Learn what MSFS Addons Linker does, how to connect it to the correct Community folder, build presets and fix missing or broken add-on links.
MSFS Addons Linker is a Windows utility that keeps Microsoft Flight Simulator add-ons in an external library and places links to selected packages in the active Community folder. Use it to enable only the aircraft, scenery and liveries needed for a flight, create presets, and keep MSFS 2020 and 2024 libraries separate.
What does MSFS Addons Linker actually do?
MSFS Addons Linker is a third-party organiser, not an add-on installer. It scans one or more source folders and creates Windows directory links in the Community folder, which Microsoft Flight Simulator reads as if the packages were physically installed there.
Disabling a package removes its link while leaving the source files untouched. This makes a large collection easier to organise and helps isolate conflicts without repeatedly moving gigabytes of scenery or aircraft.
It does not repair packages, prove that an add-on is compatible, or increase frame rates by itself. It should manage Community packages only; do not move Marketplace or simulator-managed content out of the Official folder.
When should I use Addons Linker instead of direct installation?
Addons Linker is most useful when the Community folder has become difficult to manage or when different flights need different content.
| Situation | Better approach |
|---|---|
| A few add-ons that remain enabled | Install them directly in Community for simplicity. |
| Hundreds of aircraft, airports or liveries | Use Addons Linker and organise them by type or region. |
| Packages that conflict with each other | Create separate presets so only one version is linked. |
| An add-on maintained by its own installer | Let the installer update it directly unless it is known to tolerate linked locations. |
| Library stored on another drive | Use Linker only if that drive is fast, reliable and keeps the same drive letter. |
The files are still read from the source drive during loading. Moving the library to a slow or intermittently connected disk can therefore cause longer loading times or missing content.
How do I set up MSFS Addons Linker?
- Close Microsoft Flight Simulator. Enable and disable packages before starting the simulator so it can index the intended content at launch.
- Create an external add-on library. Put it outside the Community and Official folders. A practical structure is
D:\MSFS Addons\2020\Scenery,D:\MSFS Addons\2020\Aircraftand equivalent folders for MSFS 2024. - Extract each package correctly. Addons Linker cannot use ZIP or other archive files directly. A package folder normally needs
manifest.jsonandlayout.jsonat its top level; our guide to the correct package structure for Community add-ons explains how to avoid an extra nested folder. - Find the active Community folder. Store, Steam and custom package installations can use different locations, and abandoned folders from an older installation may still exist. Use these checks to identify which Community folder MSFS is really using. Select the Community folder itself, not its parent Packages folder.
- Add the source and destination paths. In Addons Linker, register the external library as a source and the active Community folder as its destination. Labels differ between utility releases, but the source must never sit inside the destination or vice versa.
- Scan and activate a test package. Refresh the library, select one known-good add-on and use the utility's activation or linking command. Its entry should then appear in Community as a link rather than as a second full copy.
- Start MSFS and verify the result. Test one airport, aircraft or livery before moving the rest of the collection. Once it works, activate packages individually or apply a saved preset.
When migrating add-ons already installed in Community, copy them to the external library first, verify the copied packages, and only then remove the original folders. Leaving both a real folder and a linked copy can create duplicate package identities and unpredictable conflicts.
How should I separate MSFS 2020 and MSFS 2024?
MSFS 2020 and MSFS 2024 should have separate source libraries, Community destinations and presets. Use a Linker release that explicitly supports the simulator version you are configuring; older builds may assume MSFS 2020 paths.
Do not treat a working link as evidence that the package itself is compatible. Check which types of MSFS 2020 add-on can carry across to MSFS 2024, then link only packages suitable for that version.
A useful preset might combine an airport with its object libraries, or an aircraft with its required base model and liveries. Keep dependencies in the same preset. Also retain an empty preset so you can start MSFS with no Community add-ons when diagnosing an update or crash.
MSFS Addons Linker requires access to the Windows file system. It cannot manage installations on Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5 or PS5 Pro.
Why does an enabled add-on not appear in MSFS?
An incorrect Community destination or badly nested package is the usual cause when Addons Linker shows an item as enabled but Microsoft Flight Simulator cannot see it.
- Wrong destination: confirm that Linker targets the Community folder used by the active simulator installation.
- Nested package: open the source folder and check that
manifest.jsonandlayout.jsonare not buried inside another identically named directory. - No link was created: inspect Community after activation. An access-denied message means Linker lacks the Windows permission needed to create the directory link.
- Disconnected source: reconnect the external drive and restore its original drive letter. A link cannot find files after the source path changes.
- Missing dependency: enable any required object library, base aircraft or common package alongside the main add-on.
- Duplicate package: remove the unlinked duplicate or conflicting older version rather than enabling both.
- Simulator already running: close MSFS, apply the preset and restart it.
If the link exists but the package remains absent, follow our deeper checks for diagnosing Community packages that MSFS cannot detect.
Is MSFS Addons Linker safe to use?
Addons Linker is low-risk when the source library is backed up and links are managed through the utility. Disabling a link should leave the source package intact, but a link is not a backup and does not protect files from deletion or drive failure.
Close MSFS before changing presets, avoid manually editing linked folders inside Community, and never point the utility at the Official folder. If an add-on has its own updater, check where that updater writes files; some will recreate a physical Community folder or fail when presented with a link.