Installing mods for Farming Simulator 22 on PC comes down to one simple rule: drop the zip file into the right folder and switch it on in the game menu. No extracting, no editing files by hand, no third party tools needed for a basic mod. The tricky part is understanding how the game reads mods and why some of them only work if you start a new save.
This guide walks through the folder you need, the zip file rule everyone gets wrong at some point, how activation works for new and existing savegames, the difference between ModHub and mods from other sites, and why map mods are a special case.
The Mods Folder
Farming Simulator 22 looks for mods in one specific place on your PC:
DocumentsMy GamesFarmingSimulator2022mods
This folder is created automatically the first time you run the game, so you should not need to make it yourself. If you cannot find Documents, it is usually under your user account folder on the C: drive, something like C:UsersYourNameDocuments.
To install a mod, copy the downloaded file straight into that mods folder. That is the whole installation step for most single pack mods. There is no separate installer to run and no need to place anything inside the main game installation directory.
Keep Mods as Zip Files
This is the part that trips up a lot of people coming from other games. Farming Simulator 22 mods have to stay as .zip files inside the mods folder. Do not unzip them, and do not open the zip and pull files out.
- Do not extract the zip into a folder. The game will not read a folder of loose files the same way, and the mod usually just will not show up in the list.
- Do not rename the zip file. Mod authors give their zip a specific internal name that the game matches up with what is inside. Renaming it, even just changing one character, can break the mod or make it conflict with itself if you ever update it later.
- One mod per zip. If a download contains several zip files inside a bigger archive, extract that outer archive somewhere else first, then move only the individual mod zips into the
modsfolder.
If a mod download comes as a .rar or .7z file, that is just the wrapper for transferring it. Extract that wrapper to get the actual .zip mod file out, then move the zip, and only the zip, into your mods folder.
Activating Mods In Game
Copying the zip into the folder is only half the job. The mod still needs to be switched on for a specific savegame, because Farming Simulator 22 lets different saves use different sets of mods.
- Start the game and go to your save selection screen.
- When starting a new savegame, you will see a mod selection screen before you confirm the map and settings. Tick the mods you want active for that save.
- When loading an existing savegame, go into the mod selection for that save before loading it, find the mod in the list, and enable it there.
- Confirm your selection and load into the farm.
Mods are tied to the savegame, not just installed globally for the whole game. So if you add a new mod zip to the folder, it will not automatically appear in a save you already created. You have to go back into that save’s mod selection and turn it on manually.
It is also normal for the game to show mods with a short delay or a loading pause the first time you enable a new one, since it has to read the zip contents. That is expected and not a sign something is broken.
ModHub Versus Mods From Websites
There are two main sources for mods, and they work a little differently.
ModHub is the official in-game and website source. Mods downloaded through ModHub, either from inside the game’s menu or through the official website, get placed automatically by the game or launcher into the correct mods folder. You do not need to touch file paths for these at all.
Mods from other websites, including fan sites and sharing communities, work the same way once installed, but you are responsible for the manual step: download the zip, then place it yourself into DocumentsMy GamesFarmingSimulator2022mods. The game does not care where a mod came from once it is sitting in that folder with a proper zip format. It treats a manually placed mod the same as a ModHub one.
The practical difference is just convenience and vetting. ModHub mods go through some basic checks before being listed, while mods from other sources vary in quality and need a bit more care, like checking you downloaded the matching file and not something mislabeled.
Map Mods Need a New Savegame
Regular mods like vehicles, implements, or placeables can often be added to an existing save. Map mods are different.
A map mod changes the entire game world: terrain, fields, farmland ownership, placeable spots, sometimes even core map logic. Your existing savegame was built around whatever map you started on, whether that is a default map or a different custom one. You cannot swap the map under an existing save and expect it to work.
To use a map mod, you need to:
- Install the map mod zip into the mods folder as usual.
- Create a brand new savegame.
- Pick that map mod from the map selection screen when setting up the new save.
- Enable the map mod in the mod selection for that new save, along with any other mods you want.
If you try to activate a map mod on an existing save made on a different map, it will either not show as an option or it will simply not apply, since the save data does not match the new map’s layout. Think of a map mod as choosing where you want to farm from scratch, not as an addition to a farm you already have running.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Placing the zip in the main game install folder instead of the
Documentsmods folder. - Downloading an update for a mod and forgetting the old zip is still sitting in the folder, causing a duplicate or version conflict.
- Assuming a mod enabled on one save carries over to another save automatically.
- Trying to unzip a map mod “to see what’s inside” and breaking its folder structure in the process.
If a mod refuses to show up in the selection list after you have placed the zip correctly, double check the zip is not corrupted from the download and that it was not accidentally extracted by your browser or an archive tool set to auto-extract downloads.
Questions people ask
Why doesn’t my new mod show up in an old savegame?
Mods are enabled per savegame, so adding a zip to the mods folder does not turn it on automatically. Open the mod selection for that specific save and tick it before loading.
Can I unzip a mod to install it faster?
No, Farming Simulator 22 reads mods directly from the zip file. Unzipping it or renaming the zip usually makes the mod stop working or disappear from the list.
What is the difference between ModHub mods and mods from other websites?
ModHub mods get placed in your mods folder automatically through the game or official site, while mods from other websites need to be manually copied into the mods folder yourself. Once installed, the game treats them the same way.
Why does a map mod need a new save instead of working on my current farm?
A map mod replaces the whole game world, including terrain and field layout, which your existing save was not built around. You have to start a new savegame and pick that map during setup for it to work.
Browse all Farming Simulator 22 mods on CrashMods
