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Dildz edited this page Jul 10, 2026 · 27 revisions

Configuration

ModSync has two configuration surfaces:

  1. Server config.jsonc — what the server walks, what to never sync, what reaches a Fika headless install, and which Unity Managed DLLs to push.
  2. Each install's <game>/ModSync_Data/Exclusions.jsonc — personal per-install opt-outs (player or headless).

Both files are created on first run with sensible defaults and a comment header you can hand-edit without consulting docs.

Server

The serverside is really the heart of ModSync configuration, here you can pretty extensively customize your server's syncing behavior. The main place you'll look to configure the server is in SPT/user/mods/Corter-ModSync/config.jsonc.

Note

SPT 4 path layout. The SPT 4 server runs from <gameRoot>/SPT/, not the game root directly. This means paths to client-side files (BepInEx, Managed, etc.) must use ../ to step up to the game root. user/mods/ and ModSync.Updater.exe are exceptions — they live under SPT/ and need no prefix. SPT 3 used plain BepInEx/... because the server ran at the game root.

syncPaths

The syncPaths section is where you'll configure what files to sync and how they should be synced. Below, you'll find the default syncPath value and a breakdown of what each option does.

{
	"syncPaths": [
		"../BepInEx/plugins",
		"../BepInEx/patchers",
		"../BepInEx/config"
	],
    // ...
}

Note

Why no user/mods/? Server-side mods stay on the server. Their client-facing components ship as separate BepInEx plugins, which DO sync via the three folders above.

Note

There are two hardcoded syncPaths built into the server mod. They are defined as follows 
{
	"enabled": true,
	"enforced": true,
	"silent": true,
	"restartRequired": false,
	"path": "../ModSync.Updater.exe",
	"name": "(Builtin) ModSync Updater"
},
{
	"enabled": true,
	"enforced": true,
	"silent": true,
	"restartRequired": true,
	"path": "../BepInEx/plugins/Corter-ModSync",
	"name": "(Builtin) ModSync Plugin"
}

Options

If all you want is to add a new path and keep the default sync behavior, you can simply specify the path as a string.

// Adding a new sync path
{
    "syncPaths": [
        // ...
        "../BepInEx/plugins"
    ]
}

For more control over how files are synced, you can specify an object for the path. Any of the following options can be specified to customize behavior, or they can be omitted to inherit the default value.

  • path (string, required) - What path will be synced by this entry
    • Path must be relative to the SPT server root (<gameRoot>/SPT/). BepInEx paths therefore start with ../BepInEx/.
    • These paths can be to folders, recursively including all children, or individual files.
    • Exclusions can be overridden by more specific syncPaths (ie. An exclusion of ../BepInEx/plugins/Hollywood* can be overridden by adding ../BepInEx/plugins/HollywoodGraphics explicitly as a syncPath)
    • Globs are not permitted
  • name (string, optional) Default: value of path - Name shown to clients in F12 sync menu
    • Allows admins to specify a more user-friendly name for syncPaths such as the name of the mod or things like "client-side mods", "server mods (self-hosting only)".
  • enabled (boolean, optional) Default: true - Will clients sync this path by default
    • Clients are able to toggle all non-enforced syncPaths individually on their end, this option sets the default state for a given entry
    • "enabled": true makes a syncPath opt-out, while a value of false makes it opt-in.
    • A value of false does not prevent syncing, it just requires users to check a box before syncing will occur
  • enforced (boolean, optional) Default: false - Will clients be forced to match the server exactly
    • This changes sync behavior so that clients must strictly match the files present on the server
    • Files that are modified or deleted by the client will be redownloaded and files added by clients will be removed
    • Enforced syncPaths will override any client side exclusions users have set

      Enforced paths can cause issues when files are generated client-side or excluded server-side. Ensure that all files a client needs for mods in enforced paths are either present on the server or added to the exclusions list!

    • Never enforce a folder that holds a file you exclude from players (e.g. ../BepInEx/plugins/Fika, which contains Fika.Headless.dll) — see the warning below.
  • restartRequired (boolean, optional) Default: true - Will clients have to restart their game after updating these files
    • Some files, like server mods, do not require a restart when syncing to the client
    • If a user is attempting to sync an update with any files marked "restartRequired": true will be required to restart

      Files synced with "restartRequired": true are downloaded directly into the client's SPT folder, so make sure they won't be in use when the update is applied, otherwise it will fail.

  • silent (boolean, optional) Default: false - Will clients receive a prompt when this path is updated
    • When this option is true and updates are available they will be automatically applied in the background as the game loads
    • If a user is attempting to sync an update with any files marked "silent": false a prompt will be shown with all changes visible
    • This option plays well with "restartRequired": false and updates will be applied in the background while the game loads as usual

Warning

Never enforce the ../BepInEx/plugins/Fika folder (or any folder that contains a file you exclude from players). enforced makes a client an exact mirror of the server and deletes anything the client has that the server's list doesn't. On a headless client, enforcing a folder re-applies the server exclusions to it — which hides Fika.Headless.dll from the list — so ModSync then deletes the headless's own Fika.Headless.dll on every sync, breaking the headless. Leave Fika on a non-enforced entry (e.g. the ../BepInEx/plugins catch-all): there the headlessIncludes allowlist delivers Fika.Headless.dll to headless while exclusions keeps it from players, and it is never deleted. Enforce individual mods that every client must match — not a whole folder holding a headless-only or player-excluded file.

Tip

Sync Paths are processed from most specific to most general, so its possible to override settings for some files in a directory. For instance, to enforce only a subset of ../BepInEx/config.

Recommended pattern: keep the broad folders (../BepInEx/plugins, ../BepInEx/patchers, ../BepInEx/config) as plain non-enforced catch-alls that set the default rules, then add specific entries only for the mods you want to lock down. Every file belongs to exactly one syncPath — the most-specific match — so anything you don't name explicitly falls back to the catch-all. Removing the catch-alls means every mod must be listed individually and there is no safe default (this is the usual cause of a headless deleting Fika.Headless.dll — see the warning under enforced above).

Example 1: standard setup (no enforced rules)

The common case, and all most servers need — nothing is forced. The three catch-alls sync everything in those folders by default. Individual mods don't need their own entries: SAIN (and its BigBrain + Waypoints dependencies), Raid Review, Dynamic Maps and everything else in ../BepInEx/plugins all sync automatically via the catch-all. Clients can toggle any of these off themselves, since nothing here is enforced.

{
	"syncPaths": [
		"../BepInEx/plugins",
		"../BepInEx/patchers",
		"../BepInEx/config"
	],
	// ...
}

Example 2: catch-alls + enforced and optional overrides

The same catch-alls, plus per-mod overrides on top — the setup for a server that wants certain mods locked to the server (enforced) and others available but off by default (enabled: false). Each object overrides just its own path; everything else still rides the catch-alls. Note there is no Fika entry — Fika deliberately stays on the non-enforced catch-all so its headless DLL is never deleted (see the enforced warning). A plugin that ships a config file is paired with it ((1/2), (2/2)) so both stay in lockstep.

{
	"syncPaths": [
		// Catch-all defaults (non-enforced) — anything not named below rides these:
		"../BepInEx/plugins",
		"../BepInEx/patchers",
		"../BepInEx/config",

		// Enforced overrides — every client must match the server exactly.
		// SAIN needs BigBrain + Waypoints, so enforce them alongside it:
		{
			"enforced": true,
			"name": "(Enforced) BigBrain",
			"path": "../BepInEx/plugins/DrakiaXYZ-BigBrain.dll"
		},
		{
			"enforced": true,
			"name": "(Enforced) Waypoints (1/2)",
			"path": "../BepInEx/plugins/DrakiaXYZ-Waypoints"
		},
		{
			"enforced": true,
			"name": "(Enforced) Waypoints Config (2/2)",
			"path": "../BepInEx/config/xyz.drakia.waypoints.cfg"
		},
		{
			"enforced": true,
			"name": "(Enforced) SAIN (1/2)",
			"path": "../BepInEx/plugins/SAIN"
		},
		{
			"enforced": true,
			"name": "(Enforced) SAIN Config (2/2)",
			"path": "../BepInEx/config/me.sol.sain.cfg"
		},

		// Optional override — opt-in (off unless the client ticks the box):
		{
			"enabled": false,
			"name": "(Optional) Raid Review",
			"path": "../BepInEx/plugins/RAID_REVIEW.dll"
		}
	],
	// ...
}

Note

Enforced mods reach a headless client even if they aren't in headlessIncludes. Enforced paths bypass the headless allowlist, which only gates non-enforced plugins.

exclusions

The antithesis to the syncPaths setting is exclusions. This section of the config lets you specify files not to sync. Exclusions can be specified as a list of paths or patterns not to include. You can find the default configuration for this setting below.

{
    // ...
    "exclusions": [
        // SPT Installer files — not mods, they come with the SPT install
        "../BepInEx/plugins/spt",
        "../BepInEx/patchers/spt-prepatch.dll",

        // Fika headless DLL — must never reach regular players
        "../BepInEx/plugins/Fika/Fika.Headless.dll",

        // Universal per-file opt-out — drop a .nosync or .nosync.txt file
        // next to any mod folder/file to skip it
        "**/*.nosync",
        "**/*.nosync.txt",

        // Git repo metadata
        "**/.git"
    ]
}

Tip

The .nosync sentinel: drop an empty .nosync or .nosync.txt file inside any mod folder to exclude that mod from sync without editing config.jsonc. Handy for mods that write per-machine state into their own folder — add it to the mod folder on the server and every client will skip that folder automatically.

Tip

If you ever run into a file that changes every time you try to sync, such as a log file or a configuration, it can be easily added here to prevent clients being bombarded by update prompts.

Tip

Excluding from players but still delivering to headless: add the path to exclusions AND to headlessIncludes. Entries in headlessIncludes override exclusions, so headless clients still receive the file while regular players never do. This is the correct pattern for mods like RAID_REVIEW that should only run on headless:

"exclusions": [
    "../BepInEx/plugins/RAID_REVIEW.dll"  // blocked for regular players
],
"headlessIncludes": [
    "../BepInEx/plugins/RAID_REVIEW.dll"  // override: headless still receives it
]

Tip

Sync Paths can override exclusions if they are more specific. For instance, if you wanted to exclude all files in the ../BepInEx/plugins/SAIN directory except the plugin itself (don't do this). You could add an exclusion of ../BepInEx/plugins/SAIN and a sync path of ../BepInEx/plugins/SAIN/SAIN.dll

headlessIncludes

When a Fika headless client connects, ModSync serves it only the plugins explicitly listed in headlessIncludes (scoped to ../BepInEx/plugins only). Patchers and config files pass through to headless unfiltered — only plugins are gated.

An empty list means the headless client receives zero plugins. You must populate this if you run a headless instance.

{
    // ...
    "headlessIncludes": [
        // Fika (Core + Headless.dll both live in this folder) and ModSync itself
        "../BepInEx/plugins/Fika",
        "../BepInEx/plugins/Corter-ModSync",

        // Bot AI — add whatever your headless needs:
        // "../BepInEx/plugins/SAIN",
        // "../BepInEx/plugins/DrakiaXYZ-BigBrain.dll",
        // "../BepInEx/plugins/DrakiaXYZ-Waypoints"
    ]
}

Entries can target a folder or an exact file:

  • ../BepInEx/plugins/SAIN — matches the folder and everything inside it. Directory boundary is respected: SAIN does NOT match SAINFoo.
  • ../BepInEx/plugins/DrakiaXYZ-BigBrain.dll — matches just that one DLL. Sibling files in the same folder are not pulled in.

Note

Entries in headlessIncludes override exclusions — if a file appears in both lists it will be sent to headless. This is intentional: it lets you keep Fika.Headless.dll in exclusions (so regular players never receive it) while still delivering it to headless clients via headlessIncludes.

Warning

Do not use globs (e.g. *.dll) here. The allowlist exists to be deliberate about what reaches headless — a broad glob defeats the purpose and can accidentally re-include files you meant to exclude. An allowlist is also much shorter than its denylist equivalent (~20 entries vs. hundreds of cosmetic mods), and you only have to update it when headless's mod set changes, not when the player ecosystem moves.

Tip

Watch the commas when you uncomment an example entry. The last active entry has no trailing comma, so add one to it before uncommenting the line below — otherwise you get two values with no separator and malformed JSON:

"headlessIncludes": [
    "../BepInEx/plugins/Fika",
    "../BepInEx/plugins/Corter-ModSync"   // ← add a comma here before uncommenting below

    // "../BepInEx/plugins/SAIN"
]

managedIncludes

Some mods ship Unity assemblies that must be installed into EscapeFromTarkov_Data/Managed/ on every player client. List the filenames (not full paths) of those DLLs here.

{
    // ...
    "managedIncludes": [
        // Example — DynamicMaps ships these Unity assemblies. Replace with your own:
        // "Unity.VectorGraphics.dll",
        // "Unity.InternalAPIEngineBridge.003.dll"
    ]
}

The server reads from ../EscapeFromTarkov_Data/Managed/ but only serves files you list here. This is intentionally restrictive:

  • Docker/Linux server: that folder is a staging area containing only the mod DLLs you placed there — nothing vanilla.
  • Windows host-is-also-a-player: that folder contains the full EFT install (169+ Unity DLLs). Without the allowlist, vanilla Unity DLLs would be synced to all clients.

Backup behaviour:

  • On install: if the file already exists on the client, the original is backed up as <filename>.modsync-bak before being replaced.
  • On removal (entry deleted from config, server restarted): if a .modsync-bak exists, the original is restored automatically. If no backup was made (the file was new — not present in vanilla), it is deleted.

headlessManagedIncludes

The headless equivalent of managedIncludes. Headless runs the game simulation without the rendering stack, so Managed assemblies are almost never needed there. Leave this empty unless a mod's install instructions specifically say it is required on headless.

{
    // ...
    "headlessManagedIncludes": []
}

Setting up a Fika headless install

  1. On the server, populate headlessIncludes in config.jsonc with the plugins your headless needs. Below is a full working example — adjust to your own mod set:

    "headlessIncludes": [
    // Fika (Core + Headless.dll both live in this folder) and ModSync
    "../BepInEx/plugins/Fika",
    "../BepInEx/plugins/Corter-ModSync",

    // Bot AI + behavior
    "../BepInEx/plugins/SAIN",
    "../BepInEx/plugins/DrakiaXYZ-BigBrain.dll",
    "../BepInEx/plugins/DrakiaXYZ-Waypoints",

    // Bot gameplay tweaks
    "../BepInEx/plugins/DontShootTheBus.dll",
    "../BepInEx/plugins/NerfBotGrenades.dll",
    "../BepInEx/plugins/Shibdib.SniperBros.dll",

    // Misc gameplay + raid content
    "../BepInEx/plugins/acidphantasm-temporaryfixes",
    "../BepInEx/plugins/BlackDiv",
    "../BepInEx/plugins/MergeConsumables",
    "../BepInEx/plugins/RUAFComeHome",
    "../BepInEx/plugins/tacticaltoaster-untargohome",
    "../BepInEx/plugins/Terkoiz.FlareEventNotifier.dll",
    "../BepInEx/plugins/UseItemsFromAnywhere.dll",

    // Bundle / CRC loader helpers (raid load path)
    "../BepInEx/plugins/s8_SPT_LoadBundleEvenFaster",
    "../BepInEx/plugins/s8_SPT_PatchCRC32",

    // Networking / interop libs
    "../BepInEx/plugins/Tyfon.UIFixes.dll",
    "../BepInEx/plugins/Tyfon.UIFixes.Net.dll",

    // Worn cosmetics visible to other players in raid
    "../BepInEx/plugins/7Bpencil.WeaponCamoAndStickers",
    "../BepInEx/plugins/acidphantasm-armbandsforall",

    // WTT content libs
    "../BepInEx/plugins/WTT-ArmoryClient",
    "../BepInEx/plugins/WTT-ClientCommonLib",
    "../BepInEx/plugins/WTT-ContentBackportClient",
    "../BepInEx/plugins/WTT-PackNStrap"
]

  2. On the headless install — nothing to configure. It detects Fika.Headless.dll at startup, sends ?headless=1 to the server, and gets only the allowlisted plugins back. Exclusions.jsonc stays at its empty default.

When in doubt about whether a particular mod is safe on headless, check the Fika wiki or ask in the Fika Discord.

Client

Clients are also given a few powerful tools for customizing how sync works for them. Plenty of clients will want to customize their config with tweaks to all sorts of client-side plugins.

Be sure to familiarize yourself with how syncing works if you run into any edge cases, but by and large the following tools are all you should need to make sure you can keep all your tricked out configs as a client.

BepInEx Configuration Manager

If you are playing SPT with any mods, you are likely already familiar with the BepInEx Configuration Manager. ModSync makes use of this excellent system to expose client-side configuration. Clients can access the menu with F12 by default and scroll to where they see ModSync in the list.

Options

  • Delete Removed Files (boolean) Default: true - Will files that get deleted on the server be automatically removed
    • Enforced sync paths will have their files removed regardless of what the client sets this to
    • To understand how removed files are determined, review how syncing works
  • Synced Paths (list) - What syncPaths from the server will the client sync
    • Clients can toggle on and off any non-enforced paths
    • This might be good if server admins want to allow clients to download optional mods only when they want them

Exclusions.jsonc

Lives at <game>/ModSync_Data/Exclusions.jsonc on each install. Created on first run with an empty array and a comment header explaining the format.

One-line mental model: "files I don't want ModSync to install or keep installed on this machine."

Behavior

For each path or glob you list:

How the file got onto this install What happens on next sync
ModSync installed it on a previous sync Deleted locally
You never had it Stays absent — not downloaded
You copied it in by hand (ModSync never installed it) Stays — ModSync only touches files it installed

This is an uninstall + don't-reinstall list, not a "freeze locally" list. Add something you currently have, and ModSync will remove it on the next sync (assuming ModSync had installed it in the first place).

Player vs headless usage

  • Player install: use this for personal opt-outs — visual mods you don't want, hotkey mods that conflict with yours, etc. Typically just a handful of entries per player.
  • Headless install: usually empty. The server's headlessIncludes allowlist already controls what reaches headless. Use this file only for per-headless overrides on top of the allowlist (rare).

Trimming ModSync's own components (optional)

ModSync ships three of its own files: the plugin, the desktop Updater (ModSync.Updater.exe), and the headless patcher (BepInEx/patchers/Corter-ModSync-Prepatch.dll). By default all three sync to every client — which is harmless, but the Updater is dead weight on headless and the patcher is dead weight on players. If you want leaner installs, you can trim the one each side never runs:

To remove… Add this to that install's Exclusions.jsonc
The Updater from a headless client ModSync.Updater.exe
The patcher from a player client BepInEx/patchers/Corter-ModSync-Prepatch.dll

ModSync only honours these on the side that doesn't need the file. Each component stays enforced on the side that does: a player can't exclude the Updater, and a headless can't exclude the patcher — the exclusion is silently ignored so you can't break your own apply mechanism. The plugin itself is always enforced everywhere. Leaving all three in place is completely fine; this is purely for a minimal install.

Edits aren't live

Exclusions.jsonc is read once at game startup. Mid-game edits do nothing until you restart EFT.

Format

[
    // Examples — uncomment / edit as needed:
    "BepInEx/plugins/NoInsurance.dll",
    "BepInEx/plugins/HollywoodGraphics/**",
    "BepInEx/config/com.author.somemod.cfg"
]

Entries can be:

  • An exact file path — BepInEx/plugins/SomeMod.dll
  • A folder path — BepInEx/plugins/DynamicMaps matches the folder and everything inside it
  • A glob — BepInEx/plugins/DynamicMaps/**, BepInEx/config/*.cfg

Paths are written game-root-relative with forward slashes.

Safety hatches

  • enforced syncpaths bypass local exclusions. If the admin marked a syncpath as enforced: true, the client can't opt out of files inside it. This keeps Corter-ModSync.dll itself uninstall-proof.
  • Manually-installed files are immune. ModSync only deletes files it recognises from a previous sync (tracked in ModSync_Data/PreviousSync.json). If you hand-dropped a file into BepInEx, ModSync won't touch it.
  • The "X files to remove" confirm appears before anything deletes. If a bad glob is about to delete 20 things, click Cancel and fix the glob.

Tip

If you were using the older Exclusions.json (from v0.12.0 or earlier), ModSync will automatically migrate it to Exclusions.jsonc on first run. You don't need to do anything manually.

Where does my mod go?

  1. Server-only mod (lives in user/mods/, no BepInEx component)? → Don't list anywhere. ModSync never syncs user/mods/.

  2. BepInEx mod every player needs? → It syncs automatically via syncPaths. No config needed.

  3. BepInEx mod the headless needs to run raids properly (bot AI, pathfinding, networking, server-driven gameplay)? → Add to headlessIncludes on the server.

  4. BepInEx mod that's purely client-facing (HUD, UI overlays, visual effects, item info, hotkeys)? → Don't list anywhere — players get it by default, headless skips it because it's not in headlessIncludes.

  5. Mod that ships Unity assemblies into EscapeFromTarkov_Data/Managed/? → Add the DLL filenames to managedIncludes. Place the DLL files in ../EscapeFromTarkov_Data/Managed/ on the server (a staging folder on Docker, or the existing EFT folder on Windows — the allowlist keeps vanilla files out either way).

  6. A particular player doesn't want a particular mod? → That player adds it to their own Exclusions.jsonc.

  7. Fika.Headless.dll → already in exclusions by default. Don't add anywhere else.

Reference: Fika

Fika is the multiplayer layer ModSync is designed to coexist with.

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