No In-App Workshop Browser
Unlike ARK: Survival Evolved, which gets a full in-app Workshop browser on the Mods tab, ARK: Survival Ascended doesn't have automated Workshop support on this platform yet. There's no search-and-install flow — mods have to be added manually through a config file.
The spawnly-args.json Mechanism
Every time your server starts, Spawnly checks for a file named spawnly-args.json in your server's root folder. If it exists, whatever key/value pairs it contains get merged straight into the launch command — matching flags get updated, new ones get appended. Ascended's server binary supports a -mods launch flag that takes a comma-separated list of Steam Workshop mod IDs, so you can use spawnly-args.json to load Workshop mods even without an in-app browser.
Setting It Up
- Find the Steam Workshop IDs for the mods you want (the number in each mod's Workshop URL).
- Open the File Manager (Files tab) and create a new file in your server's root folder named exactly
spawnly-args.json. - Add your mod IDs as the value of a
-modskey, comma-separated:{ "-mods": "12345,67890" } - Save the file, then restart your server for the mods to load.
This is a manual, advanced mechanism — not the polished mod browser other games on this platform get. There's no validation of mod IDs before launch, so a typo or an incompatible mod can prevent the server from starting. Double-check IDs before restarting, and keep a backup on hand.
Updating or Removing Mods
To change your mod list, edit the same -mods value in spawnly-args.json and restart. To remove all mods, delete the -mods key (or the whole file) and restart again.
Next Steps
Take a backup before your first restart with mods enabled — see Managing Backups & Restoring Your Server. For general setup, see Getting Started with Your ARK: Survival Ascended Server.