How to Install Sims 4 Custom Content (and Fix It When It Doesn't Show Up)

October 12, 2026 ยท SimsViewer Team

You found a hair, an outfit or a piece of furniture you love, you downloaded it, and it does not show up in your game. Almost everyone who plays The Sims 4 with custom content (CC) has been there. The good news is that installing CC is simple once you know where each file belongs, and nearly every "my CC is missing" problem comes down to a handful of causes. This guide walks through the whole process, from checking an item before you download it to fixing a package the game refuses to load.

What custom content actually is

Custom content is anything made by the community rather than by Electronic Arts. Most of it arrives as a .package file. That single file can hold a hairstyle, a piece of clothing, a lamp, a skin overlay, a set of colour swatches, or a gameplay tweak. A second file type, .ts4script, belongs to script mods, which change how the game behaves rather than what it looks like. If a download contains an .exe or .bat file, do not run it: real CC never needs one.

Step 1: Look at the item before you download it

A thumbnail shows one angle in one colour. Before you put anything in your game, it helps to turn the model around and see what you are really getting. On SimsViewer.com you can open an item's page, rotate and zoom the 3D model, switch between its colour swatches and see how many polygons it has. Pay attention to three things:

  • The shape from every side. Back details, seams and the way a hem falls are easy to miss in a preview picture.
  • The swatches. Make sure the colours you want are really in the package.
  • The polygon count. Very heavy items, especially hair and clutter, can slow down older computers when many are used at once.

Step 2: Download and unpack the file

Creators often share CC inside a .zip, .rar or .7z archive. The game cannot read files inside an archive, so extract it first. Open the extracted folder and look for files ending in .package or .ts4script. Download only from the creator's own page or a site they have chosen, which also makes sure they get the credit and support they deserve.

Step 3: Put the files in the Mods folder

Open your Documents folder and go to Electronic Arts → The Sims 4 → Mods. This folder is created when you first run the game. Drag your .package files into it. You are free to organise things in subfolders, for example one folder per creator or per category, which makes it much easier to remove something later.

  • Package files are generally read up to five folders deep.
  • Script mods (.ts4script) should be placed directly in the Mods folder or at most one folder down.
  • Files for lots, households and rooms (such as .trayitem or .blueprint) do not go in Mods. They belong in the Tray folder, which sits next to it.

Step 4: Switch custom content on in the game

Start The Sims 4, open Game Options → Other and tick Enable Custom Content and Mods. If you installed a script mod, also tick Script Mods Allowed. The game will ask you to restart. Do it, because the settings are only applied after a full restart. When you are back in Create a Sim or Build/Buy mode, your new items appear in their usual categories, often at the start or end of the list.

Why your custom content is not showing up

If the item is still missing, work through this checklist from top to bottom:

  1. Is the setting enabled? After a big game update the option is sometimes switched off again. Open Game Options and check.
  2. Is the file really a .package? A name such as "dress.package.txt" or "dress.zip" will be ignored. Turn on file extensions in your file manager to check.
  3. Is it still inside an archive? Extract it completely.
  4. Is it buried too deep? Move it closer to the top of the Mods folder.
  5. Did the download finish? A file of 0 KB or one that is far smaller than expected is damaged. Download it again.
  6. Is it outdated? Some older CC stops working after a game patch. Check the creator's page for an update.
  7. Is the game showing a stale cache? Close the game, delete the localthumbcache.package file in your main The Sims 4 folder, and start again. The game will rebuild it.

Finding the one broken file in a large collection

When the game misbehaves and you have hundreds of files, use the 50/50 method. Move half of your Mods folder somewhere else and start the game. If the problem is gone, the culprit is in the half you removed; if not, it is in the half that is still there. Keep splitting the suspect half until you have found the single file. It takes a few rounds, but it is far quicker than checking everything by hand. Also keep in mind that after a patch, script mods are the most common cause of trouble, so update or temporarily remove them first.

Keeping your collection tidy

A little organisation saves a lot of time. Keep one subfolder per creator, name folders clearly, and write down where each item came from so you can find the creator's page again when you need an update. Delete what you do not use: every extra file adds to your loading time. And whenever you try something new, preview it in 3D first, so that the only things in your Mods folder are items you have actually looked at and chosen.

That is all there is to it: preview, download, extract, place in Mods, enable the setting, restart. If you are a creator, you can upload your own .package file to SimsViewer.com and give simmers an interactive 3D preview of your work, so that they know exactly what they are downloading.