The Arma Reforger Mod Manager on LoafHosts is more than a mod installer — once you have a modlist, it gives you four power tools to keep that list under control: saved presets you can swap in one click, panel-side folders for organizing a big modlist, drag-to-set load order, and per-mod version locks. Every one of these writes (or deliberately does not write) the right thing into your server’s config.json so you never have to hand-edit the mods array. This guide explains exactly what presets, folders, load order, and version locks do, how they differ, and where each one lives in the panel.
Where the Mod Manager Lives
The Mod Manager runs inside the panel and edits the game.mods array in your server’s config.json for you. Every Arma Reforger server gets a Mods entry in its sidebar; servers on other games never see it. Inside, the Installed tab lists the mods currently on your server, Browse Workshop searches the official Reforger Workshop, and Collections holds your saved presets.
Each mod is stored as an entry in config.json with a 16-character mod ID, an optional name, and an optional version. Changes are written immediately, but Reforger only reads the modlist at boot, so a change applies the next time the server restarts.
Note: The Mods entry only appears on Arma Reforger servers; the backend also blocks the endpoints for any other game, so the feature is fully scoped
Note: Not everything the Mod Manager does touches config.json. Installing, removing, reordering, version-pinning, importing, and loading a preset all rewrite the game.mods array — but saved presets (Collections) and folders both live in the panel’s own database, and the Storage cleanup tool deletes files on disk. None of those three write game.mods
Tip: You can give a teammate read-only or install/remove access to mods through subuser permissions without handing over the whole server
Load Order: The Order Mods Load In
Load order is simply the order your mods appear in the game.mods array, and the Mod Manager lets you set it by dragging an installed mod up or down the list. When you drop a mod in a new position, the panel rewrites the whole array in that order and saves it. Load order matters when two mods touch the same content, because the mod that loads later can override the one before it.
The reorder is safe against stale tabs: if your view is missing a mod that was added elsewhere, the panel keeps that mod at the end of the list rather than dropping it, so a partial reorder can never lose a mod.
Sorting the installed list A-Z is a separate, display-only convenience — it tidies what you see on screen but does not change the saved load order. Only a drag-to-reorder actually rewrites config.json.
Tip: Place framework or base mods before the mods that build on top of them
Tip: If two mods fight over the same content, change which one loads last to decide the winner
Note: A-Z sort only rearranges the on-screen list; it does not persist a new load order. Drag a mod to a new position to actually change the order Reforger loads mods in
Organizing Mods into Folders
Folders are a way to group a large installed modlist into named sections — for example Maps, Weapons, and Gameplay — so a 40-mod server is readable at a glance. The key thing to understand is that folders are panel-side organization only. They are never written into config.json, never affect load order, and never change what Reforger downloads. They exist purely to make the Installed tab easier to scan.
You create a folder by giving it a name, then move a mod into it. Membership is exclusive: a mod lives in at most one folder, so moving it into a new folder removes it from any other. You can rename folders, reorder them, and ungroup a mod by moving it out. Deleting a folder does not remove any mods from your server — the mods inside it simply become ungrouped again.
Note: Folders are cosmetic. Putting a mod in a folder does not enable, disable, reorder, or download anything — only the Installed-list grouping changes
Note: Each server can have up to 40 folders, and a folder name can be up to 64 characters
Tip: Use folders to keep a big modlist navigable, and use load order (drag) for anything that actually affects how mods behave
Version Locks: Pin a Mod or Stay on Latest
Each installed mod has an optional version field. Leave it empty and the server always pulls the latest Workshop build of that mod on restart — that is auto-update. Fill it in and the mod is pinned to that exact version and will not move until you change it. Pinning is how you keep a known-good modlist stable through a Workshop update that might otherwise break it.
The Mod Manager gives you bulk Lock Version and Unlock Version actions so you don’t have to edit mods one at a time. Locking pins each selected mod to its current Workshop version, freezing your whole modlist at its present state. Unlocking clears the version on each selected mod, putting them back on latest. You can also set or clear the version on a single mod.
Tip: Lock your versions before a big event so a surprise mod update can’t change the experience mid-session
Tip: Leave versions empty (unlocked) for everyday play so you automatically pick up the latest Workshop build of each mod
Warning: A pinned version can fall behind newer Workshop builds over time; if a locked modlist starts failing after a Workshop update, unlock and re-lock to refresh the pins to the current versions
Presets (Collections): Save and Swap Whole Modlists
A preset — called a Collection in the panel — is a saved, named copy of a modlist. Presets let you keep separate setups, such as one for a Conflict night and one for a Game Master night, and switch the entire server theme in a single action. You save your current modlist as a Collection from the Collections tab, give it a name, and optionally a description.
Loading a Collection replaces your server’s current modlist with the Collection’s mods in one write, so it is a full swap rather than a merge — the server ends up with exactly the mods in that preset. Collections are saved per user; by default each user can keep up to five, though your host can raise that limit.
To share a preset, publish it. A published Collection appears in the Modset Gallery, where anyone with mod access to an Arma Reforger server — not just admins — can see it with author attribution and a thumbnail preview and apply the whole modlist to their own server in one click. You can edit a published Collection’s description and toggle it private again at any time, but the name and the mod list themselves are fixed at save time — to change those, delete the Collection and save a new one. Only the owner can edit, publish, or delete a Collection.
Tip: Keep one Collection per recurring event so you can switch the whole server theme instantly
Tip: Publishing a Collection is the cleanest way to keep a second server identical to the first — apply the same preset on both
Warning: Loading a Collection replaces the current modlist entirely, so save your existing setup as its own Collection first if you might want it back
Importing and Copying Mod Lists
When you are setting up a new server you usually already have a modlist somewhere, and the Mod Manager has two ways to bring it in without rebuilding by hand.
The Mod Importer accepts a pasted config.json, a mods block, or a plain list of mod entries, and it can also pull a modlist straight from a public BattleMetrics Reforger server link. It first shows you a preview of the valid mods it found, then lets you apply them — either merging them into your current list or replacing it. Only the mods are ever taken from the source; no other server setting comes along.
If both servers are yours, the copy-from option lifts the mods from one of your other Arma Reforger servers onto this one, again as a merge or a replace. Either way, only canonical 16-character mod IDs are accepted, so junk in a pasted source is simply skipped.
Tip: Use merge to add a friend’s modlist on top of yours, and replace to adopt their list wholesale
Note: Importing reads only the mods; passwords, ports, and other config.json settings on the source are never copied
Cleaning Up Unused Mod Files
Over time, removing mods from config.json can leave their downloaded files behind on disk. The Storage view shows what your mods are using, split into active mods (in your config or pulled in as a dependency) and inactive ones (downloaded but no longer referenced). The Clean unused mods action deletes only the inactive folders.
Cleanup is deliberately cautious: it walks your dependency tree so a mod that is only present because another mod needs it is treated as active and is never offered for deletion, and it refuses to touch non-mod folders like saves, logs, and backups even if asked.
Warning: Clean unused mods deletes files from the game server. It will not remove anything still referenced by your modlist or its dependencies, but always confirm the list before you run it
Applying Your Changes
Adding, removing, reordering, pinning, or loading a preset all save to config.json right away, but Reforger only reads the modlist at boot, so a change picks up when the server restarts — there is no live hot-reload.
- Make your changes in the Mod Manager — reorder, lock versions, load a preset, or organize folders
- Press Restart in the Console
- Watch the console as the server restarts with the new modlist
- Rejoin to confirm the modlist applied
Warning: Restarting to apply a modlist change disconnects connected players, so announce restarts ahead of time
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between a folder and load order?
A folder is a panel-only label that groups mods in the Installed view; it never changes config.json or how mods load. Load order is the actual order of mods in config.json, which you set by dragging mods up or down, and it decides which mod wins when two touch the same content.
Do folders change anything on the server?
No. Folders are purely for organizing the installed list inside the panel. Putting a mod in a folder, renaming a folder, or deleting a folder never enables, disables, reorders, or downloads anything. Deleting a folder leaves its mods on the server, just ungrouped.
How do I stop a mod from auto-updating?
Pin its version. Leaving a mod’s version field empty means the server always loads the latest Workshop build, while setting a version pins it. The bulk Lock Version action pins every selected mod to its current Workshop version at once; Unlock Version clears them back to latest.
What happens when I load a preset?
Loading a Collection replaces your server’s current modlist with exactly the mods saved in that preset, in one write. It is a full swap, not a merge, so save your current setup as its own Collection first if you want to be able to return to it.
How many presets can I save?
By default each user can keep up to five Collections, and that limit can be raised by your host. Published Collections still count toward your own limit, but they become visible to anyone with mod access to an Arma Reforger server in the Modset Gallery.
Can I change the mods in a saved preset?
A Collection’s name and mod list are fixed when you save it; you can edit its description and toggle whether it is published, but to change which mods it contains you delete it and save a new one. Only the owner of a Collection can edit, publish, or delete it.
Can I copy a modlist from another server?
Yes. The Mod Importer can paste a config.json, a mod list, or pull mods from a public BattleMetrics Reforger link, and the copy-from option lifts mods from another of your own Arma Reforger servers. Both support merging into your current list or replacing it, and both take only the mods, never other settings.
Will cleaning unused mods delete something another mod depends on?
No. The Storage cleanup tool walks each mod’s dependency tree, using the panel’s cached Workshop metadata, so a mod that is present only because another mod needs it is treated as active and is never offered for deletion. Cleanup also refuses to touch non-mod folders like saves, logs, and backups.