How to install a Workshop collection on an ARK server?

Want to add a bunch of ARK mods in one shot? Use a Steam Workshop collection and let the server pull everything for you. A few clicks, and all players get the same mods, auto-updated.

Prerequisites

• Access to your Oxygenserv panel (login and password)
• The Steam Workshop collection URL (set to Public) with your ARK mods
• Server stopped during installation (you’ll start it after)
• Enough free disk space (plan 20–40 GB depending on mods)

Detailed steps

1. Get the Steam collection ID
   Open your collection on Steam and look at the URL. Copy the number after id= (example: https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2818728372 → ID 2818728372). Copy digits only, no spaces. Keep that ID handy for the panel.
2. Log in to Oxygenserv and stop the server
   Log into your Oxygenserv panel and open your ARK server. On the dashboard, click the red “Stop” button. Wait until the console clearly shows the server is stopped (no more scrolling logs). If the button stays greyed out, refresh and try again.
3. Enable Workshop collection management
   Go to the “Startup” tab. Find the “Workshop Collection” or “Mods” section: you’ll see a toggle and a field for the ID. Turn the toggle ON to use a Workshop collection. If you don’t see it, make sure your instance is ARK (Steam), not ARK Ascended.
4. Paste the collection ID and enable auto-update
   Paste the exact ID (e.g., 2818728372) into the “Workshop Collection ID” field. Turn on “Auto-update mods on restart” if available. Save changes with the green “Save” button. If you get an error, it’s often a trailing space or a private collection—set it to Public.
5. Start the server and watch the download
   Back on the dashboard, click the green “Start” button. Open the “Console” to monitor progress: you’ll see lines like “Downloading item …” then “Success. Downloaded item …”. First-time installs can take 5–30 minutes (or more) depending on size and count. If you see “No space left on device”, free disk space; if “Failed to download”, a mod in the collection may be private or removed.
6. Verify and adjust mod load order if needed
   Most panels auto-fill ActiveMods. If load order matters, edit ShooterGame/Saved/Config/WindowsServer/GameUserSettings.ini (or .../LinuxServer/GameUserSettings.ini) and set ActiveMods=123456789,987654321,555555555 in your exact order (left to right). Save, then restart. Wait for “Server started” in logs.
7. Prepare players to avoid long joins
   Ask players to subscribe to the same collection on Steam to pre-download mods. First join can be long if the client downloads everything in-session. For “Mod version mismatch”, restart the server to force mod updates and have players restart Steam (or clear their mod cache at .../Steam/steamapps/workshop/content/346110).

Tips & optimization

Keep it lean: avoid 50+ mods; aim for 10–25 and remove duplicates. Order matters—put frameworks first in ActiveMods. Schedule a daily restart with auto-update to follow modder patches. Test big mods on a staging server before pushing to live. Watch disk usage (30–60 GB is common) and scan console logs to spot a broken mod quickly.

FAQ

Where exactly do I find the collection ID?

On the collection page URL, copy the digits after id= (e.g., ...filedetails/?id=2818728372). If you don’t see id=, you’re likely on a single mod page, not the collection.

Do players need to subscribe to the collection?

Not required—the game can download mods on connect. But subscribing to the collection is faster and more reliable. For “Mod version mismatch”, restart the server and have players restart Steam and ARK.

Collection is public but nothing downloads

Check disk space and the console. If you see “Failed to download”, a mod in the collection may be private or removed—remove it from the collection, save, restart, and try again. If “No space left on device”, free storage, delete stale mods under ShooterGame/Content/Mods (server-side), then retry.

How do I change mod load order?

Edit ActiveMods in GameUserSettings.ini and list IDs in the exact order you want, comma-separated. Save and restart to apply.

You’re set: a clean, synced mod setup for everyone. Test a join with a friend, tweak the order if needed, and enjoy a smooth, modded ARK experience.

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