---
description: >-
  The primary function of the Stardew Valley Mod Manager is to enhance and
  humanise the experience of managing mods for Stardew Valley. This starts with
  the process of adding mods.
---

# Installing Mods

The Stardew Valley Mod Manager is designed to make it easier to install mods, no longer requiring users to deal with heavy mod loaders designed for heavier games or browsing through folder hierarchies.

## Download a Mod

The Stardew Valley Mod Manager is designed for mods downloaded from NexusMods - which has a large repository of Stardew Valley Mods available for download, including the Stardew Modding API (SMAPI) itself. That being said, if you have a mod downloaded elsewhere, it should still work.

{% hint style="danger" %}
**If your mod was not from NexusMods**, the mod must be in ZIP format and not contain mod files in the root directory of the ZIP archive. When you browse the ZIP file, there must be a folder named after the mod in the root directory that contains the files.
{% endhint %}

Once you have the mod downloaded in ZIP format, you can continue to install the mod with the Stardew Mod Manager. All you'll need is the location that your mod is saved to.

## Installing the Mod

Once you have a mod in ZIP format, open the Stardew Valley Mod Manager until you are on the Main Dashboard.

* [ ] Navigate to the "Mod Management" tab, if you are not already on it.
* [ ] Click "Install" from the "Add or Remove Mods" toolbar

![](https://2096739802-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FsDlfx0Z9f9RxOmmht7vh%2Fuploads%2FaiIi9eq93I91iKMn22kC%2Fimage.png?alt=media\&token=d0653ef7-f04d-4012-8a0c-74c3442806a7)

* [ ] Click on the "Browse" button to open a File dialog. Simply navigate to the ZIP file you downloaded earlier, and double click on it (or single click, and hit "Open")
* [ ] Once you have selected a mod, the file path to the mod should appear in the read-only text box, like in the screenshot below:

![](https://2096739802-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FsDlfx0Z9f9RxOmmht7vh%2Fuploads%2FH34buARLYa5y6E68NGtK%2Fimage.png?alt=media\&token=872a9161-a513-4894-a347-87e22c922cbc)

* [ ] To install the mod, simply click "Install"

{% hint style="success" %}
Once the mod is installed, a popup window should appear stating the name of the ZIP file along with the text "was successfully installed."
{% endhint %}

To use the mod in game, you'll need to enable it first. We'll explain how to enable mods in the next step.
