How do you install mods in The Sims 4?
Put the mod file in the Mods folder, then turn on mods in the game options. The Mods folder is inside Documents, in the Electronic Arts folder, in The Sims 4 folder. Restart the game after you change the options.
This post gives the steps in order, explains the file types, and lists the mistakes that stop a mod from loading. The steps come from a guide by PCGamesN, which we opened on October 3, 2026. We could not open the EA help pages for mods, so check them too.
You read this on the LifeSim blog. We make a browser life sim, and it has no mods. We say where that matters.
What is the difference between a mod and custom content?
Players use two words. Custom content, or CC, is new items: hair, clothes, furniture, and objects. A mod changes how the game behaves. Many players use “mods” for both. The install steps are almost the same.
The file type tells you more than the word. A file that ends in .package is custom content. A file that ends in .ts4script is a script mod. A script mod changes the rules of the game, so it is the type most likely to break.
What are the steps?
- Close the game.
- Go to Documents, then Electronic Arts, then The Sims 4.
- Find the file that you downloaded. If it is a zip file, extract it first, unless it is a script mod. See below.
- Put the file in the Mods folder. Put Sims and lots in the Tray folder.
- Start the game. Press Esc, and open Game Options, then Other.
- Select “Enable custom content and mods” and “Script mods allowed”.
- Restart the game.
PCGamesN notes that this setting may reset after an official patch. Look at the setting after each update.
Which file goes in which folder?
| File type | What it is | Where it goes |
|---|---|---|
| .package | Custom content | The Mods folder, or a subfolder of it |
| .ts4script | Script mod | The Mods folder |
| .py, .pyc, .pyo | Script mod in older form | The Mods folder, inside the zip file |
| .blueprint, .bpi | A lot | The Tray folder |
| .trayitem | A Sim or a lot | The Tray folder |
PCGamesN says that the .py, .pyc, and .pyo files must stay inside their zip file or archive, inside the Mods folder. Do not extract them.
How should you organize the Mods folder?
Make subfolders for each kind of content: hair, clothes, objects. PCGamesN gives one limit. The game stops reading subfolders that are more than five folders deep.
Script mods have a stricter rule. PCGamesN says that script mods cannot go in subfolders. Make one folder for each script mod, at the top of the Mods folder.
Our advice, which is not from a source: name each folder for the creator or the pack. When a mod breaks, you will know where it came from.
How do you check that a mod works?
Open the game. Press Esc. Open Game Options, then Other, and select “View custom content”. The mods that the game loaded show in the list.
Then look in the game. Custom looks for a Sim show in Create-A-Sim. Objects show in Buy Mode and Build Mode.
If you see nothing, go through this list:
- Did you turn on “Enable custom content and mods”?
- Did you restart the game after you turned it on?
- Is the file in the Mods folder, and not in the Tray folder?
- Is the folder less than six levels deep?
- Is a script mod in a subfolder?
What happens to mods after a game update?
PCGamesN says that the mod setting may reset after a patch. That is the one fact that we verified from a source.
We could not open the EA help page on mods and game updates, so we do not state what EA says on it. Players report that script mods break most often after a patch. Read the EA page and the page of each mod creator.
Our advice, which is not from a source:
- Copy the Mods folder and your saves to a safe place before each update.
- After an update, move script mods out of the folder. Start the game. Then add them back one at a time.
- Check the page of the creator for a new version.
Do mods turn off achievements?
We found no source that says so for mods. EA does say that some cheat codes turn off achievements on consoles. See Sims 4 cheats for the detail. A mod is not a cheat code, so do not assume that the same rule applies.
Can you use mods on a console?
We did not find a source that answers this. The PCGamesN guide describes folders in Documents, which is a PC and Mac idea. Do not expect those steps to work on a console. Check the EA help site.
Why do people use mods?
This part is our reading of how players talk. It is not from a source. A mod lets a player change a game that is on sale. Players use mods for three reasons.
- To look different. New hair and clothes are the most common custom content.
- To build better. New objects give a house a style that the game does not sell.
- To play differently. A script mod can add a rule, a job, or a way to live.
The cost is the time that you spend on folders and fixes. A mod is also a risk to a save that you love. Decide if the change is worth the risk.
How many mods should you add at one time?
Add a few. Test them. Add a few more. This is our advice. If you add two hundred files at once and the game breaks, you have two hundred suspects.
Keep a list in a text file. Write the name of each mod, the creator, and the date that you added it. When the game breaks after a patch, the list shows what to check first.
Put the script mods in one place that is easy to find. A script mod needs its own folder at the top of the Mods folder, so you can move the whole folder out in one step.
Where does LifeSim fit?
LifeSim has no folders, no patches to fix, and no mods. It runs in a browser. You open the page and play. You live one life on a real map of Earth, and the people in it remember what you say.
We fit if you are tired of fixing a broken game. We do not fit if you want new hair, new clothes, or new furniture. Use The Sims 4 and its mods in that case. Read LifeSim vs The Sims for the comparison.
Other games with mods: read games like The Sims and inZOI mods.
Questions
Where is the Mods folder?
In Documents, then Electronic Arts, then The Sims 4, then Mods.
Do I extract the zip file?
Extract custom content. Do not extract the .py, .pyc, and .pyo script files.
How deep can the folders go?
PCGamesN says five levels at most. Script mods cannot use subfolders.
Do I need to enable mods again after a patch?
Maybe. PCGamesN says the setting may reset. Check Game Options after each update.
Is The Sims 4 free?
The base game is free. Read is The Sims 4 free for what costs extra.