7 Days to Die server side mods are mods that only need to be installed on the server: players join and get the changes without downloading anything. Pure XML modlets work this way. Drop each one into its own folder inside the server’s Mods folder, restart, and the server sends its changes to every player who connects. Mods that add new models, icons or compiled code are different: every player has to install the same version, and most need Easy Anti-Cheat (EAC) turned off.
Which 7 Days to Die mods work server-side only?
Whether a mod is server-side only depends on what is inside it. XML changes to items, recipes, loot, traders or zombie stats run on the server alone. Custom assets don’t travel from the server, and neither does compiled code, so those mods must be on every player’s game too. Each mod’s page should say which kind it is.
| Mod type | What’s inside | Players install it? | EAC |
|---|---|---|---|
| XML modlet | ModInfo.xml plus XML files in a Config folder |
No — the server pushes it | Can stay on |
| Asset mod | New models, textures, icons or sounds (Unity bundles) | Yes, same version | Can stay on |
| Code mod | A compiled .dll, often a Harmony patch |
Usually yes, unless it says server-side only | Usually off |
| Overhaul | All of the above, rebuilding the whole game | Yes, same version | Off |
A few code mods are built to run only on the server. WalkerSim 2, which replaces zombie wandering with a map-wide simulation, is server-side only but still needs EAC off because it contains compiled code. Server Side Zombies, which upgrades a share of existing zombies and animals with tougher stats, lists no client install as required. Server Tools, an admin mod, only does anything on a server.
How to install mods on a 7 Days to Die server
To add mods to a 7 Days to Die server, stop it, back up the save, and put each mod in its own folder inside a Mods folder in the server’s install folder, with the mod’s ModInfo.xml directly inside. Turn EAC off if the mod needs it, start the server, and check the log or the version command to confirm it loaded.
- Back up the world. Copy the save folder (
Saves/<world>/<save>) somewhere safe. A bad mod is the classic reason a world won’t load. - Stop the server. Adding files to a running server is how half-loaded mods happen.
- Create the
Modsfolder next to the server’s start script if it isn’t there. - Unzip each mod into its own folder, so the layout looks like this:
Mods/ SomeModlet/ ModInfo.xml Config/ items.xmlZips often contain an extra folder level. If you end up with
Mods/SomeModlet/SomeModlet/ModInfo.xml, move it up one level, or the game ignores it. - Set
EACEnabledto false in your config if a mod contains a.dlland its page says EAC must be off, as most do. Leave it on for XML-only and asset-only mods. - Start the server and check it. The
versionconsole command shows the game version plus each mod that loaded, and the server log shows any mod that failed. - Tell your players which mods they need. For server-side mods: none. For asset, code or overhaul mods: the same version in their own
Modsfolder, and EAC off in the launcher if the mod needs it.
There is no Steam Workshop for the dedicated server, so 7 Days to Die server mods are always uploaded by hand, or through a host’s file manager, which is how it works on 7 Days to Die server hosting at GameTeam.
What’s inside a modlet
A modlet is a folder with a ModInfo.xml and XML files that patch the game’s own config with XPath, so the original files are never touched. Without a ModInfo.xml the game skips the folder. V1.0 changed the required format, so modlets made for Alpha versions may not load until they are updated.
The current ModInfo.xml format:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" ?>
<xml>
<Name value="MyFirstMod" />
<DisplayName value="My First Mod" />
<Version value="1.0.0.0" />
<Description value="A short description." />
<Author value="YourName" />
<Website value="" />
</xml>And a patch in Config/items.xml that changes one value:
<configs>
<set xpath="/items/item[@name='toolPickaxeT0Stone']/property[@name='Weight']/@value">8</set>
</configs>That is all a server side mod needs to be. Because the change is plain XML, the server can send it to players when they join, along with the world itself on their first connect.
Running a modded server with an overhaul
Most 7 Days to Die modded servers that players seek out run an overhaul such as Darkness Falls, which rebuilds large parts of the game with new items, zombies, models and code. Overhauls are client-and-server mods: the server and every player need the same version, EAC goes off on both sides, and you start a new world.
- Match the game version. Check which 7 Days to Die version the overhaul is built for. If it hasn’t caught up with the latest update, install that version from its Steam branch, for example
-beta v2.6with SteamCMD, and have players pick the same branch in Steam. - Install it on the server following the overhaul’s own instructions, which may include its own world or config values.
- Start a fresh world. An existing vanilla save rarely survives an overhaul, so set a new
GameName. - Give it more RAM. Heavy mod sets are happier at 12 GB or more.
- Send players the exact download and remind them to launch with EAC off.
Mods and crossplay
Crossplay and mods don’t mix. Console players can’t install mods, and a crossplay server must have EAC on and an empty Mods folder, alongside the other rules on The Fun Pimps’ crossplay server requirements page. If your group mixes PC and PS5 or Xbox players, keep the server vanilla and change the rules with its Sandbox Options instead.
Keeping mods working through updates
Big updates break mods because they change the files mods patch. V3.0, for example, renamed Localization.txt to Localization.csv, renamed the XUi folder to XUi_InGame and controls.xml to templates.xml, and reworked the UI framework. Any mod that touched those files needed an update.
- Before the update, back up the save and list every mod and version you run.
- Check each mod’s page for a version that supports the new release.
- Pull out anything without a release for the new version rather than hoping it still works.
- Update the server, then add mods back a few at a time and restart between batches, so a failure points at one mod.
- If a mod you can’t live without isn’t ready, stay on the previous version’s branch until it is.
Troubleshooting 7 Days to Die server mods
When a mod misbehaves, the cause is nearly always one of three things: the mod’s folder or ModInfo.xml is wrong, the mod was built for a different game version, or players are missing a mod that needs a client install. The server log and the version command tell you which one you’re dealing with.
| Symptom | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Mod uploaded, nothing changes | No ModInfo.xml at the top of the mod’s folder, or an old-format one |
Fix the folder nesting; get the mod’s V1+ version |
| XPath errors in the log at startup | The mod targets items or files that changed in an update | Update or remove that mod |
| Players crash or get kicked when they join | An asset or code mod they don’t have, or a different version | Send them the exact mod version |
Mod with a .dll doesn’t load |
EAC still on | Set EACEnabled to false on the server and clients |
| Server won’t start after an update | An outdated mod | Move mods out, start clean, add them back in batches |
| Console friends can’t see the server | Mods installed, so it fails the crossplay rules | Empty the Mods folder or play PC-only |
FAQ
Do players need to install server-side mods?
No. XML-only modlets and mods marked server-side only run on the server, and players join as normal. Anything with new models, icons or compiled code, unless its page says server-side only, has to be installed by every player.
Are there 7 Days to Die server plugins?
Not as a separate system. The role plugins play in other games is filled by server-side code mods such as Server Tools, which go in the same Mods folder as everything else, and by external managers that connect over telnet or the web API.
Is there a Steam Workshop for 7 Days to Die server mods?
No. Mods are downloaded from the mod author’s page, usually Nexus Mods or the 7 Days to Die Mods site, and uploaded to the server yourself.
Can I add mods to an existing world?
Small XML modlets usually work on an existing save. Overhauls and mods that add new blocks or items are safer on a new world, and you should always back up first.
Where is the Mods folder on a dedicated server?
In the server’s install folder, next to the start scripts. Create it if it doesn’t exist.
Skip the file juggling
Haven’t set up the server itself yet? The 7 Days to Die dedicated server guide covers setup, ports and settings first. If you’d rather not manage it at all, 7 Days to Die server hosting on GameTeam gives you the Mods folder in a file manager, backups before you try something risky, and an AI copilot that reads the log when a mod breaks things. Ask it “the server won’t start since I added mods, which one is it?” and it finds the error in the log and tells you which mod to pull.