Welcome to our new blogpost on easily submitting your project to CurseForge. This guide will help you avoid common pitfalls when creating your project and get it published as quickly as possible.

Before diving in, make sure you’re familiar with our Moderation Policies, which are updated periodically.

General Project Page Guidelines

Project Name

Your project’s name should be unique and identifiable. Derivatives (e.g., mods from the "Create" ecosystem) are allowed, as long as they adhere to licensing rules and permissions. That said, unique names are always preferred. A few things to keep in mind:

• Avoid including metadata or technical details (e.g., mod loader, version numbers, categories like "Mod" or "Horror" and game name such as Minecraft, unless it is part of a unique name ).
• Go for a clear and unique name improves searchability on CurseForge and beyond, helping players better discover your project than a generic name.

Project Avatar

Your avatar should be unique and recognizable but doesn’t have to be elaborate. We understand that not everyone can create a professional-looking graphical asset (and that’s completely fine!). So no worries, simple images are perfectly acceptable. Just keep in mind:

• Avoid blank colors or simple gradients.
• Avoid NSFW content.
• Do not use someone else’s assets without permission.
• Do not use any copyrighted material or images.

Project Summary

The summary is a short, high-level description that appears in search results but not on the project page itself.

• Use it to entice players with your project's key features or theme.
• Try to avoid generic terms like "A fantasy adventure pack." Instead, highlight something unique about your project.
• Personal statements (e.g., "A mod for me and the boys. Skibidi.") will not be accepted.

Project Description

This is the main section of your project page, the meat and potatoes, so to speak - where you provide detailed information about your project. Providing a clear, engaging, and informative description will attract players and help your project pass moderation quickly.

This section is by far the most common reason for requesting changes during moderation.

Please be sure to:

• Highlight the main features, themes, and uses of your project. Not every feature has to be listed, but try to focus on what makes your project special than the many others who do similar things. If it's a simple Minecraft mod, try to add some details beyond just “adds a pickaxe.” What is it made of? How do you craft it? What makes it different from vanilla pickaxes or from the multitude of other pickaxe mods out there? Be creative!
• Include images to showcase your work, especially for graphical projects (e.g., Resource Packs or Create A Sim) - these are required for visual-based projects. 
• Avoid overly lengthy descriptions, walls of text, and excessive capitalization.

Pro Tip: Add flavor to your description while ensuring it remains concise and informative. Many players skip projects with long, hard-to-read descriptions.

Additional notes:

• Include translations if desired, but English should be listed first.
• Avoid vague comparisons like “This is like X mod.” Clearly explain your concept for players unfamiliar with similar mods. Think of it as something that’s completely stand-alone.
• For Modpacks, a list of the included mods is not a sufficient description.
• If promoting servers, socials, or external content, place that information below the main description in a smaller and reasonable size to avoid detracting from your project’s content.
• Want to learn more about making the perfect page? See our How to Create the Best Project Page article!

Forks and Derivative Projects

If your project is a fork (built using another project’s code or assets):

• Check the license of the original project. Licenses like All Rights Reserved (ARR) require explicit permission. If no license is specified, it defaults to ARR. Use resources like tldrlegal.com to verify license terms.
• Clearly credit and link to the original project,  and specify what your fork changes.
• Even with an open source license, re-uploading a project as-is is prohibited unless explicitly permitted by the owner.

Files specific guidelines

Minecraft-Specific Guidelines

Each project category has specific file format requirements. The most common ones are:

• Mods/Bukkit plugins: Must be JAR files.
• Modpacks: These should be ZIP files in the format exported by the CurseForge app. Read here for instructions.
• Resource Packs: These must be ZIP archives containing the RP files directly (not their root folder).

For modpacks, ensure all included mods are:

• Downloaded through the CurseForge app (not added manually). This ensures proper crediting and Reward Points for mod authors.
• Approved third-party mods can be added if listed on our approved mods list.

Note: While cross-loader modpacks are an exciting new trend enabled by recent APIs, they are not yet fully supported and may cause file processing issues

The Sims 4-Specific Guidelines: Files

For Sims 4 projects:

• Files must be zipped, even if only a single .package file is uploaded.
• Refer to the full file format requirements on our Moderation Policies page.
• Do not include any Mac specific files or folders

Conclusion

Following these guidelines will help you pass the moderation process quickly and create an outstanding project page.

The CurseForge moderation team reviews around 2,000 new projects a week, not counting updates on existing ones. It uses both manual and automated processes to ensure projects are safe and comply with our platform and game developer guidelines. Many of these projects require adjustments before being approved. 

If you have questions or disagree with a moderation decision, you can submit a support ticket. Remember that moderators are human, and while mistakes happen, respectful feedback is always welcome.

We can’t wait to see the incredible projects you’ll create. Good luck, and happy modding!