Turning off the legacy API

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Following the announcement 3 months ago, today is the day we'll be turning off our legacy modding API. This system has been fully replaced by the new Nexus Mods API and is therefore redundant.

What does this mean?
Any applications using this service will no longer be able to log in, retrieve mod information or handle downloads from our site. We've been working with the developers who maintain some of the most popular modding tools to help them make the transition to the new API, so many applications that were using this API have already been updated. 


Why are we doing this?
The simple answer is that the legacy API was no longer fit for purpose and had become increasingly hard to develop on and maintain. We made changes last year to move the legacy API to https only which addressed a number of security issues, but the codebase is from an old version of the Nexus Mods website which made it difficult to keep secure without compromising usability.

Another important consideration is performance and scalability. The legacy API was designed primarily to be used by Nexus Mod Manager when our user base was significantly smaller. Other applications reverse engineered this API as time went on, but we never released any documentation for it. Continuing to use this system would eventually lead to significantly degraded performance for applications using the service. We've designed the new API with 3rd party developers in mind, making it much more accessible to integrate Nexus Mods functionality into their tools and games and we’ve built on a platform that we can scale easily going forward.


Which applications does this effect?
Any application that is still using the old API, examples include:


  • Nexus Mod Manager v0.65.11 and lower
  • Mod Organiser 2 v2.1 and lower
  • Mod Organizer 1


Does this mean I can't use my mod manager anymore?
No, your mod manager will still work for any functions that don't require a connection to Nexus Mods until you update to a compatible version. You will still be able to download mods manually and import them into the application.


What will happen to Nexus Mod Manager?
Users with the last official release of Nexus Mod Manager (v0.65.2) will no longer be able to log in and will see an error message (below). We encourage these users to transition to Vortex or update NMM to the latest community-maintained version.



How can I update my app to use the new API?
We have documentation for the new API available here. If you require additional support implementing the new API, please contact BigBizkit or Pickysaurus.

776 comments

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  1. Pickysaurus
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    Locked
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    This topic is now locked.
     
    If you require support with Vortex, please see the Vortex Support Forum.
     
    If you're looking for the updated version of Nexus Mod Manager, please use the link in the article above. 
  2. Sypran
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    Well this just stinks...
    I want to like Vortex, I tried using it for months, but the lack of being able to manually sort your load order is beyond frustrating, and I continually have bugs with rulesets like "must come after" where vortex just...
    Ignores the rule. ( Set Mod-C to load after Mod-A....organize... Mod-C is earlier in the load order compared to Mod-A )
    Or yells at me that Im creating a loop or something. ( Mod-B load after Mod-A... Mod-C load after Mod-A.... Mod-C load after Mod-B - ERROR!)

    - Which could all be fixed if I could manually move things. - Or If I really am creating a loop, maybe a more visual representation of whats happening vs a giant wall of text with duplicates because there needs to be "Mod-A load after Mod-B" and "Mod-B load before Mod-A"
    1. deleted34304850
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      just a question - have you ever gone to the vortex support forum and asked for help?
      if not, you should.
    2. Sypran
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      Well 1ae0bfb8, I was told, I could manually input an index number for a mod. (So a mod is always in the... 1A position or whatever) - But that isn't a proper fix for a continuously growing mod order list.
      If I just wanted to quickly move things around manually, no Vortex does not do that. Hence why I dropped it for NMM, and am now dropping that for MO
    3. deleted34304850
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      so all this has nothing to do with the legacy api then? its just you not knowing what you're doing? ok good enough.
  3. Pickles256
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    Can't you just let us keep the API and have easy and convenient mod downloads and just recommend Vortex? What's the point in turning off mod manager download
    1. AugustaCalidia
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      Mod Manager Download is not turned off. All updated versions of NMM, MO1, and MO2 can be used with Mod Manager Download. That feature is not exclusive to Vortex. Pick whichever mod manager you want and start downloading.
    2. feedmebeans
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      except you need to be logged in to use mm download and now we cant log in.
    3. deleted34304850
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      and yet so many people can login. ever thought that it might be just you?
  4. PhoenixOfChaos
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    I can't even add mods from a file on my computer anymore!?!?
    REALLY?
  5. TheSwordFluffy
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    Someone let me know when you can mass migrate mods over without having to manually reconnect each one to the internet, spending basically an entire year connecting over 3k+ mods. Tried to actually use vortex but this is beyond reasonable for someone w/ such a huge stack of mods.
    1. Zazmeister
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      If you use the community mod manager you don't have to manually migrate all your mods to vortex
    2. TheSwordFluffy
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      I'm well aware. My comment was to point out that Vortex has a significant failure on its part, something that is unacceptable to expect the user to spend literal days taking care of when they could just add this feature in.
    3. Detonate
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      No one wants guitar lessons from the guy who just stole their guitar.
    4. TheSwordFluffy
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      I honestly don't know what you're going on about. It doesn't take a carpenter to know a table's leg is crooked. The fact of the matter is is that I (keyword here) *shouldn't* have to spend that much time doing manually doing something like that. It really should be a feature to do so automatically.
    5. deleted34304850
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      you're not forced to use it. don't like it use something else and move on with your life. problem solved. you're welcome.
    6. Xetaxheb
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      1ae0bfb8
      he was using something else, then they broke it under his feet
    7. deleted34304850
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      that is patently false, but thanks for playing.
    8. TheSwordFluffy
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      1ae0bfb8
      I thought it was blatantly clear that I had tried it, listed my complaint, then moved on. God forbid if you actually went to the other comment I made it was clear I was giving the whole switch a genuine try, only to be met w/ a ridiculous problem that really aught not to exist. I swear, you act like everyone who gives criticism is a whiny kid throwing a temper tantrum. For someone who is telling me to move on w/ my life, you have a very poor choice of words. Have nothing better to do than browse comments and saying the equivalent of "umad bro"? It certainly looks like it given you take every opportunity to try and do so in other posts. I'd ask you how old you are but then again, it's just as likely you just never grew up. Enjoy having nothing better to do, because you certainly won't see me replying to your nonsense after this (trust me, the irony isn't lost on me I typed this). Have a good day, though I doubt you'd deserve it.
  6. steelpanther24
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    Wow, lots of positive comments on this board. Once again, you have the shills for the house ("I used Vortex with no problem on my game with 10 mods!!") , the 'helpful' ones ("read the f__in tutorials and video, stoopid"), the griefers (" Vortex is garbage") and the critics ("Vortex is not as good as you say it is").From the download site itself :
    "Vortex has graduated from its initial alpha testing phase and we're now ready to open it up as the preferred mod manager for Nexus Mods users. While Vortex includes all the features we intended to bring to a full release, there may still be things we can tweak to improve performance and usability. There can also be bugs in the software from time-to-time that were not uncovered during the alpha release. "

    How about Nexus opts to go with a finish program to replace another finished program instead of using one that is "still in the works". Yes, I am well aware that Bethesda releases all of their games in beta, but it doesn't mean I have to like it.

    At least Nexus has the download history, which will come in handy as i try (again) to make the transition to Vortex, just so I can play Skyrim again.
    1. Pickysaurus
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      Technically, NMM never stopped being Beta software. Vortex does have a roadmap to the 1.0 release though, if you're interested there's a GitHub milestone here: https://github.com/Nexus-Mods/Vortex/milestone/1

      That's basically a list of things Tannin/Nagev want to cover before Vortex 1.0 is done.
    2. deleted34304850
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      quick question - why would you transition if you don't need to and another quick one - what on earth does it have to do with the legacy api?

      thanks.
    3. steelpanther24
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      Kinda figured NMM was a Beta since it was only up to V0.65.11. This just seems to be the new standard to never final release a program. Is it just because it is too difficult to finish programs anymore or is it an issue that programmers of old either had it easier, had a more educated user base (who could fix many of their own problems) or were just better than programmers of today?
    4. Tannin42
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      The word "final" doesn't really apply, software is almost never "finished". It may get abandoned at some point but how many pieces of software can you identify that doesn't require any bugfixes anymore and doesn't receive any new features unless it's been abandoned?
      What you mean is a "stable" release.

      There is two ways software can have a "stable release". Either you defined goals in advance, both in terms of features and quality and it is stable when you achieve these goals - which is usually what you'd do in B2B contract work because somehow you have to agree in advance on the point the contract is fulfilled - or you have a preset release date that you can't/don't want to delay (any more) and whatever you can publish at that time is your "stable" release - which is what just about everyone does who releases to end users.

      Thus your claim "Bethesda releases all of their games in beta" is cute but of course you don't get to decide what is beta and what isn't. They released it without a beta tag and therefore it's a "stable" release by definition. Whether you disagree with their quality standards is up to you, it's not relevant to the development state.

      With open-source/free software or software as a service, "stable releases" are way less relevant. Devs will usually release features continuously instead of bursts (as you would see in something like Photoshop where features are used to market/sell a new release).
      And since you're constantly adding new functionality, introducing new bugs while fixing others, the quality level will eventually just oscillate around a certain point where you introduce as many bugs as you fix.

      This has nothing to do with users or programmers, it's just become less common that software sold in boxes at a fixed price where you buy a set of functionality and if you want more features you need to buy the next box.

      With Vortex we decided to have stable releases that will receive only bugfixes while maintaining a separate release for additional functionality in parallel so you get to pick whether you want the newest functionality or a more stable version. Obviously that's a bonus for users, but extra work for us.
    5. steelpanther24
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      @1ae0bfb8
      Thank you very much for the laugh, the irony of your reply is priceless. I bid you well in your life and hope you achieve everything you wish for.
    6. deleted34304850
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      back atcha big man! :)
    7. anjenthedog
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      Seriously? I installed Skyrim SE about 2-1/2 months ago. I now have around 200 mods installed, and with the exception of one (waterview rifken) they were all installed using Vortex, both from nexus downloads (manual downloads w/manual installs, as well as the one-click Nexus installs) and Lover's lab manual download and installs. No problems whatsoever. I'm not a "shill" I'm just a bored, relatively housebound programmer. The last game I played prior to this was Final Fantasy XI, just to give you an idea of how skilled I am in these newer games, as in not at all.

      The only time I run into any degree of difficulty is when there are mod conflicts, and the conflict resolution process is pretty much intuitive , as long as one reads the mod author's instructions. Most times Vortex recommends the correct remedial action (load this before that - suggested)..

      Daunting as it was at first (again, first game I've played in over a decade) This stuff isn't rocket science.
  7. Makron8
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    Alright, so I'm not normally one to comment while angry, but screw this! Your freaking explanation covers nothing regarding you know.. getting the new API to work with Mod Organizer. "Download a new API" Great! now I can have a totally useless bunch of text that I can A: copy to my clipboard for all the good that does or B:rest well in knowing I have a bunch of useless text on my screen. Do you know what Mod Organizer has on its interface? "We'll send a request to Nexus so you can connect the API" and yet I never get a notification on my Nexus Profile. It's almost like you're using a totally different process than MO and yet expecting us to magically know how to manually add that API text into MO (Which as of yet there is neither documentation or an article of how to do so)

    The API section of the Nexus profile just has buttons that spit out an API key. Why do you have a bunch of "Requests" for API's of each application if all it does is give you a key the applications never use?!


    Also quite the stealthy approach of capping the rates on the API while pretending it's just a move to retire the old one..

    Lastly, there is no identification of what a "request" actually is (even in the documentation) Is it just when a new mod is downloaded or is it for the other functions such as Endorsements or any of the others mentioned in the "official" documentation.


    Originally I was just going to ignore this move, but in practice, this entire debacle is beyond infuriating.
    1. Vitz
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      The text clearly states Mod Organizer 2.1 and below are affected, meaning you'll need to update to 2.2. After that you simply go into settings and under the Nexus tab you can connect your account. All you'll need to do is click "Authorise" on the web page that opens. It's dead easy.
    2. soilpants
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      its asking me to accept all these thing into my computer , i have no idea what they are so i will not do it . guess i will just give up on Nexus !
    3. deleted34304850
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      what "things" are being accepted into your computer?
    4. Makron8
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      Hey, I said I shouldn't type while angry..

      Clicking "Connect to Nexus" worked this time. Initially the webpage wasn't popping up. ( I could have sworn I tried after upgrading, but it worked now, so I assume user error on my part)

      Still, it was hardly logical to assume that just because "2.1 and below are affected", that automatically means only after upgrading will the connect button work. (Unless by "affected", you meant literally that the new API can't affect/interface with older versions; in which case it's still incredibly obtuse since the interface is actually broken by the update)
      You could have simply stated that "You need to upgrade your version in order to connect to the new API", then you could get on peoples' cases about not following directions.
  8. louisianahhh
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    I'm giving Vortex a thorough look over before I actually get down to the nitty gritty of integration. Gopher's videos are for folks that have no modding experience at all and don't have any modded games already. I had to stop watching halfway through the 3rd one. What I actually need is a good detailed explanation of the "import from NMM" feature.
    This is what all of us NMM users need is a quick and sure way to integrate Vortex into our already modded games. It looks like to me this "import from NMM" feature is the answer, but it is also what has caused so many integration failures for so many NMM users. Where can I find a good walk through on the "import from NMM" feature? Are there any short cuts we can do and so forth? There has got to be a simple and sure way to integrate Vortex into our already modded games. That's what NMM users need.
    1. lauren900
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      if your playing with old skyrim the skyrim skript extender you need for most mods will not work through vortex
    2. AugustaCalidia
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      @lauren900
      SKSE works quite well with Vortex. If you are having problems with SKSE and Vortex, then raise these issues in the Vortex Support Forum. There are plenty of knowledgeable people there who can help get SKSE up and running.
  9. thelebka
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    Wow this is frustrating. My Acquisitive Soul Gems Mod (A MUST Bug fix for Skyrim) suddenly failed today (My others work!). I see its enabled in nexus mod manager. I understand the old versions of mod manager no longer allow login, but that change was not made in the last 24 hours. I could login in and run the mod just fine last night. To update I down loaded the community maintained version of NMM which uses something called "API Keys" (not explained, no directions anywhere I can find). When I try and login I click the "Authorize NMM" button. I then get an error dialog and horn sound "Verification failed due to network issues". What does this mean? No instructions anywhere again. I then get the immediate follow on error message "Authentication failed for unknown reasons check trace logs". Well I go through every folder and file in my nexus mod manger folder and nothing is labelled "trace log" (I have everything installed on my D: drive as my boot drive is an SSD with virtually no space left.). I look for tool tips or instructions where this "trace log file is"... None of course.

    Next I click the link "Manage your API Key(s) here". It takes me to some type of web page. There are uhhh... no instructions yet again. I click the request key button to get an NMM key. I get a bunch of gobeltygook in the box... but where am I supposed to paste this key so I can log in to NMM? Again no instructions. I then request a personal key. Another blob of discriblet in another box. As usual no instructions where to paste it or what to do with it. Login to NMM Community edition still fails even though I have both API 'Keys' displayed on the webpage.

    I am not a programmer and don't have ages to research a solution. What am I doing wrong? This process is definitely not user friendly. :(
    1. Garek56
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      I've been having the exact same problem... I JUST HAVE NO DANG CLUE WHERE TO PUT THIS CODE? And, even after futzing around with my firewall, even just turning it off completely to see if this "network issue" could be solved... nope, NONE of this works
    2. thelebka
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      Yup I tried what you tried too. Same failed result. :(
    3. thelebka
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      Well it seems I am not the only one who cannot get NMM to work as there are no instructions on what to do with the required API keys. Perhaps an admin will reply at some point with actual directions so all of us can get NMM community working...
  10. BruhRUSerious
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    didn't realize this happened after a break from bethesda games and modding in general but... what the hell? do you just expect me to like wait hand and knee on y'all so i can spend weeks fixing my complicated ultra mod setup? this is tragic. don't tell me to just use another mod manager either, y'all know that s#*! is impossible to fucking switch to. i have quite a few years worth of meticulously downloaded mods on that old engine... a lot of which aren't available anymore. just get the community manager, don't mess with vortex or whatever it is now smh
  11. DeadNightLw
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    login just to post this. This thread is just bullshit, download this https://www.nexusmods.com/site/mods/4/?tab=files and that's it, no api s#*!, no contacting mods, just download the community mod manager and it works fine
    1. njaboy
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      Thanks for the help
    2. ibrokeupmcr
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      You're a god among men.
    3. stalkerzombie
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      Thank you!
    4. ThiagozoYT
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      Thank you my friend!!!!