How to Install Mods on a Satisfactory Server (SMM Guide)

To install mods on a Satisfactory server, use Satisfactory Mod Manager (SMM) from ficsit.app. Its Manage Servers option connects to your dedicated server through a local folder, SFTP or FTP, and installs mods and the Satisfactory Mod Loader straight onto it. Only mods marked as server compatible work, and every player needs exactly the same mods and versions as the server. Here is the full process.

What you need

Satisfactory Mod Manager 3 or newer, downloaded from ficsit.app.
Access to the server's files: the install folder if it runs on your own PC, or an SFTP or FTP login if it runs somewhere else.
Mods that support dedicated servers. On ficsit.app, check the mod's page for server support before you plan around it.
The server stopped while you install. A running server locks its files.

Step 1: Back up your save

Mods can change or remove items and buildings in your factory, and removing a mod later can delete whatever it added. Before anything else, copy the server's save folder or make a backup, and download your current save from Server Manager, Manage Saves as a second copy.

Step 2: Stop the server

Shut the server down. On a self hosted server, type quit in the server window or stop the service. If it is running, SMM cannot replace files and the install fails partway.

Step 3: Add the server in Satisfactory Mod Manager

Open Satisfactory Mod Manager.
In the left panel, under Other, click Manage Servers.
Choose how to connect and enter the details:

Method	What to enter
Local	The server's install folder, for example `C:\satisfactory-server`
SFTP	`sftp://username:password@host:port/path/`
FTP	`ftp://username:password@host:port/path/`

The path points at the folder where the server is installed, the one that contains FactoryServer.exe or FactoryServer.sh. Once it connects, the server appears in the game version dropdown at the top of SMM, next to your own game.

Step 4: Use one profile for the server and every player

This is the step that saves you the most trouble. Every player must run the same mods at the same versions as the server, or they cannot join or hit strange errors in game.

In SMM, create a profile for your group, for example "Factory crew".
Install your mods into that profile on your own game first and test them.
Switch the dropdown to your server, select the same profile, and SMM installs the matching mods and the mod loader there.
Export the profile and send it to your friends. They import it in SMM, so everyone ends up identical.

Client only mods, such as some interface or map tweaks, do not need to be on the server. Mods that add items, buildings or recipes must be on both.

Step 5: Start the server and join

Start the server and wait for it to load. Watch the server log the first time: it lists the mods it loaded, and any mod that failed shows an error there. Then join with your modded game.

Mod settings

Some mods have their own config files. SMM has no way to change them remotely, so if you tweak a mod's settings on your own game, copy the matching config file to the server's FactoryGame/Configs/ folder too. Mismatched configs can make a mod behave differently for the server and the players.

After a game update

Big Satisfactory patches break mods until their authors update them. Before you update:

Check each mod's ficsit.app page for support of the new version.
Back up your save.
Update the game, the server and the mods together.

If a key mod is not ready, you can hold off on updating, but everyone, including the server, must stay on the same version.

Common problems

"Mod mismatch" or cannot join: a player has different mods or versions. Have everyone import the same SMM profile.
Mod does not load on the server: it is not server compatible, or the server was running during the install. Stop it and install again.
SFTP connection fails in SMM: check the host, port, username and password, and that the path ends at the server's install folder. Special characters in the password may need URL encoding, for example @ becomes %40.
Items disappeared after removing a mod: anything the mod added is removed from the world. Restore the backup from step 1 if you need it back.
Server crashes after adding mods: remove the newest mods one at a time to find the one causing it, and check memory use. Heavy mod lists need more RAM.

Installing mods on a GamezServers server

Our servers include an SFTP login, which is exactly what SMM needs:

Press Backup, then Stop in the control panel.
Go to Settings and click Show SFTP login to see the host, port, username and password. A new password is set each time you show it, so update SMM if you show it again later.
In SMM, open Manage Servers, choose SFTP and enter sftp://username:password@host:port/.
Install your profile onto the server, then press Start.

If the factory grows heavy with mods, move to a bigger plan in Settings and keep the same save.

FAQ

Can you mod a Satisfactory dedicated server?

Yes. Use Satisfactory Mod Manager's Manage Servers option to install server compatible mods onto it, and have every player run the same mods.

Do my friends need the same mods as the server?

Yes, the same mods at the same versions. Sharing one SMM profile is the easiest way.

Why will a mod not work on my server?

It may not support dedicated servers. Check the mod's page on ficsit.app for server support.

Do I need to stop the server to install mods?

Yes. A running server locks its files and the install fails.

Less setup, more building

Modded factories are more fun when the server keeps running while you sleep. See Satisfactory server hosting or the quick start guide.