How to Install Mods on a Conan Exiles Server (Enhanced and Legacy)

To install mods on a Conan Exiles server, copy each mod's .pak file from your Steam Workshop folder (steamapps/workshop/content/440900/<mod ID>/) into the server's ConanSandbox/Mods folder, then list them in ConanSandbox/Mods/modlist.txt, one per line, in load order. Restart the server. Every player needs the same mods in the same order, and since May 2026 the mods must also match your build: Enhanced (UE5) or Legacy.

Do your mods match your server build?

Check this before anything else. In May 2026 Funcom moved the Steam version to Conan Exiles Enhanced, an Unreal Engine 5 upgrade. The old UE4 build lives on as Conan Exiles Legacy, a Steam beta branch and the version Epic Games Store and Microsoft Store players still run.

A Legacy mod is not automatically an Enhanced mod. Authors had to rebuild their mods with the refreshed dev kit Funcom released for Enhanced. Some updated the existing Workshop item, others published a separate Enhanced version with its own ID. On each mod's Workshop page, check the description and the Last updated date: anything not updated since early May 2026 is probably still UE4 only. A UE4 mod on an Enhanced server can stop the server starting or leave players on a black screen.

Step 1: Pick your mods and note the order

Subscribe to every mod you want on Steam, in the Conan Exiles Workshop. Then write down the order you want. Load order matters in Conan: mods load from the top of the list to the bottom, and when two mods change the same thing, the one loaded later usually wins.

A common order that avoids most conflicts:

1. Admin and framework mods first, such as Pippi.
2. Interface and quality of life mods next.
3. Gameplay and thrall mods in the middle.
4. Big content mods that add many items, creatures or areas, such as Emberlight.
5. Cosmetic and roleplay mods last.

Always follow the mod author's instructions when they give one. Many Workshop pages say exactly where a mod should sit.

Step 2: Find the .pak files

Steam downloads subscribed mods to:

C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\workshop\content\440900\

440900 is Conan Exiles' Steam app ID. Inside, each mod has a folder named after its Workshop ID, and in that folder is the mod's .pak file. Copy the .pak files, not the folders.

Do not rename the files. A renamed .pak can fail to load even when modlist.txt looks right.

Step 3: Upload the mods to the server

Stop the server first. Then put the .pak files in:

ConanSandbox/Mods/

Create the Mods folder if it does not exist. On a hosted server use SFTP for big mods: content packs can be hundreds of megabytes each, and browser uploads often time out.

Step 4: Write modlist.txt

Create ConanSandbox/Mods/modlist.txt and list one .pak per line, in load order, each with an asterisk in front. With example names, following the order above:

*AdminFramework.pak
*QualityOfLife.pak
*ThrallTweaks.pak
*BigContentPack.pak
*Cosmetics.pak

Use the exact file names, including capital letters, keep the asterisk at the start of each line and save the file as plain text.

Step 5: Start the server and check the log

Start the server and watch the console or log for mod loading lines. If a mod is missing or broken, the log usually names it. Join yourself first and confirm the mods are working before you tell everyone.

How do players get the same mods?

This is where most modded Conan servers go wrong. The client and server must match exactly:

• The same mods. Every mod on the server must be on the player's game.
• The same order. A player with the right mods in a different order can be refused with a mod mismatch.
• The same versions. When an author updates a mod, update the server copy too.

Steam players get mods through the Workshop, so share your mod list (a Workshop collection is the easiest way) and ask everyone to subscribe to it. Then, in the game's mod list on the main menu, they set the same order and restart the game.

On the Legacy build, Funcom's dedicated server documentation says the server can send mods to Epic Games Store players directly over TCP on the game port (7777 by default), opened on demand. Steam clients still use the Workshop.

How do you update mods on the server?

Conan does not update server mods by itself when you copy .pak files manually.

1. Let Steam update the mod on your PC.
2. Stop the server.
3. Upload the new .pak over the old one, with the same file name.
4. Start the server.

Do this whenever a mod you run gets an update, and tell players to restart Steam so they pull the same version. A server one version behind a player is enough to trigger a mismatch.

Why is my Conan Exiles server not loading mods?

When hunting a bad mod, cut the list in half, restart, and keep halving until the problem disappears. It is much faster than removing one mod at a time on a list of thirty.

Do mods make a Conan Exiles server heavier?

Yes. Content mods add items, buildings and creatures that the server holds in memory, and Enhanced already uses noticeably more than Legacy. A small clan on vanilla runs on 8 GB, but a modded roleplay server with a long list belongs on 12 GB or more. Big lists also make startup slower. Our Conan Exiles server guide covers sizing, ports and settings, and Conan Exiles server settings explained covers the rates and raid windows most modded servers tune alongside their mods.

FAQ

Where does modlist.txt go on a Conan Exiles server?

In ConanSandbox/Mods/modlist.txt, next to the .pak files. Each line is one mod file name with an asterisk in front.

Do players need the same mods as the Conan Exiles server?

Yes. Every player needs the same mods, in the same order and the same versions, or they get a mod mismatch when joining.

Do old Conan Exiles mods work on Enhanced?

Not automatically. Mods had to be rebuilt by their authors with the Enhanced dev kit. Check each Workshop page for an Enhanced version before adding it.

Can console players join a modded Conan Exiles server?

No. Console players cannot join PC servers at all, modded or not.

How do I change Conan Exiles mod load order?

Reorder the lines in modlist.txt and restart the server, then have every player set the same order in the game's mod list.

The easy option

Our Conan Exiles servers offer both builds: Enhanced for current Steam players and Standard for groups on Legacy. Upload .pak files over SFTP, edit modlist.txt in the file manager and take a one click backup before changing a mod list or switching build, so a bad mod never costs you the save.