Valheim Updated April 22, 2026

Using Thunderstore Mod Manager for Valheim

Install and use Thunderstore Mod Manager to set up Valheim mods on your PC. Covers creating profiles, finding and installing mods, sharing modpacks with friends via export code, and uploading server-side plugins from your profile.

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What Is Thunderstore Mod Manager?

Thunderstore Mod Manager is the official GUI tool for installing and managing Valheim mods on your PC. It keeps your mod list clean, handles BepInEx automatically, and makes sharing your exact mod configuration with friends dead simple.

If your Valheim server uses mods, your players will need Thunderstore Mod Manager to get the matching client-side mods installed.

Step 1: Install Thunderstore Mod Manager

  1. Go to r2modman.overwolf.com or search Thunderstore Mod Manager on Overwolf
  2. Download and install it
  3. Launch the app

Step 2: Select Valheim as Your Game

On first launch, Thunderstore asks which game you're modding:

  1. Search for Valheim in the game list
  2. Click Select Game
  3. It will ask you to locate your Valheim install — most of the time it finds it automatically via Steam

Step 3: Create a Profile

Profiles let you keep different mod setups separate (e.g. one for your server, one for solo play).

  1. On the profile screen, click Create new
  2. Name it something descriptive (e.g. DustBowl Vikings Server)
  3. Click Create

Step 4: Install Mods

  1. In your profile, click Get Mods (or Online in the left sidebar)
  2. Browse or search for mods — sort by Download count to find the most popular
  3. Click a mod, then click Download (or Download with dependencies to grab requirements too)
  4. Thunderstore installs the mod and all its dependencies automatically

Essential mods for most servers:

  • BepInExPack Valheim — Required framework (usually installed automatically as a dependency)
  • Valheim Plus — If your server uses it
  • Server devcommands — If your server enables admin commands

Step 5: Play with Mods

Instead of launching Valheim from Steam normally:

  1. In Thunderstore, make sure the right profile is selected
  2. Click Start Modded (top-right corner)

Valheim launches with your mods loaded. You can now connect to your modded server.

Don't use "Start Vanilla" — that skips all your mods and BepInEx. Your modded server will reject the connection.

Sharing Your Mod Profile with Friends (Export Code)

This is the killer feature — instead of manually sending your friends a list of mods and versions, you export your exact profile as a code they can import in one click.

Export

  1. In your profile, click Settings (gear icon, left sidebar)
  2. Scroll to Profile section
  3. Click Export profile as code
  4. A code is generated — copy it and share it with your friends via Discord or chat

Import (Your Friends' Side)

  1. Open Thunderstore Mod Manager and go to the game/profile select screen
  2. Click Import/Update
  3. Paste the code
  4. Thunderstore downloads and installs every mod at the exact same versions

Everyone is now on an identical mod setup. No version mismatch, no missing dependencies.

Uploading Your Mods to the Server

If you set up the perfect modpack in Thunderstore and want the server to match:

  1. In Thunderstore, go to Settings → Browse profile folder
  2. Navigate into the BepInEx → plugins folder
  3. You'll see all your installed mod .dll files
  4. In your panel's File Manager, upload these .dll files to /BepInEx/plugins/ on the server
  5. Restart the server

The panel only needs the server-side mods. Purely visual or UI mods (client-only) don't need to go on the server.

Updating Mods

When mods release updates, Thunderstore will show a notification:

  1. Click Update all to bring everything to the latest version
  2. Re-export your profile code and share the updated code with your friends
  3. Upload the updated .dll files to the server and restart

Common Issues

"Outdated mods" warning on connect → You and the server are on different mod versions. Re-export the server profile and have everyone import the new code, then update server files to match.

Mod not loading on start → Check that you're clicking Start Modded, not Start Vanilla.

Game crashes on startup with mods → Disable all mods in Thunderstore (toggle them off with the checkbox) and re-enable one at a time to find the conflict.

"Profile folder" button not visible → Update Thunderstore Mod Manager — older versions had this in a different location.

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