How to Add Mods to The Sims 4: Step-by-Step Guide

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The Sims specialist Kate Emerald explains how to download and use Sims 4 mods

Co-authored by Kate Emerald and Hannah Dillon

Last Updated: February 19, 2026 Fact Checked

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Adding Mods

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Where to Find Mods

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Troubleshooting Problems

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Video

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Q&A

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Tips

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Warnings

Not everyone is satisfied with how The Sims 4 operates by default, and you may want to change up your game a bit to make it more exciting or lifelike. In that case, you might decide to install mods to your game. This wikiHow will teach you how to add mods to The Sims 4.

Please note that this guide only applies to PC or Mac users. Mods are not available for console versions of the game.

How do you add mods to The Sims 4?

The Sims specialist Kate Emerald says to download the mods to your computer, then save them to your mods folder inside the Electronic Arts folder. Open your game and toggle on “Enable Custom Content and Mods” and “Script Mods Allowed.” Restart the game, and your mods should appear.

Section 1 of 3:

Adding Mods

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1
Check your game's patch level. The Sims 4 still receives frequent updates, and if you install a mod meant for an older version of the game, it can cause problems or even corrupt your saves. You'll need to know your patch level to know if a mod is compatible with your game.
- Open File Explorer
  or Finder.
- Go to Documents.
- Open the Electronic Arts folder.
- Open the The Sims 4 folder.
- Double-click on the file named GameVersion.txt.
- Check the patch number listed in the file.
Not seeing the folder? Make sure you've launched your game at least once to generate the The Sims 4 folder. If you've done that, open your game, open Options, and click on "Screen Capture"; you'll see where your game files are located in the "Location Path" section.
2
Download a mod. There are many places you can find mods for The Sims 4. See a list of popular mod sites below.
- Ensure the mod is compatible with your current patch level. Most modders will list patch compatibility on the mod's information or download page. However, many cosmetic mods (such as hair, clothes, furniture, etc.) won't be affected by game updates, so they may not list their compatible patch level.
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3
Extract the mods from the RAR or ZIP file. Mods are often stored in .zip, .rar, or .7z files, but the game can't read these files. You need to extract the files first.^{[1]
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- Windows: Using 7-Zip, right-click on the .rar or .zip file, and choose Extract to "*\".
- Mac: Using The Unarchiver, double-click the file to extract it.
Tip: Mods will either come as a singular .package file, a .ts4script file, or both a .package and a .ts4script file.
4
Open your Mods folder. The Sims 4 comes with the necessary files and folders for mods by default.^{[2]
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- Open File Explorer
  or Finder.
- Open Documents.
- Open the Electronic Arts folder.
- Open the The Sims 4 folder.
- Open the folder called Mods. (There will be a file inside it called Resource.cfg - don't touch this file.)
5
Place your mods into the Mods folder. You can either drag and drop your .package and/or .ts4script files into the Mods folder, or you can cut and paste them using Ctrl+X and Ctrl+V (or ⌘ Cmd+C and ⌘ Cmd+V on a Mac).
- To organize your mods, you can create subfolders within the Mods folder. .package files can be placed up to five subfolders deep (e.g. Mods\CAS\Clothing\Child\Shoes\Package). However, .ts4script files can only be placed up to one subfolder deep (e.g. Mods\Scripts).
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Enable mods in your game. The Sims 4 doesn't always enable mods by default, so when you install a mod, you'll need to make sure the game is reading it.^{[3]
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- Click on the ... in the upper right-hand corner of your game to pull up the menu.
- Click Game Options. This will bring up the Game Options menu.
- Go to the Other tab.
- Check the boxes next to "Enable Custom Content and Mods" and "Script Mods Allowed".
- Click Apply Changes in the lower right-hand corner of the menu, close the menu, and restart your game.^{[4]
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Section 2 of 3:

Where to Find Mods

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1
Mod sitesThere are a few sites that are either fully dedicated to hosting TS4 mods, while others have The Sims 4 mod sections.^{[5]
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Social mediaSome creators advertise their mods on their Tumblr, X, or Bluesky pages. To find mods on these social media sites, try searching for "Sims 4 mods." You will find tons of pages of creators showing off their mods, and you may also find accounts that are dedicated to reblogging/reposting the mods of others. These are sometimes called "finds" blogs or accounts, and can be a great way to find a lot of mods from a lot of different creators.
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Patreons and personal websitesOther creators will post their mods on Patreon or on their own personal websites. Patreon mods may require you to subscribe to the creator before you can download them, however. This is the most unreliable way to find mods, as you have to know who you're looking for to find their site.

Section 3 of 3:

Troubleshooting Problems

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If the mods aren't working at all, make sure you only placed .package and .ts4script files into your game. If you placed a .zip, .rar, .7z, .txt, or .png file into your Mods folder, that's not the mod, and the game can't read it.
2
Know when mods aren't working properly. Mod conflicts or bugs can be obvious, but other times they can be fairly subtle and mistaken for normal in-game glitches. However, if mods are causing an issue in your game, you might encounter issues such as:
- Sims not completing actions. They might "jump", stop the action midway through, or do the action for hours without completing it.
- Sims freezing or getting stuck in a "T-pose", where their arms are sticking out.
- Odd behavior in general - objects might not work properly, you have empty options when clicking on things, or other abnormalities.
- Your game running unusually slow, when this wasn't a problem before.
- Your game crashing or refusing to start, and clearing your caches doesn't fix it.
- Flashing blue squares in place of family portraits or buffs. (Don't save your game in this state—it will corrupt your save!)
- MC Command Center or TMex's Better Last Exceptions giving you popups about errors, particularly when the game first starts up.
3
Use the 50/50 method to narrow down the problem. The 50/50 method is commonly used to rule out which of your mods are causing issues and which aren't.
- Open your Mods folder and move about half the files somewhere else on your computer. Start your game, load a saved game, and see if the problem goes away.
  - If the problem persists, close your game and remove half of your files again. Repeat the process until you stop experiencing problems.
- Once you've stopped experiencing the problem, begin adding in your mods one at a time and then loading your save again.
- Eventually, after adding one of the mods, you will start experiencing the bug again. This means that the mod you added back is what's causing your problem. Quit your game and remove the mod you just added back.
4
Check that you have all the necessary mod packs. Some game mods require expansion packs, game packs, or stuff packs in order to work properly - otherwise, they won't work right or will cause problems. If you've accidentally put a mod in your game that needs a pack you don't have, you'll start getting errors or glitchy behavior, and you'll either need to remove it or get the pack.
- Sites like Mod The Sims will list any required packs on the download page, and modders using independent sites will typically list any required packs as well.
5
Update all mods after patches. Major (or even minor) updates to The Sims 4 can often break mods. While the game will automatically disable mods after an update, you need to update your mods before you enable them again, or else you can encounter game-breaking bugs. Keep track of all the mods you download and check the modder's download page for information on updates.
- Many modders will have mod status pages listing whether a mod is compatible with the latest patch or needs to be updated.
- Modders can go inactive. If a mod hasn't received updates for several patches, remove it from your game.
Tip: Make a list of the mods you use and list the creator of each mod next to it. That way, you can check the creator's site to see if they've updated the mod or released any news about it.

Community Q&A

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Question

I play Sims 4 on my PS4. How do I get mods if I'm on there?

Community Answer

Unfortunately, as of May 2021, you can't use mods on PS4 or Xbox One. Mods are only available for the computer version of The Sims 4.

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Question

I'm trying to install MC Command Center. I followed these instructions and the game recognizes the mod files, but when I shift-clicked my Sim, the MCCC options weren't there. What did I do wrong?

Community Answer

MCCC generally doesn't require shift-clicking. Do the MCCC commands appear when you left-click your Sim, or left-click a computer or mailbox? If not, make sure that MCCC's files aren't more than one subfolder deep in your Mods folder. You should also check that you installed the correct version of MCCC - you need version 6.6.0 if you're running the Legacy Edition, and the latest version if you're not.

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Tips

Some mods require you to enable them or edit their settings through a menu in-game. These menus can usually be found when clicking on your Sims or on objects like the computer or mailbox.

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Consider disabling automatic game updates through Origin or Steam so that if there's an update, and modders haven't updated their mods yet, you can disconnect from the internet and play your game without updating.

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Custom content and custom traits can be the cause of game errors sometimes, not just mods. If you're experiencing problems, 50/50 those as well.

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Tips from our Readers

The advice in this section is based on the lived experiences of wikiHow readers like you. If you have a helpful tip you’d like to share on wikiHow, please submit it in the field below.

Always update your mods and keep your mod folder organized so you can uninstall outdated mods and get updates easily.

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Warnings

Console users, like Xbox or PlayStation players, cannot use mods. The game does not support them.

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Mods don't need to be installed through .exe or .dmg files. Some modders offer installers for their mods (which come in .exe or .dmg files), but they should also have a version without the installer, as all mods can be installed manually. If the mod only comes in an .exe or .dmg file, don't download it, as it could be a virus.

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Be safe about where you download mods. While many sites don't allow people to upload malware, not all sites are trustworthy. Use an adblocker when downloading, and don't download from sites you don't recognize or that have unusual domains.

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