Where Does Steam Workshop Store Downloaded Mods?
Steam Workshop downloads live under steamapps/workshop/content, sorted by game App ID with each mod in its own numeric item folder.
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Steam Workshop content hides behind two layers of numeric IDs, which is why the folders look meaningless at first glance. Under steamapps/workshop/content sits one folder per game (its Steam App ID), and inside that, one folder per subscribed item (the Workshop item ID). The item folders hold whatever the mod author uploaded.
Some games then copy Workshop files into their own directories on launch, so the workshop folder is the download cache rather than the final home. Check the game's own mod folder when edits to Workshop files seem to have no effect. Steam Settings and Storage reveals which library folder a game actually uses.
Where Steam stores this, by platform
C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\workshop\content\[AppID]\[ItemID]
[AppID] is the game's Steam ID, [ItemID] the Workshop item's number. An appworkshop_[AppID].acf file beside the content folder tracks subscriptions. Custom library folders keep the same steamapps/workshop tail.
~/Library/Application Support/Steam/steamapps/workshop/content/[AppID]/[ItemID]
Same AppID/ItemID nesting as Windows. Non-default libraries mirror the structure under their own steamapps folder; confirm the active one in Steam Settings and Storage.
~/.local/share/Steam/steamapps/workshop/content/[AppID]/[ItemID]
Native installs use ~/.local/share/Steam while older ones use ~/.steam/steam; the workshop/content tail is identical. Steam Deck (SteamOS) follows the same layout.
Frequently asked questions
Which numbered folder belongs to my game?
Find the game's App ID (it is in the store URL: store.steampowered.com/app/[ID]/). Workshop files for it sit in steamapps/workshop/content/[ID]/, one numbered folder per subscribed item.
Can I delete a Workshop mod by removing its folder?
Unsubscribe in the Workshop and Steam removes the folder. Manually deleted folders redownload while the subscription exists, so fix the subscription rather than fighting the folder.
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