How to Install Mods for DayZ

Mods can add new content and features to your DayZ server. This guide explains step by step how to download, prepare, upload and activate mods.

We use the following mods as examples:

Important: You must use an FTP client such as FileZilla or WinSCP.

FileZilla: https://filezilla-project.org/
Important: Set the transfer mode to Binary in FileZilla. To do this, click Transfer → Transfer type → Binary.
WinSCP: https://winscp.net/eng/index.php

Open the Workshop page of the desired mod in Steam and click Subscribe.
Start DayZ once so Steam can download the subscribed mods completely.
Open the list of downloaded mods in the official DayZ Launcher. Right-click the desired mod and select Open folder.
Confirm the notice if the launcher asks you to. The following folder will then open:
..\Steam\steamapps\common\DayZ\!Workshop
The downloaded mods are located here and are usually already shown with readable mod names such as @CF. The !Workshop folder is hidden by default, so the easiest way to access it is through Open folder in the DayZ Launcher.

Alternatively, you can find the mods in this Steam Workshop folder:

..\Steam\steamapps\workshop\content\221100\

The folder is on the same drive as your DayZ installation. If you use multiple Steam libraries, the path may be different. In this alternative location, each subfolder is named after the Workshop ID of the mod. The folder for Community Framework, for example, is 1559212036.

Step 2: Prepare the mod folders

Create a new working folder on your computer, for example My DayZ Server. Copy the desired mod folders from the !Workshop folder into this working folder. This prevents you from accidentally changing files managed by Steam.

Renaming the mod folders is only necessary to make the configuration easier to understand. You can usually use the readable names from the !Workshop folder directly. If you rename a folder, avoid spaces and special characters where possible. The @ at the beginning is the usual exception.

For our example, use these names:

@CF
@Trader
@UnlimitedStamina
@Zomberry

If your mod folders in !Workshop already use these names, you do not need to rename them. For mods with spaces or special characters, it is recommended to rename a copy in the working folder to a simple name such as @MyMod.

Create another folder named keys in the working folder. Pay attention to uppercase and lowercase letters. Copy the .bikey files from each mod into this shared keys folder.

Some mods use the same key file. If Windows asks whether an existing file should be replaced, you can confirm this in that case.

The prepared structure should look like this:

My DayZ Server/
├── @CF/
├── @Trader/
├── @UnlimitedStamina/
├── @Zomberry/
└── keys/

Important: Always read the installation instructions for each mod. Some mods require additional dependencies, a specific load order or further configuration files.

Step 3: Upload the mods using the Gameserver FTP

Stop your server. Its status must be Server not running.
Connect to the Gameserver FTP using your FTP program. You can find the login details in the FTP overview by clicking FTP.
After connecting, you are already in the root directory / of the Gameserver FTP.
Upload the renamed mod folders and the keys folder directly into this directory. Do not upload the parent folder My DayZ Server.

After the upload, the root directory should look similar to this:

/
├── @CF/
├── @Trader/
├── @UnlimitedStamina/
├── @Zomberry/
└── keys/

Special case: files in the profile folder

Some mods require additional files in the profile folder. For the Trader mod, for example, these files are located in the ServerProfileFolder folder inside the mod. The profile folder is also part of the Gameserver FTP and can be accessed there directly.

Connect to the Gameserver FTP using your FTP program. You can find the login details in the FTP overview by clicking FTP.
Open the following folder in the Gameserver FTP:
/profile/
Upload the contained Trader folder directly into this folder.

Always check the installation instructions for each mod, as other mods may also require files in the profile folder or in other locations.

Step 4: Activate the mods in the web interface

Uploading the files is not enough. You must also enter the folder names in the web interface so the server loads the mods when it starts.

Basic Mode

Open Mods (Manual installation via FTP) in the web interface.
Enter the mod folders in the required load order. Separate the names with semicolons:
@CF;@Trader;@UnlimitedStamina;@Zomberry
Dependencies must be loaded before the mods that require them. In this example, @CF must be loaded before @Trader.
Click Save and restart your server.

Advanced Mode

Open the Mods (Manual installation via FTP) field under Commandline.
Enter the same list in the required load order:
@CF;@Trader;@UnlimitedStamina;@Zomberry
Click Save and restart your server.

Important: The names must exactly match the uploaded folder names. Pay attention to the @, uppercase and lowercase letters, and semicolons. If your folder is called @MyMod, you must enter exactly @MyMod.

What does “Server-Mods (manual installation via FTP)” mean?

The web interface also contains the field Server-Mods (manual installation via FTP). This field uses the launch parameter -serverMod= and is only intended for mods that run exclusively on the server. These mods are not broadcast to players and therefore do not have to be installed on the players’ computers.

This is the exception for DayZ mods. Most mods also require files on the player’s client. The Community Framework, Trader, Unlimited Stamina and ZomBerrys Admin Tools used in this example all belong in Mods (Manual installation via FTP) and are loaded with the launch parameter -mod=.

Do not enter normal mods in Server-Mods (manual installation via FTP). Use this field only when the mod’s installation instructions explicitly state that it is a server-only mod.

If a mod does not work

First check that the server was fully stopped, all mod folders are directly in the root directory and the names in the web interface match exactly. Also check the .bikey files, dependencies and load order. Read the mod’s installation instructions as well, since some mods require additional steps.