Sims 3 Mods Folder: Location, Setup and Resource.cfg

Where the Mods folder goes

System	Path
Windows (EA app, Steam, disc)	`C:\Users\<username>\Documents\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3\Mods`
Mac	`/Users/<username>/Documents/Electronic Arts/The Sims 3/Mods`

This is the user folder that also holds Saves, Downloads and Thumbnails. It is not the install folder in Program Files. Mod The Sims, which hosts the standard setup guide, says the Documents location has been the way to do it since game patch 1.12. If you still have a Mods folder inside the install directory from an older guide, NRaas says to delete it, because the game does not handle mods properly from there.

Spelling and capitals matter: Mods, Packages, Overrides.

The folder layout

Item	Type	What it is for
`Mods\Resource.cfg`	File	Tells the game which folders to read. Must sit directly in `Mods`
`Mods\Packages`	Folder	Every `.package` mod and CC file, unless told otherwise
`Mods\Overrides`	Folder	Only for files whose creator says to put them here. It loads with higher priority

Three things do not belong in Mods: .sims3pack files (the launcher installs those from Downloads), archives that are still zipped, and engine patches that use .asi or .dll files (those go in the game's Game\Bin folder). The install guide covers each file type.

What to put in Resource.cfg

Resource.cfg is a plain text file. Create it in Notepad, save it into Mods, and make sure Windows did not name it Resource.cfg.txt. It contains these lines:

Priority 500
PackedFile Packages/*.package
PackedFile Packages/*/*.package
PackedFile Packages/*/*/*.package
PackedFile Packages/*/*/*/*.package
PackedFile Packages/*/*/*/*/*.package
Priority 600
PackedFile Overrides/*.package

The five Packages lines let the game read files up to five folders deep, so you can sort mods into Packages\NRaas, Packages\Lighting and so on. The higher number on Overrides means files there win over files in Packages.

Ready-made downloads

Mod The Sims setup guide: links FrameworkSetup.zip. Extract it into Documents\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3 and you get Mods with both folders, Resource.cfg and two small test mods.
NRaas How To Install page: links Resource.zip, which holds only the Resource.cfg file. Unpack it into Mods.

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Test that it works

FrameworkSetup.zip puts two files in Packages for exactly this purpose:

Test file	If the folder works
`nointro.package`	The game skips the EA intro video and goes straight to the loading screen
`NoBuildSparkles.package`	No sparkles appear when you build a wall in Build mode

Mod The Sims says both work on any patch level and with any expansion. If you still see the intro and the sparkles, delete the Mods folder and set it up again. Once it works you can delete the two test files, or keep them.

With NRaas mods installed there is a second sign: a pop-up at startup that lists the script mods the game loaded.

Keeping the folder tidy

Sort by type. One folder per kind of mod makes it easy to pull a group out when something breaks.
One copy of each mod. NRaas updates keep the same file name, so copying the new file over the old one replaces it. Then delete scriptCache.package.
Need a custom load order? Two UI recolors on Mod The Sims, Gray UI and Golden UI, document the same trick: make a folder such as Mods\uimod and add Priority 499 and PackedFile uimod/*.package to the end of Resource.cfg. A lower number loads with lower priority than Packages.
Clear caches after every change. Delete CASPartCache.package, compositorCache.package, scriptCache.package and simCompositorCache.package in Documents\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3.
Back up before big changes. Copy Mods and Saves somewhere else first. EA Help gives the same advice before removing custom content.

Not sure what to put in the folder first? Start with the NRaas essentials or the best Sims 3 mods by purpose.

FAQ

Why is there no Mods folder in my Sims 3 folder?

The game never creates one. You make it yourself, or extract FrameworkSetup.zip from Mod The Sims into Documents\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3.

Where does Resource.cfg go?

Directly inside the Mods folder, next to Packages and Overrides. It does not go inside Packages, and it must not be named Resource.cfg.txt.

Do I need the Overrides folder?

Only when a creator asks for it. NRaas's install page says the Overrides folder is for mods whose developer tells you to place them there. Everything else goes in Packages.

Is the Mods folder the same for Steam and the EA app?

Yes. It is in Documents\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3 for every Windows version. Only the game's install folder differs.