Adding mods to a Palworld server can make your world feel fresh, improve quality of life, adjust gameplay, or change how certain parts of the game look and work. There are several types of Palworld mods, including .pak mods, UE4SS mods, LogicMods, and official server mod packages.

This guide focuses specifically on manual .pak mods. These are usually installed by uploading a .pak file into the server’s Pal\Content\Paks folder or a related subfolder. If your mod requires UE4SS, Lua, Scripts, dlls, mods.txt, or Pal\Binaries\Win64\ue4ss\Mods, it is not a simple .pak mod and should be installed with a Palworld UE4SS modding guide instead.

A wrong folder, outdated file, missing client-side install, or broken mod can stop players from joining or make the server unstable. The safest method is to back up first, stop the server, install one mod at a time, and test before inviting everyone back.

What You Need Before Installing .pak Mods

Before installing .pak mods, you need access to your Palworld server files, permission to stop and restart the server, and a .pak mod from a trusted source such as Nexus Mods, CurseForge, Thunderstore, or the mod author’s official page.

You should also check whether the mod supports your current Palworld version. Some mods stop working after game updates, so always read the mod description, requirements, and comments before uploading anything.

You do not usually need the UE4SS modding framework for normal .pak mods. If the mod page says it requires UE4SS, RE-UE4SS, Lua, Scripts, dlls, or mods.txt, follow a UE4SS guide instead.

Before making changes, ask players to leave the server and stop the server completely.

Back Up Your Palworld Save First

Always back up your world before adding mods. A broken mod can cause crashes, missing items, or save issues.

For a self-hosted SteamCMD server using the example path in this guide, back up C:\steamcmd\steamapps\common\PalServer\Pal\Saved.

Save the backup outside the live server folder, such as D:\PalworldBackups\Saved-before-pak-mods-2026-06-26.

If your server is installed somewhere else, find the folder that contains PalServer.exe, then back up the Pal\Saved folder inside it.

For dedicated hosting, use your hosting panel’s backup feature before uploading mods. This is one of the biggest benefits of using a proper host: backups are easier to create, manage, and restore without manually copying folders around a home PC.

Check The .pak Mod Files

After downloading the mod, extract the archive if it comes as a .zip, .rar, or .7z.

Do not upload the compressed archive directly unless your hosting panel has an extract option and you are using it on purpose. For most manual .pak mods, you are looking for a file ending in .pak, such as BetterBalance.pak.

Most standard .pak mods use Pal\Content\Paks or Pal\Content\Paks\~mods. Some logic-based .pak mods may use Pal\Content\Paks\LogicMods.

If the download contains Info.json, PackageName, or InstallRule, it may be an official Palworld server mod package instead of a simple manual .pak file. In that case, follow the mod author’s instructions instead of guessing.

How To Install .pak Mods On A Self-Hosted Palworld Server

Stop the Palworld server first.

Open your Palworld server folder. In this guide, the example server root is C:\steamcmd\steamapps\common\PalServer.

From there, go to C:\steamcmd\steamapps\common\PalServer\Pal\Content\Paks.

Many manual .pak mods can be placed directly inside Pal\Content\Paks, but it is often cleaner to create a ~mods folder if the mod author supports it. That path would be C:\steamcmd\steamapps\common\PalServer\Pal\Content\Paks\~mods.

Copy the .pak file into the correct folder.

A common correct layout is C:\steamcmd\steamapps\common\PalServer\Pal\Content\Paks\~mods\BetterBalance.pak.

If the mod author says to use the main Paks folder, use C:\steamcmd\steamapps\common\PalServer\Pal\Content\Paks\BetterBalance.pak.

If the mod author says the file is a LogicMod, use C:\steamcmd\steamapps\common\PalServer\Pal\Content\Paks\LogicMods\BetterBalance.pak.

After copying the file, start the server and check that it boots normally.

How To Install .pak Mods With Dedicated Palworld Server Hosting

Dedicated Palworld hosting makes modding easier because you do not need to manage everything from a home PC. Instead of manually browsing Windows folders, handling restarts yourself, and checking logs from the server machine, you can manage files, backups, console output, and restarts from one panel.

With Pine Hosting, log in to the game panel, select your Palworld server, and stop the server before changing files.

Open the File Manager and go to Pal\Content\Paks.

Upload the .pak file to the folder required by the mod author. For most standard .pak mods, use Pal\Content\Paks\~mods. If the ~mods folder does't exist, create one. For LogicMods, use Pal\Content\Paks\LogicMods.

The pathing is the same as a normal dedicated server. The difference is that dedicated hosting gives you a cleaner and safer workflow. You can stop the server from the panel, upload files without remote desktop access, make backups before changing anything, restart quickly, and watch the console for errors.

This is especially useful for modded Palworld servers because one bad .pak file can stop the server from opening. With dedicated hosting, rollback is easier because your files, backups, restarts, and support are all available from the same place.

Do Players Need To Install The .pak Mod Too?

Some .pak mods only need to be installed on the server. Others must also be installed on every player’s PC.

If a mod changes visuals, models, textures, UI, or client-side assets, players may need the same .pak file installed locally. If a mod changes server-side balance or gameplay rules, it may only need to be on the server, but this depends on how the mod was made.

For Steam players, the usual client path is C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Palworld\Pal\Content\Paks.

If the mod uses a ~mods folder, players would place it in C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Palworld\Pal\Content\Paks\~mods.

Tell players to use the same mod version as the server. Mismatched versions can cause crashes, missing assets, or connection problems.

Test The Server After Installing The Mod

After uploading the .pak file, restart the server.

Join with one test account before inviting everyone back. Confirm that the server starts, players can connect, the world loads, and the mod works as expected.

Only add one mod at a time. If you add several .pak mods at once and the server breaks, it becomes much harder to find the bad file.

How To Remove Or Roll Back A .pak Mod

Stop the server first.

Open the folder where the mod was installed. This is usually Pal\Content\Paks, Pal\Content\Paks\~mods, or Pal\Content\Paks\LogicMods.

Delete or move the .pak file out of the server folder.

Restart the server and test again. If the mod caused save issues, restore the backup you created before installing it.

For dedicated hosting, use the panel’s backup restore option if available. This is another reason dedicated hosting is helpful for modded servers: rollback is usually faster and less stressful than manually moving save folders around a home machine.

Common .pak Mod Mistakes

One common mistake is uploading the archive instead of the extracted .pak file. The server cannot use BetterBalance.zip as a normal .pak mod.

Another mistake is using the wrong folder. Standard .pak mods usually go in Pal\Content\Paks or Pal\Content\Paks\~mods. LogicMods may go in Pal\Content\Paks\LogicMods. UE4SS mods do not belong in these folders.

A third mistake is assuming players never need the mod locally. Some .pak mods must be installed on both the server and client.

Finally, avoid adding too many mods at once. Install one, restart, test, and then move to the next.

Manage Your Modded Palworld Server Easier With Pine Hosting

For a modded world that needs easy file access, backups, restarts, and console logs, start with Pine Hosting’s Palworld server hosting.

You still need to choose safe mods, follow the mod author’s instructions, and test changes carefully. But dedicated hosting gives you a cleaner place to manage everything on your modded Palworld server, especially when one .pak file can decide whether your server opens smoothly or stays offline.