server knows to generate them:

ini Map=Raven Creek;Muldraugh, KY

List custom maps before the default Muldraugh, KY entry. Adding a new map to an existing world will not retroactively generate it in areas you have already explored, so add map mods before you first launch the world, or start a fresh save when you introduce one.

Troubleshooting missing mods

If a mod is not showing up in-game, work through this quick checklist:

• Confirm the Workshop ID is in WorkshopItems and the Mod ID is in Mods.
• Make sure you copied every Mod ID from the Workshop page, not just the first one.
• Check for typos and stray spaces; entries are case-sensitive and semicolon-separated.
• Verify the mod actually finished downloading (check the server's Steam Workshop cache).
• Confirm the mod matches your Build version (B41 vs B42).

Ninety percent of "my mod is not loading" reports come down to a Mod ID missing from the Mods line while its Workshop ID sits happily in WorkshopItems.

Check your Build version

Confirm each mod supports your server's build (B41 or B42). A B41-only mod on a B42 server will throw errors and can corrupt saves. The Workshop page tags this clearly.

The easy way

Editing INI files by hand works, but it is error-prone. Nxeon's Project Zomboid server hosting includes a one-click Mods manager that fills in both WorkshopItems and Mods for you, keeps them in sync, and lets you drag load order in a web panel. No SSH, no semicolons, no typos.

Want to skip the config headaches entirely? Launch a server from our game servers and install your Workshop mods with a click. Once you understand the two-line rule, everything else falls into place.