How to update SMAPI to continue using Stardew Valley mods
Updating SMAPI is of vital importance for anyone that plays Stardew Valley with mods. Thankfully, it’s actually very easy to do.
Though SMAPI is wildly popular with over 3.5 million downloads on NexusMods alone, there is no official updater for the program and the installer for SMAPI is rudimentary. This makes it awkward and confusing when it comes to tracking updates and which version of SMAPI players are working with.
That said, updating SMAPI is easy to do. The process isn’t flashy, intuitive, or obvious, but players will have no difficulty getting it working again after a quick update.
Related |
How to get Hardwood in Stardew Valley
How to install and update SMAPI
- Download the latest version of the SMAPI installer
- Extract the files
- Run the installer for your OS
The process of updating SMAPI is the same as its initial installation. Just download the latest version of SMAPI from
the official site
and run the appropriate installer for your hardware. Do note that on Windows some anti-virus software will flag it as suspicious, but SMAPI is completely safe to use.
After opening the installer, a .BAT file will run and bring up a DOS window. This window will indicate that SMAPI is already installed. While this might suggest that nothing actually has happened, the update will still be applied to allow SMAPI to function on newer versions of Stardew Valley.
While updating SMAPI isn’t especially difficult, updating
Stardew Valley mods
can be a time-intensive process. The lack of Steam support for Stardew Valley modding means that many require the player to manually update them unless there are other tools set up. Once again, it isn’t actually difficult to update mods but it can be a hassle for those who have a heavily customized game.
How do I enable SMAPI on Steam?
To launch their Steam copy of Stardew Valley through SMAPI, players need to change their launch options for the game.
In order to do this, players first need to install SMAPI. From there, right-click on Stardew Valley in the Steam Library, go into Properties, and open the General tab. Players will then need to copy and paste the SMAPI file destination in between quotes with %command% after. For most players, it should look like this:
“C:Program Files (x86)SteamsteamappscommonStardew ValleyStardewModdingAPI.exe” %command%
This will make it so that Stardew Valley launches through SMAPI, allowing mods to be run in the game. More information on this can be found in our
complete guide to Stardew Valley modding.
Steven Rondina
About Steven Rondina
Steven Rondina is a true lifelong gamer. His earliest memories are of playing video games, and he has continued playing them throughout his life with no plans to stop any time soon. Steven’s favorite franchises in gaming include Pokemon, Dark Souls, and Counter-Strike. He has previously published with Bleacher Report and other gaming outlets.
View full profile
Read Also
Kick
Kick Surpasses 1M Average Live Viewers, Claims 35% Market Share
Khizar Mundia
Kick co-founder Bijan Tehrani has celebrated Kick crossing another major milestone, joking on X that “more people watch Kick than flying on a plane every night.” The platform has increased its market share by 10 percentage points in 2026 while surpassing 1 million average live viewers. It’s not a secret that Eddie Craven and Bijan Tehrani initially launched Kick in 2022 in large part as a direct competitor to Twitch. ...
Dota 2
Dota 2’s new Tidehunter Arcana is mind-blowing, but prepare to spend $200+ to get it
Michael Hassall
Night owls in North America and early risers in Europe woke up to a brand new Dota 2 Arcana, the first new release of Dota’s rarest and most-coveted cosmetics since 2024. The recipient? Tidehunter, whose Maw of the Megladon Arcana transforms the already selachian sea-dweller into a full-blown shark. But while Arcana’s have traditionally been part of big events in Dota 2, either the now-discontinued Battle Passes, or most recently, ...
Movies & TV
Oscars 2027 — Will the Odyssey Earn the Most Nominations?
Zachary Roberts
The Odyssey came out in July, and it somehow delivered on all the hype and anticipation that Christopher Nolan's latest film had. Will that translate to Oscars? It can be impossible to predict how a body of voters will lean after an entire year of film releases. However, Polymarket traders think this year will be pretty easy win for Nolan and leading man Matt Damon. The Odyssey was a massive ...
Esports Betting
LeBron James will earn more from prediction markets than basketball this year
Michael Hassall
Superstar basketball player Lebron James will earn more from prediction markets this year than from playing ball thanks to his mind-blowing 15 million dollar Polymarket sponsorship. The deal has highlighted both the contentious issue of prediction markets and sport (and the true market value of a 41-year-old player) as one of the NBA’s biggest stars now clearly has more cultural cache off the court than the value of a teammate ...
Esports Betting
Polymarket bank failure predictions could force UK intervention
Michael Hassall
Crypto-based prediction market Polymarket has drawn the ire of the United Kingdom's (UK) establishment after several markets emerged predicting the downfall of British high street banks HSBC and Lloyds Banking Group. The prediction market, which also has markets tracking the downfall of the likes of JP Morgan, US Bank, and BNP Paribas, also included markets predicting the failure of several UK banking institutions. The markets, mainly “Which banks will fail ...
Twitch
What Is Twitch Spendable Balance and How To Use It?
Khizar Mundia
Twitch is adding another way for viewers to manage their subscriptions, with recurring subscriptions now available through Spendable Balance. But what exactly is Twitch Spendable Balance, and how can creators use it? Here’s what you need to know. Many creators livestream on platforms such as Kick and Twitch full-time and rely on their earnings to pay for basic necessities. This was recently seen on Kick, when the platform’s KPP glitched ...
Kick
Eddie Craven: Kick Remains Creator-Focused As Ads Contribute Little Revenue
Khizar Mundia
Kick initially prioritized the viewing experience and didn’t add ads to its content, which is why it was a major surprise when the platform finally started showing adverts. CEO Eddie Craven has addressed some of the criticism, revealing that ads are a minor revenue source for Kick, and reiterated that the platform remains creator-first in its approach. Ads initially appeared on Kick in May 2026, which sparked a backlash from ...
