How to Install Mods on a Satisfactory Dedicated Server
The supported way to mod a Satisfactory dedicated server is Satisfactory Mod Manager (SMM). It connects to the server's install folder over SFTP, FTP or SMB, installs each mod with its dependencies and the Satisfactory Mod Loader (SML), and lets you use the same profile on your PC so client and server match. Every player who joins must have the same mods as the server.
Not every mod works on a server, so check support first. The Ficsit modding docs also warn against the shortcut of copying your own game's Mods folder to the server. This guide covers the supported route, where files end up, and how to fix the usual failures. Versions cited were current in September 2026 (Satisfactory 1.2.4.0), and mod tooling moves quickly.
- Check each mod's page on ficsit.app: the Server column in the Latest Version table must not show an X.
- Use SMM (version 3.0.0 or later) to add the server as an installation, then install mods to it. Point it at the folder containing
FactoryServer.exeorFactoryServer.sh. - Stop the server before installing or removing mods, and restart it afterwards for changes to take effect.
- Clients and server need identical mods and compatible versions. Use one profile and export it for your players.
- Do not copy your client's
Modsfolder to the server; the modding docs say it will not work.
On this page
How mods work on a dedicated server
Mods on Satisfactory are built on SML. According to the Ficsit modding documentation, SML 3.7.0 added support for compiling mods for dedicated servers, and SMM 3.0.0 and later can manage a local or remote server as if it were another game install. A server then appears in SMM's Game Installation dropdown.
The catch is that a dedicated server runs a different build of each mod than your game client does. A mod that only touches visuals or the client UI may have no server component at all. That is why the first step is always compatibility, not downloading.
Check that a mod supports dedicated servers
On each mod's page on ficsit.app, look at the Latest Version table for a Server column. A tick means a server build exists. An X means the mod does not yet support dedicated servers and will not appear for a server install.
In SMM, set the mod list filter to Compatible while a server install is selected. It hides mods that have no build for the selected install, which saves you from picking something that cannot load. Mods that exist only on one side, client or server, currently need separate profiles.
Install mods with Satisfactory Mod Manager
This works when you can reach the server's files over SFTP, FTP or SMB. Self-hosted servers are easiest; the modding docs note that third-party hosts often restrict file access, so confirm yours allows it.
- Stop the server
A running server keeps its mod files locked, so installs and removals fail while it is up.
- Add the server in SMM
In SMM, open the server management dialog and add a server. Choose the protocol (SFTP, FTP or SMB), enter the address, port, username and password, and set the path to the directory that contains
FactoryServer.exeorFactoryServer.sh. If SMM reports no installations, the path is wrong. - Select the server install
The server now appears in the Game Installation dropdown. Select it. Keep the Compatible filter on.
- Install your mods
SMM uploads each mod, its dependencies and SML to the server. Use the same profile on your client so versions match.
- Start the server and watch the log
Start it and read the console during boot. Then join with a client running the same mod list.
Connection details depend on your host. Typical default ports are 22 for SFTP, 21 for FTP and 445 for SMB, but the modding docs say your server may differ. If your host gives you SFTP details, set the protocol to SFTP in SMM and use the host's address and port, not the defaults.
Where mod files go on the server
Let SMM place them. For reference, host documentation and the manual route describe the layout under the server install directory:
FactoryGame/Mods/holds installed mods, including SML. The SML folder must be named exactlySML.- Mods whose
.upluginfile hasGameFeatureset totruego inFactoryGame/Mods/GameFeatures/instead. - Mod configuration files go in
FactoryGame/Configs/, matching the files on your client. SMM cannot edit mod settings on a remote server. - A manual install needs the server build of each mod for your OS (for example the LinuxServer build) from its ficsit.app page, plus every dependency, including SML.
Configure mods on your client first, then copy the generated config files to the server. The docs warn that some mods misbehave if client and server configs differ.
Keep client and server versions matched
- Same mods: a client can only join if it has the same mods as the server. Export your SMM profile and send it to players so everyone installs the same list.
- Pin versions: use SMM's change-version option so an update does not move one side ahead of the other.
- Same branch: server and clients must use the same game branch, public or experimental.
- Be careful with automatic game updates on the server: if your server updates the game by itself, a new build can arrive before the mods you use support it, and mods break after the restart. For a modded server, update deliberately.
Mod save settings have one extra limitation. Server Manager's save creation screen does not support setting Mod Savegame Settings. The docs' workaround is to create the save on your client with the settings you want, then upload it to the server. Also, mods are not stored inside the save, so uploading a save does not install them.
Satisfactory modded server troubleshooting
| Problem | What to do |
|---|---|
| SMM finds no installations | Point the path at the folder containing FactoryServer.exe or FactoryServer.sh |
| Install fails partway | Stop the server and apply again; a running server locks mod files |
| Mod is missing from the server list | It has no server build; check the Server column on ficsit.app |
| Players cannot join | Make sure each has the exported profile, same versions and same branch |
| Server worked, then broke after a restart | Look for an automatic game update that outpaced the mods |
| Mod does nothing or acts oddly | Compare client and server config files in FactoryGame/Configs/ |
The modding docs recommend a clean process of elimination. First verify that the unmodified server accepts a connection. Then add mods back in small groups to find the one that breaks it. Upload both client and server logs to the modding Discord's help channel if you need to ask for help.
For file access, ChicagoServers servers include SFTP; use the connection info shown in the control panel and set the protocol to SFTP. If you are weighing options, see Satisfactory server hosting. Whether a given mod runs on your server is decided by the mod and the game version, not by the host.
Frequently asked questions
Can I run mods on a Satisfactory dedicated server?
Yes, for mods that have a dedicated server build. Check the Server column on the mod's ficsit.app page, then install with Satisfactory Mod Manager 3.0.0 or later. Players need the same mods as the server.
Where do Satisfactory server mods go?
In FactoryGame/Mods/ under the server install, with game-feature mods in FactoryGame/Mods/GameFeatures/. Satisfactory Mod Manager places them for you, which is the supported method.
Why can't players join my modded Satisfactory server?
Usually their mod list or versions differ from the server's, or they are on a different branch. Export your SMM profile for them, pin versions, and test whether the server works unmodified.
Can I copy my game's Mods folder to the server?
No. The Ficsit modding docs say not to; a client build of a mod does not work on a server, and manually installed servers are not supported on their Discord.