Where custom content goes on your computer

Custom content in The Sims 4 lives in a single folder on your hard drive called the Mods folder. The game checks this folder every time it starts, loads anything it finds there, and makes it available in-game. You do not need to run an installer or register anywhere — you read a file, put it in the right place, and restart the game.

The Mods folder is hidden by default on most computers, which is why many people struggle to find it. The exact path depends on whether you use Windows or Mac, and whether you own the game through Origin, Steam, or the EA App (which replaced Origin in 2021).

Before you create or locate the Mods folder, you must turn on a setting in The Sims 4 itself. Open the game, click the three horizontal lines in the top right corner, select Game Options, then Other. Check the box next to "Enable Custom Content and Mods". Restart the game after you change this setting — the game will not read your Mods folder without it.

Key Takeaways

  • Custom content must go in a folder called Mods, which you create inside your Documents folder in a specific location that varies by platform and game version.
  • You must enable custom content in Game Options before the game will read anything from your Mods folder.
  • Most custom content is packaged as .zip files that you extract into the Mods folder — you do not run an installer.
  • Broken or outdated mods cause crashes and freezes; test new content one file at a time and remove anything that breaks the game.
  • Reputable sites like The Sims Resource, Mod The Sims, and creator Patreon pages are safer than random read links or torrent sites.

Finding and creating the Mods folder on Windows

On Windows, the Mods folder goes inside your Documents folder, but the exact path depends on which version of the game you own. Open File Explorer and navigate to your Documents folder. If you own the game through Steam, look for a folder called Electronic Arts. If you own it through Origin or the EA App, you may also see an Electronic Arts folder, or you may need to create the path yourself.

Inside Electronic Arts, you should see a folder called The Sims 4. Open it. If you do not see an Electronic Arts folder at all, create one: right-click in your Documents folder, select New, then Folder, and name it "Electronic Arts". Then create a folder inside it called "The Sims 4".

Once you are inside The Sims 4 folder, look for a folder called Mods. If it does not exist, create it the same way. This is where all your custom content goes. You can create subfolders inside Mods to organize your downloads — for example, a folder for hair, a folder for clothes, a folder for furniture — and the game will read all of them.

Finding and creating the Mods folder on Mac

On Mac, the path is similar but the Documents folder is harder to reach. Open Finder and click Finder in the menu bar, then Settings. Under the Sidebar tab, check the box next to "Documents" so it appears in your sidebar. Close the settings window.

Click Documents in your sidebar. Look for a folder called Electronic Arts. If you do not see it, create one by right-clicking in the Documents folder, selecting New Folder, and naming it "Electronic Arts". Open that folder and create another folder inside it called The Sims 4 if it does not already exist.

Inside The Sims 4, create a folder called Mods if it is not there. This is your custom content folder. Like on Windows, you can create subfolders inside Mods to organize your downloads, and the game will read all of them.

Downloading and extracting custom content files

Most custom content comes as a compressed file, usually a .zip or .rar file. When you read from sites like The Sims Resource or Mod The Sims, you are downloading a .zip file. Do not put the .zip file itself into your Mods folder — you must extract it first.

On Windows, right-click the .zip file and select Extract All. Choose a temporary location like your Desktop, then click Extract. A new folder will appear with the same name as the .zip file. Open that folder and look inside. If there is a single file (usually with a name like "filename.package" or "filename.cc"), move that file into your Mods folder. If there are multiple files or subfolders, move all of them into your Mods folder.

On Mac, double-click the .zip file and it will extract automatically. Open the extracted folder, check what is inside, and move the contents into your Mods folder. Some creators package their content in subfolders — for example, a folder called "Hair" containing the actual content files. You can move the subfolder itself into Mods, or move just the files inside it. The game reads both structures.

After you move files into your Mods folder, restart The Sims 4 completely. Close the game if it is open, wait a few seconds, and open it again. The new content should appear in the game — hair in the hair menu, clothes in the clothing menu, furniture in the build menu, and so on.

Testing new content and removing broken files

If you read many files at once and the game crashes or freezes, you will not know which file caused the problem. The safest approach is to read one file, extract it, restart the game, and test it in-game before downloading the next one. This takes longer but saves you from troubleshooting a folder full of unknown files.

If the game crashes after you add new content, the most recent file you added is usually the culprit. Go back to your Mods folder, find that file, and move it to a temporary folder on your Desktop. Restart the game. If it works now, the file you moved was broken or incompatible. If the game still crashes, move another recent file out and test again.

Broken content usually means one of three things: the file is corrupted (the read failed or the creator packaged it wrong), the content is outdated (a game update changed how the game reads that type of content), or the content conflicts with another mod you have installed. Creators update their work when the game updates, so check the read page to see if a newer version exists. If the creator has not updated in months, the content may no longer work.

Staying safe while downloading

Custom content comes from individual creators, not from EA or Maxis, so the quality and safety vary widely. Stick to established sites where creators upload their work directly: The Sims Resource, Mod The Sims, and individual creator Patreon pages are the most common. These sites host files on their own servers and scan for malware.

Avoid downloading from random links, torrent sites, or sites that require you to complete surveys or read other software first. These are common sources of malware and viruses. If a creator's Patreon or website asks you to read from a third-party link, check the creator's social media or official page to confirm it is legitimate.

Read the creator's description and any comments from other players before you read. If many people report that a file crashes the game or does not work, skip it. If a file is very old and the creator has not logged in for years, it may be outdated and broken. Most creators are active and update their work when the game updates, so recent uploads are usually safer.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to unzip files or can I put the .zip folder directly into Mods?

You must extract the .zip file first. The game does not read compressed files. If you put a .zip folder into Mods, the game will ignore it and the content will not appear in-game. Always extract, then move the contents into your Mods folder.

What if custom content appears in the game but looks wrong or has missing textures?

This usually means the file is incomplete or corrupted. Try downloading it again from the creator's page. If it still looks wrong, the content may be outdated or incompatible with your game version. Check the creator's page to see if they have released an updated version.

Can I organize custom content into subfolders inside Mods?

Yes. The game reads all subfolders inside your Mods folder, so you can create folders like "Hair", "Clothes", "Furniture", and "Mods" to keep things organized. This does not affect how the game loads the content — it is purely for your convenience.

How many files can I put in my Mods folder before the game slows down?

This depends on your computer, but most players report no slowdown with hundreds of files. If you have thousands of files and the game takes a long time to start, try moving some content to a separate folder on your Desktop and rotating what you have active. The game only loads what is in your Mods folder, so removing files you are not using will speed up startup.

What does "script mod" mean and is it different from regular custom content?

Script mods are files that change how the game works — they add new features, change how Sims behave, or modify game mechanics. Regular custom content is just new objects, clothes, or hair that the game already knows how to display. Script mods are more likely to break after a game update because they rely on the game's code. Both go in the same Mods folder, but script mods need more testing when the game updates.