About the download

It's the same as the description page for now, and updated once a day at most.
Please download for the download counter, but until this guide has finished incorporating the comments from the community, you're better with using the description page.


Guide

-2) If you're on an existing save, are you sure you want to add a mod? Check this link

-1) Ensure that you've read the mod description to make an educated decision about the consequences on your load order and saves.
If you remove a mod after installing it, you must remove all the saves done while it was installed, they are presumed corrupted (See link above for more details).

0) Ensure you have installed the mods requirements. Consider which mods depend on this one that you could install next (like patches :) )

1) Run loot - if there's a plugin in the mod (.esp, .esm, .esl)

• to get the right plugin order Loot uses a user maintained masterlist which is constantly changing. A mod position last week may change next week, so using LOOT each time you add a mod is likely to reorganize your existing plugins and possibly change override priorities on things already active in the game, which can cause you unexplained issues and bugs later. Before having saves, you can use Loot as a first step to order your plugins, and in a second step finalize the load order with xEdit. Once you have saves, you can only add new plugins at the end of your load order.
• to check if the mod needs to be cleaned (in that case, it has been declared by a user, the mod isn't checked directly by the loot executable).
• to check if the mod needs some patches (the same, it has been declared by a user, the mod isn't checked directly by the loot executable).

2) Run SSEdit - if there's a plugin in the mod (.esp, .esm, .esl)

• to check for errors (see Check for Errors).
• to check for conflicts with your already installed mods (see Conflicts). Conflicts might be solved by an available patch mod, that's one of the reasons you should check the mod requirements. If you find a conflict without an existing patch mod, for which you made a patch that doesn't depend on a personal choice, and you don't want the hassle to put it on the nexus, I'm generally ok to do it, PM me.
• to clean the mod if it needs to be cleaned (see QuickAutoClean). Do it if you found errors or conflicts, or if Loot signaled it, except if the mod author explicitly says that the mod shouldn't be cleaned.
• to eslify the mod if it is possible.
• to apply Rob's Bug Fixes - Our xEdit Scripts (see Free FPS) to remove references and navmeshes that are outside the correct vertical range - if these scripts improve this mod, then report it to the mod author (always check if it has already been reported, don't pester mod authors!).
• to check if a proper seq file has been included when the mod includes a quest (see SEQ "Lack of a proper seq file will lead to NPC dialogue not working correctly. It's possible it has some other negative impacts too, but this is what I have seen. It needs to be regenerated when new start game enabled quests are added to the plugin or their form IDs change. Generating it is very easy: you just right click the plugin, go to Other and choose Create SEQ file." - Blackread)
• to set the order of that new mod in your load order, to manage the conflicts with other mods. If there is no conflicts, then you put it manually where it would make sense with your own order. For heavy conflicting mods, it may require both changing load order and making patches. If you already have begun your playthrough (and have saves), it might be preferable to leave it at the end of your load order with a temporary custom patch if there are conflicts, and sort it properly at the start of the next playthrough.

Except for conflicts and ordering, if you needed to do something in this list, report it to the mod author (always check if it has already been reported, don't pester mod authors! And if it's already declared in Loot, the author can be considered aware, so don't report it).
If the author doesn't take it into account (maybe they stopped modding for example), and you had to apply a patch or clean, and that wasn't reported by Loot, then you can make a report to Loot so that it is included.
3) Run BodySlide to (re)generate your bodies/outfits meshes - if there's a body/outfit in the mod

4) Run the synthesis patcher - if you have synthesis patches

5) Run Wrye bash to regenerate your batched patch - if there's a plugin in the mod (.esp, .esm, .esl)

6) Run Nemesis (or FNIS if you use it) to regenerate your animations - if the mod contains an animation if there's a plugin in the mod

7) Run No Grass in Objects to regenerate your grass lods - if the mod modifies the geography

8) Run xLodgen to regenerate your terrain lods - if the mod modifies the geography

9) Run texGen to regenerate your lods textures - if the mod modifies the geography

10) Run DyndoLod to regenerate your lods meshes - if the mod modifies the geography

• "[Try to] keep a clean DynDOLOD summary, so [you] can easily spot when there are critical issues. Often especially large mods can have some things they haven't cleaned up, so not all warnings will result in problems during gameplay. BS Bruma is a good example of this, as the plugin includes references for the whole province, but the assets for these models are not included. Large reference bugs you only need to care about if you use the large reference system.
From DynDOLOD logs[,] look for two things: moved large references and duplicate references. These are both new additions to the DynDOLOD report and not included in the summary (at least not yet). Again, moved large references only matter if you use large references, but duplicate references are useful for everyone, as having duplicate references will typically lead to z-fighting and other visual issues. Not game breaking, but removing them will just make your experience more pleasant." = Sound advice by Blackread.
• Report the large reference and duplicate reference bugs to the mod author (always check if it has already been reported, don't pester mod authors!).

If you have suggestions, please don't hesitate to share them in the comments :)


Thanks

Thanks to azhrael for his advices on ordering the mods :)
Thanks to Blackread for his numerous and detailed advices :)
Thanks to cleanclouds for his advices on ordering the mods :)
Thanks to Klibick concerning his warning about adding mod during a playthrough :)
Thanks to LordMithro for his suggestion on reading the mod description and installing the requirements :)
Thanks to Mipasa for his reminder to never remove a mod :)
BlackreadBlackread