How to Install Mods on an Insurgency: Sandstorm Server

Insurgency: Sandstorm mods are delivered through mod.io, but the server setup depends on your hosting panel and game build. Newer panels usually link a dedicated mod.io account with a one-time emailed security code; other panels still require a read-only OAuth token, numeric mod IDs, and Mods.txt. Stop the server before changing authentication, use only the workflow your panel documents, subscribe the server account to the required mods, then restart and configure each mod’s mutators, maps, and Game.ini settings. Players also need to sign in to mod.io in the in-game Mods menu so client downloads do not stall.

What do you need before installing Sandstorm mods?

Prepare access to both the server files and the mod.io account that will own the subscriptions. A managed panel may hide most files behind controls, while a self-hosted installation requires direct access to the dedicated-server directory and startup script.

Self-hosted requirements

• Dedicated-server files installed through SteamCMD or the Steam Library method described in the official Sandstorm mod installation documentation.
• Permission to edit the startup file or panel command line.
• Access to the server configuration directory, commonly containing Start.bat, Game.ini, Admins.txt, MapCycle.txt, and Mods.txt.
• A mod.io account. For account-linking workflows, many current guides recommend a separate account dedicated to the server.
• The mod page’s numeric ID, exact mutator name, map or travel syntax, and any required Game.ini entries.

Do not assume that downloading a mod activates it. A mod can be present on disk yet have no effect until its mutator is added, its map is placed in the rotation, or its configuration is copied into Game.ini.

Which server authentication method should you use?

Identify the method exposed by your active panel before editing files. Current provider documentation describes two incompatible workflows, and a procedure written for one can be ignored by a panel that has migrated to the other.

Setup detail	Account-linking and security code	OAuth token and Mods.txt
Authentication	Link a mod.io account and enter a one-time emailed security code.	Generate a read-access mod.io token and save it in the server configuration.
How mods are selected	Subscribe the linked account to each required mod on mod.io.	Enter numeric mod IDs in Mods.txt or the panel’s Modlist field.
Other configuration	Startup settings, mutators, map cycle, travel map, and Game.ini entries still apply.	Startup settings, mutators, Mods.txt, and Game.ini entries are exposed directly.
When it fits	Panels updated for the newer account-linking process.	Panels that still document token and Mods.txt fields.
Main failure mode	Following an old token guide after the panel moved to account linking.	Using a token guide after the panel removed or replaced those fields.

Guides for 1.20-era servers show why this matters: some providers replaced token, Mods.txt, and -ModList assumptions with account linking, while other panels still publish token-based settings. Treat your panel’s current documentation as authoritative for the authentication step, and do not combine both methods unless the panel explicitly asks for both.

How do you install mods with the account-linking security-code method?

This is the newer workflow. It links the server to a mod.io account once; future mod selection happens through that account’s subscriptions.

1. Stop the server. Editing authentication while the process is running can leave the old settings in memory or overwrite your changes on shutdown.
2. Open the panel’s Mod.io Account control. Enter the email address for the mod.io account that will manage the server. If the panel recommends a dedicated server account, use one rather than a personal account that other administrators may change.
3. Retrieve the emailed security code. Check spam or filtering rules if the message does not arrive. The code is a one-time credential, not a permanent password.
4. Place the code in the startup configuration. Depending on the panel, this is a Mod.io section in the startup settings or in Start.bat. Save the file before starting the server.
5. Start the server once. The server consumes the code while linking the account. In the documented workflow, the value changes to NONE after the first successful start; that change is expected and does not mean the link failed.
6. Subscribe to the required mods on mod.io. Use the linked account and subscribe to every dependency as well as the headline mod. The server watches those subscriptions and downloads the content automatically.
7. Restart after subscribing. Large maps and total-conversion packages may take a while to download. Keep the server online long enough for the files to finish arriving before testing a match.
8. Verify the mod directory. The exact path varies by provider. One documented panel stores content beneath mod.io254mods; use your panel’s file browser or console to confirm that the expected mod folders exist.
9. Apply the mod’s gameplay settings. Copy its exact mutator name, map code, scenario, faction, lighting, and Game.ini instructions from the mod page. Installation and activation are separate tasks.

Why does the security value become NONE?

In this workflow, the emailed value is deliberately single-use. After the first successful start, replacing it with NONE is the documented result; do not keep requesting new codes unless the account link itself fails.

How do you install mods with the legacy OAuth-token method?

Some panels still expose the older token-based interface. Use this path only when your panel’s current settings explicitly include an access-token field, a Mods option, or a Modlist/​Mods.txt setting.

1. Stop the server and create a read-access mod.io OAuth token. Choose read access only; the server needs to retrieve subscribed content, not manage your account.
2. Open GameUserSettings.ini. Paste the token into the panel’s mod.io access-token field or the corresponding configuration entry. Keep the token private and do not post it in screenshots or support forums.
3. Enable mod support. Panels may label this option Mods, Enable Mods, or similar. Saving a token without enabling support leaves the server in an unmodded state.
4. List the content. Add each numeric mod.io ID to Mods.txt, one per line if that is how your server template is formatted, or enter the IDs in the panel’s Modlist field. Some panels require the literal value Mods in that field; follow the panel’s label and example exactly.
5. Add mutators. Enter the exact mutator names in the command-line manager or startup setting. Names are case-sensitive in practice: a spelling variation can load the package while producing no gameplay effect.
6. Apply Game.ini changes. Many mods supply balance, mode, faction, or feature settings that are not part of the ID list.
7. Save and restart. Restart after each configuration change when troubleshooting so you can identify which edit changed the result.

A token that worked on an older build can still fail if the panel has moved to account linking. Conversely, a panel that still publishes token and Mods.txt fields may ignore a security-code procedure. Never paste both sets of credentials into random files in the hope that one will work.

How do you activate mutators, custom maps, and travel settings?

Each mod page defines the names and syntax the server must use. The numeric ID downloads content; it does not tell the game when to run that content.

Mutators

Copy the mutator name exactly into the startup command or the panel’s Mutators field. Keep punctuation, capitalization, and separators unchanged. If a mutator appears in the file list but has no effect in a live round, inspect the active command line first rather than reinstalling the package.

Map rotation

Put a custom map intended for normal rotation in MapCycle.txt. Use the map’s required scenario, faction, and lighting values from its mod page; a map code by itself may not define a playable round.

Starting or travel map

For a custom map that should load when the server starts, use the panel’s travel-mod field or the equivalent travel command syntax. A map can be installed correctly and still be absent from the browser if it was added only to a rotation file while the server is configured to start on another travel target.

Post-install configuration

Read the complete installation section on every mod page. Providers specifically warn that mods may require mutators, map-cycle entries, travel settings, and Game.ini changes in addition to downloading the files.

What do players need to do on their clients?

Players can open the in-game Mods menu, sign in to mod.io, and subscribe manually. They can also let the game download server content automatically when joining a server that already has the mods installed.

• Have the player sign in to mod.io from the in-game Mods menu before joining.
• Allow the download to finish; large mods can make the first connection look stalled.
• If automatic installation stops, return to the Mods menu and verify that the account is authenticated rather than repeatedly reconnecting.

The server administrator’s subscription does not replace the player’s client authentication. The server supplies the content, but the client still needs a mod.io login for manual subscription and reliable automatic downloads.

Why are Sandstorm mods not downloading?

Work through authentication, selection, time, and configuration in that order. Most failures come from using the wrong workflow for the panel or expecting a downloaded package to activate itself.

Server has no mod files

• Confirm whether the panel expects account linking or an OAuth token.
• For account linking, verify that the first start completed and that the linked account subscribed to every required mod.
• For the token method, check that the token is read-access, mod support is enabled, and the numeric IDs are present in Mods.txt or the Modlist field.
• Restart and allow additional time for large downloads before judging the result.

Security code changed to NONE

That is normal after the first successful start in the one-time-code workflow. Investigate only if the account was not linked, the server reports an authentication error, or no subscribed content appears afterward.

Mutator does nothing

Copy the mutator name from the mod page and compare it with the active startup command or panel field character by character. A correctly downloaded mod can remain inert when its mutator is missing or misspelled.

Custom map is missing

Check the mod’s travel syntax and confirm whether you want a rotation entry or an initial travel target. Use MapCycle.txt for rotation; use the travel-mod field or equivalent travel command for the starting map.

Server crashes or refuses to start

1. Stop the server.
2. Remove or unsubscribe from the last mod added.
3. Check that mod’s last update date and read its post-installation notes again.
4. Start with the previously working configuration.
5. Reintroduce the mod only after confirming its required mutator, map, and Game.ini entries.

Outdated or incorrectly configured mods are repeatedly identified as common causes of startup failure. Testing one change at a time makes the offending package identifiable.

Player download stalls

Ask the player to sign in to mod.io in the in-game Mods menu, then reconnect. If the server is still downloading content, wait for its files to finish before diagnosing a client problem.

How can you verify that a mod is really active?

Use a server-side and client-side check instead of relying on a folder name.

1. Confirm the mod folder or download record exists in the panel’s mod directory.
2. Check the startup command or Mutators field for the exact mutator name.
3. Confirm the custom map is in MapCycle.txt or the travel setting intended to load it.
4. Compare every required Game.ini line with the mod page.
5. Join with a mod.io-authenticated client and test the feature in the specific scenario the mod supports.

If files exist but the feature is absent, the problem is activation or compatibility rather than downloading. If the server fails before a map loads, remove the newest mod and restore the last known-good configuration.

Should you use a managed panel or self-host with SteamCMD?

A managed panel reduces file-management work and usually exposes account, token, Modlist, mutator, and travel controls. Self-hosting gives direct control over Start.bat, Game.ini, and the configuration directory, but you must maintain downloads, backups, permissions, and restarts yourself.

• Choose a managed panel when you want a browser-based workflow, provider-maintained server binaries, and built-in fields for authentication and mod lists.
• Choose self-hosting when you need direct startup scripting, custom automation, or full control over file versions and backups.
• Regardless of host, follow the panel or build-specific authentication method and keep a copy of the last working configuration before adding a new mod.

The installation concepts are the same in both environments: authenticate mod.io, select the content, download it, activate mutators and maps, and verify with an authenticated client.

What is the safest repeatable installation routine?

Use this checklist whenever you add or update content.

1. Record the mod’s numeric ID, exact mutator name, supported map code, dependencies, and required Game.ini values.
2. Back up Start.bat, GameUserSettings.ini, Game.ini, MapCycle.txt, and Mods.txt when those files exist.
3. Stop the server before editing.
4. Confirm the panel’s authentication model.
5. Authenticate once using either account linking or the documented read-access token path.
6. Subscribe to the mod or add its numeric ID, then restart and wait for the download.
7. Add mutators, map entries, travel settings, and Game.ini values exactly as documented by the mod author.
8. Test with one authenticated client before adding another mod.
9. If the server fails, remove the newest addition and restore the backup.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a player join before subscribing to every server mod?

Yes, the client can obtain server content automatically when joining a modded server, but the player must be signed in to mod.io in the in-game Mods menu. Without that sign-in, the download may stall even though the server is configured correctly.

Do I need to restart after subscribing to a mod?

Restarting is the reliable way to make the server detect newly subscribed content and load changed startup settings. For large packages, leave the server running long enough for the download to complete before testing a map or mutator.

Where should I put a custom map that should load first?

Use the panel’s travel-mod setting or its equivalent travel command for the initial map. Reserve MapCycle.txt for maps that should appear in normal rotation.

What should I back up before changing mod settings?

Save copies of the startup script and every configuration file your workflow uses, including GameUserSettings.ini, Game.ini, MapCycle.txt, and Mods.txt. A backup lets you remove one failing mod without reconstructing the entire server setup.