Arkona

Steam Workshop

I'll show you how to find a Workshop mod, download it and put its files in the right place.

How does it work?

You can sometimes download a Workshop file outside the Steam client, which is useful when your copy of a game cannot subscribe to it directly. Access depends on the game, the item and the download service.

For SteamCMD, expect to need a Steam account that owns the game in most cases. Anonymous access is an exception, not a general way to download every game's mods. A downloader does not remove these access requirements.

Download websites

  1. Open the individual mod's Steam Workshop page and copy its complete URL.
  2. Paste the URL into the downloader, or search for the game's mod on Skymods. Check the mod version and any required dependencies before downloading.
  3. Extract the files into the mod folder specified by that game's documentation, then enable the mod in the game. Each game has its own folder layout.

SteamCMD · Step by step

  1. Download SteamCMD from Valve's documentation. On Windows, extract it into its own folder and start steamcmd.exe; let it update.
  2. Enter login followed by your Steam login name, not your public nickname. Enter the password and Steam Guard code only when SteamCMD asks. Use login anonymous only for games that allow it.
  3. Enter workshop_download_item followed by the game's App ID and the mod's File ID. Use the individual item's ID, not a collection ID. The example below is Shogunate for Crusader Kings III.
  4. Wait for the success message. Find the files in steamapps/workshop/content/<appid>/<fileid> under SteamCMD, then install them in the game's mod folder. Type quit to exit.
login your_steam_login
workshop_download_item 1158310 2253278582
quit

WorkshopDL

  1. Open the WorkshopDL project topic and get the package for your system. Extract it and start the application.
  2. Paste the Workshop item's URL and select a download method supported by that game. If the selected method uses SteamCMD and requires ownership, sign in through SteamCMD with an account that owns the game.
  3. Start the download, open its output folder and install the mod as described by the game. If a service is unavailable, check the project's current notices before changing methods.

Download failed?

Failure can mean missing account access, a private or deleted item, a wrong ID or a temporary service problem. Check the IDs and the item's visibility, then whether the account owns the game. Logging in cannot make a deleted or private item publicly downloadable.