Palworld: How to Install Mods

How to install UE4SS, Lua and PAK mods from Nexus Mods and other sites on your DatHost Palworld server, and how to fix mods after a Palworld update

Two ways to mod your server: pick one

Palworld 1.0 has two separate ways to add mods. Use one or the other, not both.

Why not both? Each way brings its own copy of UE4SS. Two copies at once can stop your server from starting.

Which should I use? If the mods you want are on the Steam Workshop, use the Workshop way. It's Palworld's own system. Use downloaded mods for mods that aren't on the Workshop. If you need mods from both places, check whether the downloaded ones also have a Workshop version.

Before you start: back up, and check two settings

1. Make a backup. Mods can change your world save. Open Backups and click Backup now.
2. Server Platform. Lua and DLL mods need the Windows version of the Palworld server. Open Settings, search for Server Platform, and set it to Windows (For UE4SS Mods). Your server still runs on our Linux machines; the Windows version runs on them through Wine. If you only use .pak   files, you can leave it on Linux.
3. Character File System. In Settings, on the Experimental tab, Character File System must be -nosteam for the Windows platform. That's the default. If your server is on Disable -nosteam, changing it resets all character progress on your world. Make a backup and contact support before you change it.

How to install downloaded mods

For mods from Nexus Mods, GitHub and similar sites. The Mods page takes .lua  , .pak   and .dll   mods.

1. Go to your DatHost Control Panel and click Edit on your Palworld server.
2. Click Mods in the left menu. If the mod needs UE4SS, turn on RE-UE4SS under Frameworks, and check the Server Platform setting above.
3. Download the mod's server files to your computer. Read the mod's install notes: some need other mods first, such as PalSchema.
4. Under Mods, drag the file onto the upload box, or click Choose files. It accepts .zip, .rar and .tar.gz.
5. Click Save changes, then restart your server.

Uploaded mods go to Binaries/Win64/Mods  , and PAK mods to Content/Paks/~mods  . You can also put a .pak   file in Content/Paks/~mods   yourself with the File Manager. Not directly in Content/Paks  .

To check that a mod loaded, open the File Manager and look at Binaries/Win64/ue4ss/UE4SS.log. It should have today's date and list your mods.

To remove a mod, click Remove next to it on the Mods page, then restart.

Tip: if Server Auto Pause is on, the server pauses while it's empty, and UE4SS only starts once someone joins.

Mods that players install on their own PC

Some mods only change what one player sees, like minimaps, lighting or UI mods. They do nothing on the server. Some mods are needed on both the server and every player's PC. The mod's page says which.

Console players can't install PC mods. If players also need a mod, Xbox and PlayStation players may not be able to join.

• PAK mods: put the .pak   file in Palworld\Pal\Content\Paks\~mods   on your PC.
• UE4SS mods: install UE4SS on your PC first:
  1. Download the latest UE4SS release. It should be the same version as on the server.
  2. In Steam, right-click Palworld and choose Manage > Browse local files.
  3. Go to Pal\Binaries\Win64  .
  4. Unzip UE4SS into that folder, then add the mod as its instructions say.
  5. Start Palworld.
• Workshop mods: see Palworld: How to Install Steam Workshop Mods on Your Server.

After a Palworld update

Mods often stop working, or crash the server, after a Palworld update until their creators release a fix. If your server crashes or players can't join after an update:

1. Check each mod's page for a new version. If there is one, click Remove next to the mod on the Mods page, then upload the new version.
2. If there's no update yet, remove that mod until there is.

Troubleshooting

The server won't start or keeps crashing.

1. Make a backup: Backups > Backup now.
2. Stop the server.
3. On the Mods page, turn off RE-UE4SS, and click Save changes.
4. In the File Manager, move the Content/Paks/~mods   folder out of Content/Paks  , for example to the top folder, with the folder's Move to… option.
5. Start the server. If it works, turn your mods back on one at a time to find the one causing it.

Mods stopped working after I added more. Check that you're not using both ways at once: Workshop mods in Mods/PalModSettings.ini and the RE-UE4SS switch on. Pick one.

The page crashes when I upload a zip. This is often your browser translating the DatHost page. Turn off translation for dathost.com and try again.

The mod is on the server but nothing changes in game. It's probably a client-side mod. Each player needs to install it on their own PC.

Common questions

Do you have a list of recommended mods? No. Mods change often after Palworld updates, so check each mod's page for the version that works with the current game.

Can you install a mod for me? We can check why a mod doesn't load, but we can't guarantee that third-party mods work.