BepInEx first
Nearly every Valheim mod runs on BepInEx, the mod loader. Without it no mod loads at all.
From the Mods tab press Install or update BepInEx. We pull the latest release from Thunderstore, install it on your server, and switch mod loading on for you. Restart and that's it.
doorstop, which means your server starts with a few extra environment variables instead of starting plain. The panel does that for you, so there's no script to run by hand.Install mods
The section below it is the Thunderstore catalog. Search for anything and press install.
When you install a mod we pull every mod it depends on with it, so you never have to hunt them down one by one.
Each installed mod shows up in the list with:
- Disable: takes the mod out of the load path without deleting it, and you can bring it back any time
- Remove: deletes its files
Turn mods off without deleting them
The Mod loading section has one switch: your server starts with BepInEx, or without it. Turn it off and your server runs plain Valheim while the mods stay installed. It's the fastest way to tell whether a problem is a mod or the game.
Mods and your world
A mod that adds things to the world makes your world depend on it. Remove that mod later and whatever it built disappears from the world, sometimes quietly, sometimes as errors in the log.
When Valheim updates
Valheim breaks mods on every major patch. What usually happens:
- Valheim ships an update and your server takes it the next time it starts
- Old mods crash the server or fill the log with errors
- The mod authors publish new versions within a day or two
If your server stops coming up after an update, turn Mod loading off to get it running again immediately, then update your mods one at a time from the catalog.
Back up a modded world
Backups include your worlds, server settings, installed BepInEx version, enabled and disabled mods, and mod configuration. Restore one to recover that same combination.
Stop the server before taking a backup you plan to restore. Stopping saves the world and keeps the files from changing while the backup runs. A backup taken while the server runs contains the last saved progress and may overlap an autosave.
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