Writing a description people can follow
Fill in the Details step so someone can tell what your mod is, what it needs and how to install it before they download.
- Applies to
- The site
- Last checked
A description answers three questions, in this order: what is it, what does it need, and how do I install it. Someone should be able to decide whether to download before they scroll.
What the Details step holds
| Field | Rules |
|---|---|
| Title | 3 to 100 characters |
| Description | Up to 20,000 characters, with formatting |
| Features | Optional. Up to 30, one a line, 120 characters each, plain text |
| Tags | Up to 15, picked from the site's list |
| Video | Optional. A YouTube link |
| Completion | Work in progress, Beta, Complete or Discontinued |
The mod's web address is made from its title and stays put once the mod is published, so settle the title before you submit. A mod in GTA Legacy also has to say which game it's for before it can be submitted.
A shape that works
- One or two sentences on what it is. "A lore-friendly LSPD Explorer with ELS and non-ELS lighting" tells people more than a paragraph of backstory.
- Requirements. Every other mod, plugin or tool it needs, as a list.
- Installation. Numbered steps with full paths. Put paths and file names in inline code.
- Known problems. What doesn't work yet.
- Credits and permissions. Whose work is in it, and that you may share it. See Credits and permissions.
Put the selling points in Features, not in the description. Features show in their own tab on the mod's page, so the description can stay about using the mod.
Formatting you can use
The description takes headings, bold, italic, strikethrough, links, bulleted and numbered lists, quotes, inline code, code blocks, horizontal rules and tables.
It doesn't take images or HTML. Screenshots have their own place on the page. See Screenshots that pass review. Links have to start with https://, http:// or mailto:.
Tags
Tags are what the filters on listings use. Pick the ones that are true of the mod: the agency, the region, the vehicle, and features such as ELS, non-ELS, add-on or replace. If a tag you need isn't on the list, suggest it from the same page. An admin looks at each suggestion.
Keep it true
- Say what's in this download. A version is sent back when the files don't match the title, description or screenshots.
- Say when something is optional or needs another mod.
- Don't promise a different download elsewhere. The file here is the one that was checked.
- Update it when a new version changes how the mod installs.
Editing the description doesn't change the mod's "Updated" date. Only a new approved version moves it, so small edits can't push a mod up the "recently updated" list.