Exporting Server Configuration Files

Export your modpack as a server configuration file that’s ready to use with Project Zomboid dedicated servers. This guide covers version selection, export configuration, downloading files, and installation on your server.

Overview

PZ Packs generates server configuration files containing three critical sections:

Mods - Mod IDs in the correct format for your PZ version
WorkshopItems - Steam Workshop IDs for automatic downloading
Map - Custom map folders plus default maps

These files can be directly added to your dedicated server configuration to load all mods from your modpack.

Export files are generated in the background and are user-specific. Your export configuration (mod order, variant selection) is saved separately from other team members.

Choosing a Project Zomboid Version

Select your server version

PZ Packs supports two Project Zomboid versions:

Build 42.x - Latest unstable/beta branch (recommended for new servers)
Build 41.x - Stable branch (for established servers)

The version you select determines the mod ID format in the generated file.

Understand format differences

Build 42.x format:

Mods=\ModID1;\ModID2;\ModID3

Build 41.x format:

Mods=ModID1;ModID2;ModID3

The only difference is the backslash prefix (\) required in Build 42.x.

Match your server version

Choose the version that matches your dedicated server. Using the wrong format will prevent mods from loading correctly.

Configuring Export Settings

Before exporting, you can customize how mods are included in your server file.

Mod Load Order

Mod order can affect gameplay and compatibility:

Set your preferred load order

Configure modsOrder to specify the exact sequence mods should load. This is saved in your personal export configuration.

{
  "modsOrder": ["mod-id-1", "mod-id-2", "mod-id-3"]
}

Order importance

Load order matters for mods that override similar game files
Map mods typically load first
Dependency mods should load before mods that require them
PZ Packs respects your configured order in the generated file

Selecting Mod Variants

Some Workshop items contain multiple mod IDs (variants or optional components):

Review mods with multiple variants

Mods with multiple Steam Mod IDs appear with checkboxes or selection options in the export configuration.

Configure variant selection

Use the modConfig setting to choose which variants to include:

{
  "modConfig": {
    "mod-id-123": {
      "selectedSteamModIds": ["variant1", "variant2"]
    }
  }
}

Only the selected variants will appear in the exported file.

Exclude mods entirely

To skip a mod completely, deselect all its variants:

{
  "modConfig": {
    "mod-id-456": {
      "selectedSteamModIds": []
    }
  }
}

This mod won’t appear in Mods=, WorkshopItems=, or Map= sections.

Saving Export Configuration

Your export configuration is saved per user and per modpack:

Configuration persists between exports
Changes only affect your exports, not other team members
Modpack owner can set default configuration for all members

Save your export configuration after adjusting mod order or variants. This ensures consistent exports every time without reconfiguring.

Requesting a Server File Export

Navigate to the export dialog

On your modpack page, click the “Export” or “Download Server File” button.

Select Project Zomboid version

Choose between Build 42.x or Build 41.x from the version dropdown.

Submit export request

Click “Export” to queue the file generation.The system will:

Create an export request in the database
Add a background job to generate the file
Return an export ID for tracking

Wait for generation

File generation typically takes a few seconds. Large modpacks (100+ mods) may take longer.Status updates:

Pending - Export is queued or generating
Completed - File is ready for download
Failed - An error occurred during generation

Understanding the Generated File

The exported file contains three sections:

Mods Section

Lists all mod IDs in the format appropriate for your selected version:

Mods=\ModID1;\ModID2;\ModID3

Includes selected variants only
Duplicates are automatically removed
Order matches your modsOrder configuration

WorkshopItems Section

Lists Steam Workshop IDs for automatic mod downloading:

WorkshopItems=123456789;987654321;555555555

Contains Workshop IDs from all included mods
Used by the server to auto-download mods from Steam
Duplicates are automatically removed

Map Section

Includes custom map folders plus the default Muldraugh map:

Map=CustomMap1;CustomMap2;Muldraugh, KY

Automatically includes Muldraugh, KY as the default spawn
Custom map folders are extracted from mod metadata
Only includes maps from active, selected mods

The default map “Muldraugh, KY” is always included. Remove it manually if you want a custom map-only server.

Downloading the Server File

Wait for completion

When the export status shows “Completed”, the download button becomes available.

Download the file

Click the download button to retrieve your server configuration file.The file is a plain text .ini file containing the three configuration sections.

Verify file contents

Open the file in a text editor and verify:

All expected mods are listed
The mod ID format matches your server version (backslashes for 42.x)
Workshop IDs are present
Map sections look correct

Installing on Your Project Zomboid Server

Locate your server configuration file

On your dedicated server, find the server configuration file:Windows:

C:\Users\YourUser\Zomboid\Server\ServerName.ini

Linux:

~/.config/ProjectZomboid/Server/ServerName.ini

Backup existing configuration

Before making changes, create a backup:

cp ServerName.ini ServerName.ini.backup

Update configuration sections

Open your server’s .ini file and find these lines:

Mods=
Map=
WorkshopItems=

Replace them with the values from your exported file.

Restart the server

Restart your Project Zomboid dedicated server to load the new mods.On first launch:

Server downloads all Workshop items from Steam
This can take several minutes for large mod lists
Monitor server logs for download progress

Verify mods loaded

Check your server logs for:

Loaded mod: ModID1
Loaded mod: ModID2
...

All mods from your export should appear as loaded.

If any mods fail to load, check:

Workshop items downloaded successfully
Mod IDs match the format for your server version
No conflicting mods in the list
Server version matches the export version (41.x or 42.x)

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Mods Not Loading

Issue: Server starts but mods don’t load Solutions:

Verify the Mods= format matches your server version
Build 42.x requires backslash prefix: \ModID
Build 41.x has no prefix: ModID
Check that Workshop items downloaded (look in server logs)

Workshop Download Failures

Issue: Some Workshop items fail to download Solutions:

Verify your server has Steam Workshop access enabled
Check if the Workshop item was removed from Steam
Try manually subscribing to the Workshop item
Remove the problematic Workshop ID from the config

Map Not Loading

Issue: Custom maps don’t appear in-game Solutions:

Ensure map mods are in both Mods= and WorkshopItems=
Verify the map folder name in Map= is correct
Some maps require specific load order - try loading them first
Check mod description for special installation instructions

Export Fails

Issue: Export status shows “Failed” Solutions:

Try exporting again (temporary server issue)
Verify all mods in the modpack are valid
Check for mods with missing metadata
Contact support if the issue persists

Best Practices

Regular exports

Re-export whenever you add or remove mods from your modpack to keep your server in sync.

Test before production

Test exported configurations on a development server before deploying to production.

Version consistency

Keep your server version and export version in sync. Don’t mix 41.x exports with 42.x servers.

Document custom changes

If you manually edit the exported file, document your changes so you can reapply them after future exports.

Share with team

Team members can export the same modpack with their own configurations. Coordinate load order for consistency.

Importing from Steam - Add mods to your modpack from Steam Workshop
Managing Permissions - Control who can modify and export your modpack
API Reference: Export Server File - API documentation for exports

Get Started

Core Features

Guides

Exporting Server Configuration Files

Overview

Choosing a Project Zomboid Version

Configuring Export Settings

Mod Load Order

Selecting Mod Variants

Saving Export Configuration

Requesting a Server File Export

Understanding the Generated File

Mods Section

WorkshopItems Section

Map Section

Downloading the Server File

Installing on Your Project Zomboid Server

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Mods Not Loading

Workshop Download Failures

Map Not Loading

Export Fails

Best Practices

Build docs developers (and LLMs) love

Get Started

Core Features

Guides

Documentation Index

​Overview

​Choosing a Project Zomboid Version

​Configuring Export Settings

​Mod Load Order

​Selecting Mod Variants

​Saving Export Configuration

​Requesting a Server File Export

​Understanding the Generated File

​Mods Section

​WorkshopItems Section

​Map Section

​Downloading the Server File

​Installing on Your Project Zomboid Server

​Troubleshooting Common Issues

​Mods Not Loading

​Workshop Download Failures

​Map Not Loading

​Export Fails

​Best Practices

​Related Resources

Build docs developers (and LLMs) love

Overview

Choosing a Project Zomboid Version

Configuring Export Settings

Mod Load Order

Selecting Mod Variants

Saving Export Configuration

Requesting a Server File Export

Understanding the Generated File

Mods Section

WorkshopItems Section

Map Section

Downloading the Server File

Installing on Your Project Zomboid Server

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Mods Not Loading

Workshop Download Failures

Map Not Loading

Export Fails

Best Practices

Related Resources