What \"Load out of date AddOns\" actually does
Updated 2026-11-03
Every addon has a .toc file with a line like ## Interface: 16001. That number tells the game which client version the addon was written for. When the client and the addon disagree, the game marks the addon out of date and doesn't load it, unless you tick the box.
Why addons go out of date
Usually for a boring reason: the author hasn't released a new version since the client changed, even though nothing in the addon needs to change. Sometimes for a real reason: the game changed a function the addon uses, and the addon will error until it's fixed.
The box can't tell those apart. It simply loads everything.
When it's fine
- The addon is small and simple: a slash command, a tweak to a frame, a sound.
- The author says it works and just hasn't bumped the number.
- Other players on the forum report it running.
When it's a bad idea
- Big UI replacements. A half-broken one can leave you without action bars.
- Anything that hooks into combat, nameplates or unit frames, where errors fire constantly.
- Anything you rely on in a group. A boss mod that silently fails is worse than none.
Find your client's number
Type /dump select(4, GetBuildInfo()) in chat. During the beta, Forever addons used 16001; the live client may change it with a patch. If an addon's .toc shows the same number, the game should never call it out of date.
Install BugSack first
If you do tick the box, install BugSack and BugGrabber so you can see which addon throws errors. Then untick the box once your addons have proper Forever releases, so the next client patch tells you clearly what broke.