Do you recommend merging CC?

If you merge CC then it will be much more difficult to remember what comes from where. You can always google the filename if someone asks you where you got somthing when they're in separate packages. I keep my mods subdivided in folders and that keeps it organized enough for me.

it apparently helps reduce load time by a lot. I would do it, if I used a lot of CC, but as I only use 1 gig I don't see the point. The thing is that you'd have to be responsible about maintaining it. Make a back up of the unmerged packages and be prepared to have to remerge things if something breaks, etc.

I do not recommend merging CC because then you wouldn't be able to take a single one out.

Once in a while I use Sims 4 Tray Importer to take out some CCs that I don't like anymore. I put all the clothes and hairs that I don't like on a cc-free household, and then find every single one using S4 Tray Importer. If I merged them, then I wouldn't be able to take that one out without clearing my cc folder, which I wouldn't ever do.

I agree with the above. Recently had to go through ALL my CC and weed out the 3 or 4 that were causing game crashes. If you merge, you won't have that ability and it could literally break the game.

I put my CC into files. Just don't bury them again as they won't show, so do not sub folder your folder lol

I merge everything but core game mods. If you have one folder for new downloads like clothes check them in game then merge it's fine. I have back ups incase but my sims game has no lag what so ever since I merged cc the only thing I don't merge is mods such as mc command centre as they need updating everything else is fine so I merge it !!!

Yes, definitely do merge your packages. I have faster loading times and smoother playing experience. Do not merge game mods or anything that changes the XML files. And if you merge your cc, keep a backup of the individual files in another folder on your computer so that when there is something wonky going on in your game or you just don't want this piece of item, you can delete it from your individual files. Granted, you'll have to merge again, but it doesn't take very long using S4S. Also, don't merge a package to over 1.5 GB, it doesn't seem to work well for the game.

I've heard it has good results. I've tried merging before, I don't merge right now. If you use sims 4 tray importer to find broken cc I believe it still tells you which file is the culprit, even if it's merged, it will tell you the exact one out of all the packages merged into one is the one that isn't working i.e if I had a hair merged in with some other files and I use the sims 4 tray importer to find this hair bc it's broken, even though it's in a merged file it will still tell me THIS specific hair is the bad hair and not the whole merged file folder, if that makes sense. Or I think so, unless it's changed. But I would suggest you be hella specific with your file names - well I'd suggest that regardless of whether you're merging cc or not,
but if you're downloading something, be sure to put what website you got it from, which creator, what exactly it is and it's name, and also special characters (characters that aren't letters or numbers) take up more space and can slow your loading times so try to exclude those.

Like others have said, you'll need to keep a backup of the unmerged package files should any cc turn out to be corrupt or you want to get rid of it, bc once you've merged there's no going back unless you have backups of the files that went into the merged one. I personally am not sure whether it's worth it bc obviously you need back ups but it seems rather tedious to me just to get faster loading times. I don't know if it makes the game run smoother too but it's your decision to make anywho so... And then if you download new cc and then you need to do more merging... I don't know, I don't think it's worth it but you do whatever you want.

What I do is merge similar cc made by the same creator.
Best example possible.
Madlen and his shoes.
I think last time I merged his shoes it was 120 something files.
I also move the files that were merged to a different drive in a folder so if something goes wonky I can go look at the ones that are merged.

I do recommend it, just be sure to create folders with each artist name, and when you merge, write the date down on the merged file. That way you know what you have download, lets say I've merge all my Anto on july 28 and on august 3 there's new content, I know I don't have it. I have 39 Gig of CC and it takes only 3 minutes to load my game, and my PC is at least 8 years old.