7 Days to Die server mods —
a folder, a restart, and one EAC gotcha.
7 Days mods are folders you drop into the server’s Mods folder — no loader, no injector. The whole thing is three steps. The one thing that trips people up is anti-cheat (EAC): some mods conflict with it, so if a mod will not load or the server will not start, that is the switch to reach for. We tell you when and where.
# each mod is a FOLDER (holds ModInfo.xml) 1 Files tab → 7dtd/Mods/ → drag the folder in 2 Restart the server # mods load at boot # if it won't load / server won't start ! try EAC off on the Settings tab # anti-cheat conflicts with some mods
Install a mod — the whole process
Get the mod, and find the right folder
Mods (the small ones are called modlets) come as a .zip from sites like 7daystodiemods.com or Nexus. Extract it on your PC and find the folder that directly contains ModInfo.xml — that folder is the mod. Do not upload a folder that just has another folder inside it.
Upload it into the Mods folder
In your panel: Files tab → 7dtd/Mods/ → upload the mod’s folder there. One folder per mod. You can drop several — the game loads every one it finds.
Restart
Mods load at boot. On restart the server log names each one it loaded — [MODS] Loaded Mod: <name> (<version>), which you can watch on the Console tab. No line for your mod = it is in the wrong place, or EAC blocked it (next section).
If a mod won’t work: check EAC
The signs it might be EAC
After you add a mod, if any of these happens, EAC is the first thing to suspect:
- the mod doesn’t load, or loads but does nothing
- the server won’t start, or crashes shortly after boot
- players can’t connect, or get kicked as they join
Try turning it off
EAC is a labeled toggle on your Settings tab. Turn it off, restart, and see if the mod behaves. If that was not the cause, turn it back on — nothing about your world or files changes either way. Bigger mods, overhauls, and anything that adds custom code are the ones most likely to need it off; simple settings tweaks usually do not, but the honest answer is that mods vary, so the reliable move is: if something is wrong, flip EAC and test.
Do the players need the mod too?
Depends on the mod. Many server-side modlets (loot, spawns, server rules) run on the server alone — players just connect. Mods that add or change blocks, items, textures or UI need the same folder in each player’s own Mods folder, or they will fail to join or see missing content. The mod’s own page says which it is; when in doubt, have everyone install it — matching versions never hurts.
Overhauls (Darkness Falls & friends)
Same folder, same restart — an overhaul is just a large mod (turn EAC off for it). We do not preinstall one, and the honest reason beats a feature bullet: Darkness Falls ships purchased models and sounds under a licence that forbids redistribution, its author’s public code homes are years stale, and its old domain lapsed and now serves a fake installer. There is no source we could install and vouch for — so the folder is yours, and what goes in it is your call. Bring the build you trust; we will run it.
Mod not loading? Three checks
Right folder, right depth?
7dtd/Mods/YourMod/ModInfo.xml — the ModInfo.xml sits directly inside the mod folder, not one level deeper. A double-nested folder is the most common miss.
Try EAC off
Anti-cheat conflicts with some mods and the failure is silent. Turn EAC off on the Settings tab, restart, and see if that was it — the EAC section above has the details.
Read the boot log
Console tab, look for [MODS] Loaded Mod: <yours>. Present = the server side is done. Absent = folder or EAC. The log is the truth.