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Stardew Valley

Stardew Valley SMAPI Empty Folder Skipped Mod Fix

If your Stardew Valley SMAPI log says a mod was skipped because it is an empty folder, the issue is usually not a full crash. It means SMAPI found a folder inside your Mods folder, but that folder does not contain a valid Stardew mod.

Quick answer

Open your Stardew Valley Mods folder, find the empty or invalid folder named in the SMAPI log, and remove it. Then launch Stardew Valley again so SMAPI creates a fresh log.

What this warning means

SMAPI checks every folder inside your Stardew Valley Mods folder. If it finds a folder with no mod files inside, it skips that folder and adds a warning to the log. This can happen after an incomplete download, a failed extraction, or accidentally placing the wrong folder into Mods.

Common signs in the SMAPI log

Skipped mods
because it's an empty folder
Failed: it's an empty folder
from Mods\
This mod could not be added to your game
SMAPI found a folder but no valid manifest.json

How to fix it

1
Open your Stardew Valley Mods folder.
2
Find the folder named in the SMAPI skipped-mod warning.
3
Open that folder and check whether it is empty or missing mod files.
4
Remove the empty folder from your Mods folder.
5
If it was supposed to be a real mod, redownload and reinstall the mod correctly.
6
Launch Stardew Valley again so SMAPI creates a fresh log.
7
Load the newest SMAPI log into FixMyGame if the warning or crash continues.

Where the Mods folder usually is

On many Windows Steam installs, the Stardew Valley Mods folder is usually inside the Stardew Valley game folder.

C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Stardew Valley\Mods

Your folder may be different if you installed Stardew Valley in a custom Steam library or through another launcher.

This may not be a crash

An empty folder warning can make the SMAPI log look scary, but it is often just cleanup. If Stardew Valley still opens normally, removing the empty folder may be enough. If the game actually crashes, use the newest SMAPI log after the crash happens.

If the game opens normally, clean up the empty folder and retest.
If the game crashes, recreate the crash and use the newest SMAPI log.
If the same warning stays after removal, you may be reading an old log.
If the folder returns, a mod manager or installer may be recreating it.

Do not do this yet

Do not delete all your mods because of one empty folder warning.
Do not remove SMAPI itself unless the log says SMAPI is broken.
Do not assume the empty folder is the cause of a separate crash.
Do not use an old SMAPI log to check whether the cleanup worked.

FixMyGame tip

If FixMyGame identifies an empty Stardew mod folder, remove that folder, launch Stardew Valley again, and then use the newest SMAPI log to confirm the warning is gone.

Related Guides

Fresh Log vs Old Log

Learn why the newest SMAPI log matters when checking whether a warning was actually fixed.

How to Read a Crash Log

Learn what parts of a crash log matter most when diagnosing a modded game issue.

Mod Conflicts

Learn how two mods can interfere with each other and cause crashes.

Safe Repair Preview

Learn how FixMyGame thinks about safe cleanup, backups, and reversible changes.