How to Install Valheim Mods With BepInEx

To add mods to your Valheim server you install the BepInEx modding framework, then drop each mod's .dll file into the BepInEx/plugins folder and restart.

3 min read · Updated Sep 24, 2026 · By GuavaHost Team

What BepInEx is

BepInEx is a modding framework that loads plugins into the game so mods can run. Almost every Valheim mod on Thunderstore and Nexus is built for it, so it is the foundation you install before anything else.

Check whether BepInEx is already installed

If you chose the Valheim + BepInEx server type, it is ready to go. Open the Files tab and look for a BepInEx folder in the server root containing plugins, config, and core. If it is there, skip to uploading your mods. If it is not, install it first, either through a mod option in Startup settings on the Settings tab if your server has one, or by uploading the BepInEx pack for Valheim. Take a backup on the Backups page before you start.

Where mods go

• Plugin files with a .dll extension go in BepInEx/plugins. You can make subfolders inside it, since BepInEx scans them all.
• Config files generate automatically in BepInEx/config after the first run, and that is where you tweak a mod's settings.
• The load log is BepInEx/LogOutput.log, which tells you what loaded and what failed.

Install a Thunderstore modpack from the Mods page

On the Valheim + BepInEx server type, your server menu has Mods under Game tools. It sets one Thunderstore pack for the server to load:

1. On the Backups page, click Create backup.
2. Open Mods and paste the pack's link or its dependency string (it looks like Author-PackName) into Set the Thunderstore dependency string, then click Set.
3. Click Save mods.
4. Valheim only picks up a different pack when the server is reinstalled, and a reinstall replaces the server's files. With your backup taken, open the Settings tab, click Reinstall… on the Reinstall server card and type REINSTALL to confirm.

Install a mod step by step

To add a single mod by hand:

1. On the Backups page, click Create backup.
2. Download the mod (Thunderstore is the easiest source).
3. On the Files tab, open BepInEx/plugins and use Upload files to add the .dll. If the mod ships with a folder, upload the mod's zip into BepInEx/plugins instead and click Unpack next to it, because the Files page uploads files, not folders.
4. Restart the server with Restart at the top of the page.
5. Watch the Console or LogOutput.log for a line confirming the mod loaded, such as Loading [ModName].

Client mods vs server mods

Many mods must be installed on both the server and every player's PC, with matching versions. Some quality of life and admin mods only need to run on the server. Always read the mod's page to see which it is, because a version mismatch will stop players joining.

Dependencies and config

Some mods need a helper library first, such as Jotunn or HookGenPatcher. Install those dependencies into BepInEx/plugins as well. To change how a mod behaves, edit its file in BepInEx/config and restart.

Troubleshooting

• Server will not start after a mod: restore your backup from the Backups page, then remove the offending .dll.
• Mod not loading: check LogOutput.log for errors and confirm the mod matches your Valheim version.
• Players cannot join: everyone needs the same client side mods at the same version.

Still stuck? Jump into our Discord at discord.gg/GuavaHost and the team will help you out.

• valheim
• bepinex
• mods
• plugins
• modding

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