The Microsoft Flight Simulator Community folder is on PC inside your chosen Installed Packages location, not always in the same default path for every install. The quickest way to find it is to open UserCfg.opt, read the InstalledPackagesPath line, then open the Community folder there. On Xbox consoles, there is no normal user-accessible Community folder.
Where is the Community folder in Microsoft Flight Simulator?
There is no single universal location because Microsoft Flight Simulator lets you choose where the main packages are stored when the sim is first set up. If you accepted the default, the folder will usually be in an AppData location. If you changed the packages drive or folder, the Community folder will be there instead.
The key thing to remember is this: the Community folder sits alongside the Official folder inside your Packages directory. So once you find the Packages directory, you have found it.
The fastest way to find the Community folder
- Close the simulator before you start, especially if you plan to add or remove files.
- Find
UserCfg.opt. On PC, this file is usually in an AppData folder for your Microsoft Store/Xbox app or Steam install. - Open the file with a plain text editor and look near the bottom for a line called
InstalledPackagesPath. - Copy that path. It points to the folder that contains both
OfficialandCommunity. - Open the Community folder inside that location. That is where most add-ons go.
If you cannot see AppData in File Explorer, turn on hidden items. AppData is hidden by default in Windows.
Typical default Community folder locations on PC
These are the usual places people find the folder if they never changed the packages location. They are useful starting points, but UserCfg.opt is still the most reliable method.
| Version / platform | Typical location | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| MSFS 2020 Microsoft Store / Xbox app on PC | C:\Users\YourName\AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.FlightSimulator_8wekyb3d8bbwe\LocalCache\Packages\Community | Common default path if you kept the original package location. |
| MSFS 2020 Steam on PC | C:\Users\YourName\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft Flight Simulator\Packages\Community | Also common, but many Steam users chose a custom drive during setup. |
| MSFS 2024 on PC | Inside your InstalledPackagesPath\Community | The exact package folder name can vary, so checking UserCfg.opt is the safest approach. |
| Xbox console | No normal user-accessible Community folder | Traditional drag-and-drop mod installation is not available in the same way as PC. |
Why your Community folder may be somewhere else
A lot of simmers move the packages directory to another SSD because Microsoft Flight Simulator uses a lot of storage. If you did that during installation, your Community folder will not be in AppData at all. It may be on a separate drive in a simple path such as D:\MSFS\Packages\Community or something similar.
That is why we do not recommend guessing. Read the path from UserCfg.opt and go straight to the correct folder.
What is the Community folder used for?
The Community folder is where Microsoft Flight Simulator loads most manually installed add-ons, including:
- aircraft
- scenery
- airports
- liveries
- utilities that install as package folders
In most cases, you extract the add-on and place its main folder directly into Community. If you download add-ons from our library at Fly Away Simulation Downloads, the readme usually tells you exactly which folder should end up there.
What should I see inside the Community folder?
Usually you will see one folder per add-on package. Each package folder normally contains files such as a layout.json, a manifest.json, and one or more subfolders for the add-on contents.
If you open Community and see another folder inside the add-on folder with the same name again, that often means the package is nested one level too deep. That is a very common reason for an aircraft or scenery mod not appearing in the sim.
Can I move the Community folder?
Not by moving the Community folder on its own. What you actually move is the whole Packages location that contains both Community and Official.
If you want it on another drive, use the simulator's package location settings or reinstall the packages to the new drive, then confirm the new path in UserCfg.opt. Simply dragging only Community elsewhere will usually break your add-on path.
Is there a Community folder on Xbox?
Not in the normal PC sense. On Xbox consoles, you do not get ordinary file-system access to a Community folder for manual mod installs. If you are playing on Xbox, add-on handling is much more restricted and does not work like the PC version.
Common problems when trying to find or use the Community folder
I cannot see AppData
AppData is hidden in Windows. Enable hidden items in File Explorer, or use the UserCfg.opt method instead of browsing blindly.
I found several folders called Community
Only the one inside your active Installed Packages path matters. Ignore old backup folders, duplicate test installs and leftover folders from previous versions unless you know exactly what they are for.
My add-on does not show up after copying it in
Check that the folder structure is correct, make sure the add-on is compatible with your sim version, and confirm it is in the active Community folder rather than an old one from a previous install.
I use an add-on linker or manager
Those tools still point back to the real Community folder. If the linker is showing the wrong location, compare it with the InstalledPackagesPath entry and correct it.
Quick answer
If you just want the shortest possible answer: on PC, the Microsoft Flight Simulator Community folder is whatever folder your InstalledPackagesPath points to, plus \Community. Find that path in UserCfg.opt. That is the definitive location for your install.