How to Install Fallout 4 Mods
🛠️ Prerequisites
🛠️ F4SE — Fallout 4 Script ExtenderDownload ↗
🛠️ UFO4P — Unofficial Fallout 4 PatchDownload ↗
📦 Install Methods
1. Vortex (easiest)
- Install Fallout 4 on Steam and run the vanilla game once so it generates its INI files and plugins.txt.
- Create a Nexus Mods account, download and install Vortex, and add Fallout 4 in the Games tab — Vortex auto-detects the Steam install.
- Install F4SE (Fallout 4 Script Extender) first. Grab it from its Nexus page via the Mod Manager Download button, or from f4se.silverlock.org, so f4se_loader.exe ends up inside the game folder.
- Set F4SE as the primary launcher in Vortex (Games page, Set as primary) so every launch goes through f4se_loader.exe instead of the vanilla launcher.
- Download mods from Nexus with the Mod Manager Download button. Vortex queues them in the Mods tab — click Install, then Enable for each one.
- After adding plugins, open the Plugins tab and use the Sort button, which runs Vortex's built-in LOOT integration to order your load order.
- Launch the game from within Vortex so F4SE loads, and re-sort the load order every time you add or remove plugins.
2. Mod Organizer 2 (advanced, most control)
- Download Mod Organizer 2 from Nexus and install it outside Program Files, then create an instance for Fallout 4 (MO2 auto-detects the Steam folder).
- Put F4SE's files (including f4se_loader.exe) into the game folder, then add f4se_loader.exe under MO2's Executables (gears icon) so you launch the game through F4SE from inside MO2.
- Install mods by clicking Download with manager on Nexus or dragging the archive onto MO2's left pane — MO2 extracts them into its own folders and never touches the game directory.
- Order mods in the left pane by priority: mods lower in the list overwrite higher ones. The lightning icon flags file conflicts you need to resolve manually.
- Enable the plugin entries in the right pane, then add and run LOOT as an MO2 executable to sort your plugin load order.
- Run BodySlide, F4SE, or any other tool through MO2 so they see the virtual file system — running them outside MO2 edits the wrong files and breaks the setup.
3. Manual install (no mod manager)
- Download mods as archives and extract them, then identify the folder layout — most mods put everything under a Data folder; look for the .esp/.esm and the Meshes and Textures folders.
- Copy the extracted files into your game folder at SteamLibrary/steamapps/common/Fallout 4, merging them into the existing Data folder.
- Enable the plugins in %LOCALAPPDATA%/Fallout4/plugins.txt or tick them in the game's in-game Mods menu.
- Turn on archive invalidation so texture replacers show: set bInvalidateOlderFiles=1 under [Archive] in Fallout4Custom.ini — the launcher overwrites Fallout4.ini, so use the Custom file.
- Manage your own load order — download the standalone LOOT and run it after every batch of new plugins.
- Keep a written list of every file you added, because uninstalling means deleting each one by hand.
- If a mod does nothing after install, re-check the folder depth: the .esp and Data subfolders must sit at the correct level inside the archive.
📦 Mod Managers
Most Fallout 4 mods install through Vortex or Mod Organizer 2 — they handle file placement and load order automatically. Manual install means dropping files into your game's mod/data folder.
🛠️ Tool & Loader Guides
❓ Install FAQ
Do I need a mod manager for Fallout 4?
A mod manager is recommended but not always required.
What order do I install mods?
Foundations and script extenders first, then patches/overhauls, then visual mods last. Use LOOT or your mod manager's sort.
Are Fallout 4 mods free?
Yes — every mod listed on discovermods is free. We link to official download pages.