---
title: "How to Set Up a tModLoader Terraria Server"
description: "Set up a modded Terraria tModLoader server: configure startup, export and upload server-side mods (ZIP/SFTP), verify enabled.json, and connect via IP."
url: https://fps.ms/docs/terraria/setup-your-tmodloader-server
---
# Setup your tModLoader server

This guide explains how to setup a Modded Terraria server using tModLoader. Modded servers have more setup steps than vanilla servers, so read with attention

## Basic setup steps

1. Stop the server and remove the "saves" folder
2. In the FPS Dashboard, click on "Startup", modify as you wish and check [Terraria server configs guide](https://docs.fps.ms/terraria/initial-server-setup-and-configuration) if required. 
### Setup your server-side mods
1. In the tModLoader Terraria client, go to workshop > manage mods, and disable mods filtered as "client-side only" (so only mods required for the server AND client are enabled)
2. Export your enabled mods: go to workshop > manage modpacks, click on `save enabled as a new modpack`, and finally on the new created modpack, click on `Export Pack Instance"`, Terraria tModLoader will export that modpack. Your file manager should open automatically. Your server mods will be in `/SaveData/Mods` 
3. For uploading mods, zip the `Mods` folder. If the file is less than 80 Mb, simply drag and drop, then extract in the panel. If it is bigger refer to [SFTP setup guide](https://docs.fps.ms/getting-started/connecting-to-sftp) as it will be your only way to upload it.
4. To make sure you properly uploaded your mods: in the server, you must have the `mods` folder (all lowercase), inside you must see all mod files, including a file called `enabled.json` (generated by the modpack export tool)

After following all the steps, you can start the server. If you wish to tweak more specific options, or the world generation crashes, review the [Terraria world uploading](https://docs.fps.ms/terraria/uploading-worlds) guide

### Connect to your server
1. In Terraria, click on `Multiplayer`, then on "Join via IP"
2. Choose a character or create one
3. In the Console window of the FPS dashboard, look for your address. It has the following format: aFruitName.fps.ms:25555
4. For Server IP address, you would write "aFruitName.fps.ms", click on Accept. For port, write the right numbers in the address.

After connecting to a server, the address gets stored in Terraria, so you can rejoin without writing again the data. Now, your server is ready!

!!! info "This guide does not cover how to setup or share mods in the tModLoader client, but usually you share the exported Pack Instance file so your players can setup the mods"

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