Installation Guide

Click the "Timed URL" button to generate a temporary Foundry download link. You can use this link in two different ways:

Web browser

To use the download link is to simply paste it into the address bar of your web browser. If the link is still valid, your download will begin automatically.

Command line

Alternatively, this link can be used to download Foundry VTT using a command line utility such as wget. When using the link in the command, it is important to wrap the link in double-quotes. For example:

wget -O foundryvtt.zip "PASTED-URL-FROM-FOUNDRY-WEBSITE-HERE"

Please be aware that the download links provided via the purchased licenses page expire every 5 minutes.

If you are using the Windows version of Foundry VTT there is an installation process necessary once you have downloaded the installer. To install the software, run the setup executable file that you downloaded.

During the installation process you will be asked for an installation location. Despite being the default path for installation, it is recommended to install Foundry VTT in a location not contained within the Program Files directory, as this can result in some permission issues when updating the software.

Once installation is complete, you can launch Foundry VTT using either the shortcut in the start menu, on your desktop, or by running the FoundryVTT.exe file located within your installation location.

Microsoft Defender SmartScreen

In rare cases you may see a warning message from Microsoft Defender SmartScreen. To allow Foundry Virtual Tabletop to pass the Defender SmartScreen, click More Info and then click Run Anyway Alternatively, if you have stronger security settings applied, you may need to right-click the file, click Properties, and mark the checkbox Unblock in the Security section.

If you are using the macOS version of Foundry VTT, there are some steps which are required to allow you to run the app.

Because the macOS copy of Foundry VTT is not code-signed through Apple's developer process, you may see a notification when you try to run the app that advises you that the application cannot be opened.

To install Foundry VTT and allow the app to launch, please follow Apple's instructions here. Make sure that you select your macOS version from the dropdown.

Note: More information on this security process from Apple can be found here.

For Linux users, Foundry Virtual Tabletop is currently distributed as a simple .zip archive. All you need to do is extract the zip file in a location of your choosing. Feel free to choose whatever installation location is best for you, a simple option would be to use a folder named foundryvtt in your user home directory.

unzip foundryvtt.zip -d $HOME/foundryvtt

Once you have extracted the archive, locate the foundryvtt file in the directory and set the permission on it to allow execution as a program. This will allow you to execute it from the terminal with ./foundryvtt. Alternatively, on some Linux distributions (Deb/Ubuntu) you can rename the foundryvtt file to add a .sh extension. This will allow you to quickly launch it by double-clicking. At this time there is no Linux .desktop packaged with Foundry VTT.

Note that a relatively modern version of Node.js is required in order to support various security features which are required by the application. Please use Node.js version 18.x+ (20.x is recommended, 21.x incompatible).

For Red Hat / Amazon Linux package manager

sudo yum install -y openssl-devel
curl --silent --location https://rpm.nodesource.com/setup_20.x | sudo bash -
sudo yum install -y nodejs

Debian / Ubuntu package manager

sudo apt install -y libssl-dev
curl -sL https://deb.nodesource.com/setup_20.x | sudo bash -
sudo apt install -y nodejs

# Create application and user data directories
cd $HOME
mkdir foundryvtt
mkdir foundrydata

# Install the software
cd foundryvtt
wget -O foundryvtt.zip "<foundry-website-download-url>"
unzip foundryvtt.zip

# Start running the server
node resources/app/main.js --dataPath=$HOME/foundrydata

Foundry VTT is also supported as a native application on macOS using Electron, however if you wish to host the software using Node.js directly, this is also an option in the macOS environment. Simply visit https://nodejs.org/en/download/ and download the macOS installer. Node is installed on your system, you can run the server using the instructions in the below section via your Mac terminal.

# create a user data directory
cd $HOME
mkdir foundrydata

# access the application directory
cd ~/Library/Application Support/FoundryVTT
# Start running the server
node resources/app/main.js --dataPath=$HOME/foundrydata

You can also run a dedicated server on Windows. You will first need to download and install Node.js from https://nodejs.org/en/download/. Once Node.js is installed, you can launch the server process from whichever location you installed the Foundry Virtual Tabletop software using your preferred windows command-line client like the Command Prompt or Windows Terminal.

# Make a folder in a location of your choosing to store your Foundry VTT data
cd %userprofile%
mkdir foundrydata

# Launch the Node.js server from the location where you installed the Foundry VTT software
cd C:\Program Files\FoundryVTT\
node resources/app/main.js --dataPath=%userprofile%/foundrydata