How to Install BepInEx Mods on Your Valheim Server

Valheim modding runs on BepInEx, a loader that hooks into the game before it starts. Mods are DLL files placed in a plugins folder. Most Valheim mods have to be installed on the server and on every player's client.

Get the right BepInEx build

Download the BepInExPack Valheim from Thunderstore. The pack contains the loader, the Valheim specific patcher files and a start_server_bepinex.sh launcher. Do not use a generic BepInEx release, it will not patch Valheim correctly.

Upload it to the server

1. Stop the server.
2. In the panel open Files and go to the server root, the folder that holds valheim_server.x86_64.
3. Upload the pack's contents so that you end up with a BepInEx folder, doorstop_libs, unstripped_corlib and start_server_bepinex.sh alongside the game files.
4. Start the server and watch the console. BepInEx prints its own banner and version when it loads.

BepInEx only loads if the server process is launched through the doorstop, which is what start_server_bepinex.sh sets up. If the console shows no BepInEx banner, the server is starting without the loader and your mods will be ignored. Open a ticket and quote the startup line from the console.

Install a mod

1. Download the mod from Thunderstore or Nexus. It is normally a .dll, sometimes a folder.
2. Upload it into:

   BepInEx/plugins/

3. Restart the server.
4. Check the console. Each loaded plugin logs its name and version.

Which mods need to be on the client too

• Both sides: anything that changes items, recipes, buildings, prefabs or world content. Jotunn based content mods fall here. A mismatch shows as a version check failure when a player tries to join.
• Server only: a small number of purely server side mods, usually described that way on their page.
• Client only: user interface and quality of life tweaks. These do not go on the server at all.

Publish the exact mod list and versions to your players. Valheim's version check is strict and rejects a client with a different set.

Configuring a mod

Every BepInEx plugin writes a config file into BepInEx/config/ the first time it runs. Start the server once after installing, stop it, then edit the config that appeared. Editing before the first run means your file gets overwritten.

Removing a mod

Stop the server, delete the DLL from BepInEx/plugins, and delete its file from BepInEx/config if you want its settings gone too. Remember that removing a content mod can leave unknown items in the world, so back up the world files first.