No automated mod manager — but SourceMod fills the gap
TF2 doesn't have a Mods tab or in-app installer on Spawnly. But TF2 runs on the Source engine, and Source servers have a well-established third-party modding framework outside of any hosting platform: Metamod:Source and SourceMod. Together they're the standard way admins add plugins, anti-cheat, and custom commands to a Source dedicated server, and installing them on Spawnly is a manual but genuinely straightforward File Manager job.
Installing Metamod:Source and SourceMod
- Download the latest Linux build of Metamod:Source from its official site.
- Download the latest Linux build of SourceMod from its official site.
- Open the File Manager (Files tab) and navigate into your server's
tffolder. - Upload the contents of both downloaded archives into
tf, preserving their folder structure — this matters, because both archives share anaddonsfolder, and their contents need to merge into it rather than overwrite it. When you're done,tf/addons/metamodandtf/addons/sourcemodshould both exist. - Restart your server.
No Spawnly-specific configuration is required beyond that — the TF2 engine binary automatically detects and loads Metamod at boot, and Metamod loads SourceMod in turn. Any SourceMod plugins you add later go into tf/addons/sourcemod/plugins the same way.
Upload the two archives' contents separately and check that you're merging into the same addons folder rather than replacing it — overwriting tf/addons instead of merging into it will leave Metamod or SourceMod incomplete.
Good to know: server.cfg
TF2 ships with an auto-generated tf/cfg/server.cfg containing your server's RCON password and other startup settings. It's worth knowing about even outside of modding — you'll likely end up editing it through the File Manager at some point regardless.
Next steps
For branch info and initial setup, see Getting Started with Your Team Fortress 2 Server. Back up before making changes — Managing Backups & Restoring Your Server.