Choose and install Satisfactory mods for a dedicated server

Satisfactory dedicated-server mods need builds intended for the server, not just a copy of a player's mod folder. Choose the packages against the actual game build and server operating system, then prove the combination in a disposable factory before changing your established save.

Check the dedicated-server target

The Satisfactory Modding project documents dedicated support through SML and Satisfactory Mod Manager. That does not mean every mod supports every target. Inspect the mod's current release page for the Windows or Linux server target matching your service, plus its dependency and game-version requirements.

A client compatibility badge or a successful single-player session is insufficient evidence. Record the exact game build, SML version, selected mod releases and server platform. If a required target is absent, choose another mod or wait for a compatible release instead of uploading client binaries experimentally.

Protect the existing factory

Arrange a clean stop and create a downloadable checkpoint of your saves and configuration.
Keep a record of the active mod profile and its versions, including dependencies selected automatically by the manager.
Prepare a separate test installation and new world. Do not use an established factory as the first compatibility test.
Read the author's notes about whether the mod changes saved buildings or items and whether clients must install it.

Connect the manager to the correct installation

Satisfactory Mod Manager supports remote installations through suitable file access. Use the credentials and allocated file-transfer port supplied for your own service; a generic example port is not your allocation. Confirm support with CloudExa if executable access or the required installation files are restricted.

In the manager's own interface, add the remote server and locate the installation containing FactoryServer.sh or FactoryServer.exe. This is a mod-manager operation, not a promised CloudExa panel control. Keep its server profile clearly named so that a client profile is not accidentally applied to the remote service.

Apply a small, supported package set

Stop the test instance before file changes. Select one compatible mod and its dependencies, review the proposed changes and apply them to the intended server installation. Check the mod author's client requirements independently rather than assuming that every client-only convenience mod belongs on the server.

The project's manual installation documentation recommends using the manager because manual installation is error-prone. Avoid old instructions that treat all packages as interchangeable folders or mix loader generations. A copied file existing on disk is not a compatibility test.

Confirm the result and preserve a route back

Read the next startup log from the beginning. Connect using a client with the required matching packages, test the specific feature, save the disposable factory, then stop and start cleanly. Verify that the factory and added content remain usable after reconnecting.

If the manager cannot recognise the installation, check its selected root and file permissions before changing mods. If startup reports a missing dependency, resolve that package requirement before investigating the network. Keep the previous package profile and pre-change save checkpoint; do not assume removing a content mod repairs a world already saved with it.