this guide assumes the user is using MO2

1 avoid using mods that create conflicts

2 avoid mods that are known to be problematic

3 sort out your mod order, keeping your mods organized and in the right order helps to reduce conflicts and makes it easier to troubleshoot problems that you might be having (refer to rule 5 down below)

4 avoid mods that create save bloat, they are problematic to work with and cleaning up the save files is sometimes impossible

5 don't install more than 3 mods at a time, doing so makes it hard to organize your mods properly, it can result in you not having all the patches that you need, and installing more than 3 mods at a time can make trying to find mods that are causing problems or ctds is going to be like trying to find a needle in a haystack

5 organize & categorize your mods as you install them, try keep mods that affect the same thing grouped together while also making sure that your mod order number for said mod is correct (in the left panel of MO2 to the right of each mod is a number this affects your mod order which tells MO2 what order to load the mods in starting with the lowest number going onwards to the highest number)

6 look up tutorials for installing mods that you don't how to use or install

7 test your mod setup in areas that are known to have problems like outside whiterun or up near castle volkihar or near riften, if a mod is going to cause a ctd it will usually be in an area like the ones listed

8 do not install another mod unless all problems and conflicts have been resolved with the mods that you currently have installed or are installing

9 if you are unsure of if you want a certain mod then do not install another mod until you have decided to keep or get rid of that mod because trying to uninstall that mod later on is going to become problematic 99% of the time