- For daily objectives such as killing infecteds, see daily challenge.
Side missions, also known as side quests, are optional quests which have their objectives marked "[Optional]" in-game.
Side missions must be completed in the map they were assigned. If you leave the map (or even log out) the mission's progress will be forgotten when you return, and must be started over from scratch. If a quest requires you to salvage a resource, you must do this after the quest starts; simply having them in your inventory before the quest won't count.
Available quests
Every day at 3 am UTC, side quests are reset, and random ones are chosen by the server to be available for the day. These ones that show up are the same for everyone on a specific server (although if too many people are on a specific map and it "splits", the new map will have different ones available). As the ones that appear are completely random each day, it's possible for a specific quest to appear / not appear for multiple days in a row.
It is possible to change servers and thus do most / all of the quests in a single day. However, since which quests are available on which servers is random, it is possible for a specific quest not to be available on any servers. Some flags are merged with each others, making them redundant to check, here is a current screenshot of the servers: Servers List.
Side quests tracker link: https://tinyurl.com/dm-sidequests
The easiest way to tell if a zone has an active side mission is to use a 
compass. When used, the compass will show what direction the NPC is located in, and if no NPC exists, nothing will happen (which indicates it's not active).
List
Sacramento Suburbs
Ignore the code he tells you, it's not needed. Head east into the fenced area (recommended to bring a friend) and click the table with the computer on it in the top left of the building.
Infecteds occasionally drop 
Biscuits, which have a low chance to give chocolate. It is advised to find other chocolate giving sources such as 
strawberry cake and 
chocolate boxes, both of which can be found in vending machines as well as some set locations (it's worth leaving the area to find it and then restarting the quest when you have good chocolate giving items). Go north past Tiscornia park and northwest to the memorial statue. Talk to Sophie.
Zombies will occasionally drop 
rope or 
wooden planks (mostly rope). Pick up any 
Guitars you find, as they give both wood and rope. There are some set rope locations nearby: one is to the west, north of Emett's side quest building. Another is to the north east, in the house south of the pool, next to a desk (there is also a guitar in this house). There is also a rope along the northeast of the pond by Amber. Another rope can be found right beside one of the broken-down cars by the BiBi-Too Café (which is at the left of the gas station).
You can find pitchforks in the barn, or dropped from infecteds. You can also find farmer infecteds in the area.
Infecteds will commonly drop 
Lighters (1 fuel), and occasionally drop 
Gas bottles (5 fuel). You can also find fuel, above the gas station, to the right of the gas station, and a gas tank near the entrance to the terrace gardens secret passage.
Bodega Bay
Go north through the wrecked house, and take a picture. Next, follow the path east past the wrecked house and take another picture. Continue east and take another picture. Return to Abbi; she is just nearby.
Tasers can be found in green loot bags, or
Game console can be found in the house to the north of farm
Best way to do the quest is to bring 2 
Candy dispensers or 10 fruit Juices. There's one candy dispenser in the playground right near the NPC, and another one in the southern tool shed near Matt Sanders
- Juice can be found in vending machines and as mob drops while doing this quest. Check the convenience store for vending machines, it's east of spawn, just below the Farm Secret Passage, where Gabriella Campbell is located.
A baseball bat can be found by a backpack before the tool shed at the southern shore in the "Madness for a reward" zone.
Downtown Santa Rosa
Go to the building to the south east (and the surrounding area) and search for 3 antibiotics (it can also be dropped by medical infecteds). Return them to Sylvia.
Mazon College
Follow the south-east path until you reach a dorm building on the east edge of the map (entrance is on the north west side) and travel to the south west corner room, search the dresser for pet food, and feed the hamster. Go to the east side of the building and exit out the hole in the wall and talk to Glenn.
Sunset Mall
Along the way to the casino in the Egon search quest, there is a golf course (to the west of the casino). Search for golf balls scattered in this area. Return to John, who has moved into a building at the southern end of the golf course.
You can grab the 
air conditioning unit right next to her for a cold based weapon. 
Ice machines will also start appearing frequently in containers should you need another weapon with cold damage.
Grab a golf club in / near the gold course, and kill 10 infecteds in the area south of Jack, and then kill 10 more in both the north and south-east sections of the golf course.
The best source for 
components is 
Screens but 
Remote controls will start appearing frequently, electricity can be salvaged from all kinds of battery items (especially 
Laptop battery), and the best source of metal is probably finding an 
Industrial metal piece (there's a set location for one in construction area). You can find both electronics and batteries in the room NE0 is in, but if you need more you can check out the cyber cafe south west of the pool area and south of the super market entrance (the one that connects to the SP - Freezer).
Walker River
Note: There is a 
bike to the north west of the campfire for easily leaving the map.
You can find 2 camera in the building she's in. Normal zombies also have a chance to give cameras as a quest drop (green loot bag).
You can find a Lighter on a picnic bench near the motel and another in the north western most motel room if you need a fire damaging weapon.
Infecteds have a high chance to drop one during the quest, keep an eye out for a green loot bag!
There is plenty of fuel in the gas station just northeast of this area. Go southeast of the gas station by the Motel, you'll find him fixing the brown van.
While on this quest, infected will have a chance to drop crab, which can be salvaged for a chance to get salt, and you can also fish in the nearby fishing spots for various fish. Talk to him again when done.
Arizona Jurassic Museum
Go northwest past the greenhouse to his house to kill 20 infecteds. Go back and talk to Dr. E. Pollick. Afterwards, go back towards the bike, down the slope and northeast to the water tank to inspect it (Alternatively, southwest to the museum and swing around to the north end). Return to Pollick.
Infected rarely drop tools for you, so scavenge in the railway secret passage and around the map. You must salvage the tools after the quest has begun or it does not count. Talk to Joshua when you are done. Go to the front of the museum into the toy shop, and take a dinosaur plush. This time killing infected will drop green bags containing them. Return to Joshua. He won't take your 
tools, but he will take a 
Dinosaur plush.
After speaking to her, you first you have to read the diary next to her and then she requests 10 Fish and 5 Meat. Infected will now drop 
gudgeons and 
chicken sandwichs more often. Collect the resources this way takes a lot of stamina and time. Alternatively the surrounding buildings can be searched, especially the Diner in the West. Now return to Tasha.
Note that the voltmeter quest item does not deal electric damage and you'll have to find some other way to deal electric damage. Best bring a taser for this quest, or if someone else already completed the quest, ask to borrow their taser. Microwaves deal electrical damage as well if you can find one.
Infected will drop scrubs and shovels to use. The infected within the excavation site are a higher difficulty than most typical infected.
