Where Does Fallout 4 Store Mods?
Fallout 4 mods live in the install Data folder, with load order in plugins.txt under AppData Local. Manual and manager paths plus Linux.
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Fallout 4 reads mods from the Data folder inside the game install. Plugin files (.esp, .esm, .esl) and their asset folders (Meshes, Textures, Scripts) all land there. The load order lives elsewhere, in plugins.txt under AppData Local, which is why reinstalling the game alone never loses your order.
Mod managers add a staging layer: downloads and unpacked files sit in the manager folders, then deploy as links into Data. When a mod seems installed but does nothing, the deploy step or a missing F4SE file is usually at fault. Load order tools sort plugins.txt automatically, which beats hand ordering a 200 mod list.
Where Fallout 4 stores this, by platform
<SteamLibrary>\steamapps\common\Fallout 4\Data
Plugin and asset files deploy here. Load order sits in %LOCALAPPDATA%\Fallout4\plugins.txt and modding flags in Documents\My Games\Fallout4\Fallout4Custom.ini. F4SE files (f4se_loader.exe, Data\Scripts) go in the install root, not Data.
<SteamLibrary>/steamapps/compatdata/377160/pfx/drive_c/Program Files (x86)/Steam/steamapps/common/Fallout 4/Data
Same install relative layout inside the Proton prefix for app ID 377160. Manager staging folders stay on the Linux side wherever you configured them.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need ini tweaks before mods load?
Yes. Enable modding flags in Fallout4Custom.ini and confirm the game has run once so the ini files exist. Vortex and MO2 handle the flags for you, manual setups need them added by hand.
How do I back up a modded setup?
Copy the Data folder contents plus plugins.txt and Fallout4Custom.ini. Saves sit separately in Documents\My Games\Fallout4, so grab that folder too for a full backup.
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