Have you seen other people playing Sims and wondered how they have such amazing clothes, hair or that Apple iMac in their game? You search for hours in your own game, but just can’t find it!? Well, chances are they are using CC. If you have no idea what I’m talking about, you’ve come to the right place. This post will provide you with a basic guide to everything you need to know about CC.
CC is custom content. Let’s get that out of the way first. Some people prefer to play the game “vanilla”, using only content provided by EA. But many people (myself included) can’t play without custom content! Anyway, let’s get started!
Different Custom Content
The first important thing to note is the difference between MODS and CONTENT.
- Mods are programs that change the way you play the game.
- Content is the unique items and objects (including clothes, hairstyles, furniture, and sets) that add extra content to your game.
Mods can change the game in a big way; for example, there is the MC Command Center mod (From deaderpool), which allows you to control NPC sims and give them commands as if they were an active sim. But a mod can even be something as simple as the betterbuildbuy mod (From T-Mex) that changes how debug items in the buy menu are organized.
When it comes to CC, there are two types that you might hear about often: Alpha CC vs Maxis Match CC. Alpha CC is more realistic looking compared to Maxis Match content that has that same ‘cartoonish’ look like the content included in the game. This image below is a good example of the difference, with the Alpha CC bench on the left, and the Maxis Match bench on the right:

Finding Custom Content
WARNING: Once you start exploring custom content, you run the risk of getting hooked! Be careful not to fall down the rabbit hole where you spend hours just browsing and downloading content. You might end up with a huge folder filled with custom content that takes up almost all the space on your computer. Some players have said that their game can become relatively slow or take very long to load when they have too much CC. Be very selective of the content you download – only download the items you really want and like! When in doubt – don’t download!
To find out more about where to download custom content, you can check out my post on Where to get Custom Content for the Sims 4.
Installing Custom Content
Once you have downloaded the custom content you like, you can get started with installing it. Successfully installing CC can be done in three easy steps!
Step 1: Locate your “Mods Folder”.
If you haven’t done so already, load your game once to automatically create the necessary folders. The automatic location of the Mods folder (unless you opted to install your game in a different folder) is
For windows users: [DRIVE LETTER]:\Users\[USER NAME]\Documents\Electronic Arts\The Sims 4\Mods.
For mac users: Documents\Electronic Arts\The Sims 4\Mods.
Step 2: Download .package files into your Mods folder.
In the end, your goal is to get a .package file (i.e. a file that ends in .package) into your Mods Folder. Check carefully what you are downloading – in many cases (especially if you are downloading a whole set) you will download a zip or rar folder. You first have to extract/unzip this to get the .package files. The content will only work if the .package file is in your mods folder.
Make sure to also read How to organize your CC before going on a download spree. This will help you keep track of your CC, which is VITAL when your game crashes or runs into a bug due to new CC, and you need to figure out what is causing the crash or bug.
Step 3: Activate CC in options.
The final step is to start your game. Go to options- game options- other before loading your game or starting a new one. It would be best to make sure that the box next to “Enable Custom Content and Mods” is checked. Also, if you downloaded any mods that have script files (the mod’s creator should indicate whether this step is necessary), you should make sure the box next to “Script Mods Allowed” is also checked. You might have to restart your game for these settings to take effect.



And that’s it! Press play and enjoy your new custom content!
If you downloaded new CC and your game crashes or has bugs when you load it, check out my guide on How to find and fix corrupt Custom Content for the Sims 4.
If you like my builds and/or content, consider supporting me on Patreon or buy me a coffee.