Workshop mods check for updates when you login.

Also some games have a menu that list the mods installed. There are an option to update from that menu also. For example: Civilization 5 have this.

@Komarimaru
Are you certain?
It makes sense. But still..

Mods will update when the mod author updates them. You can't check for updates to them, but Steam will do them automatically

workshop mods will update when the creator does.
manually installed mods will be over ridden because steam scans for corruption even when what you are doing is not to cheat.. but to play a mod.

so best is to copy the game folder in that case.

Originally posted by nine:

Simple question
I have a game installed. And I try not to let it update often.
But I do like the workshop Mods I have subscribed for that game to update on my disk

So when do mods on disk update?
When you launch game? I have set the game to update only when I launch game.
When you launch steam?
Is there a way to check and force updates WITHOUT updating the game?

unless you changed the settings, your workshop mods will auto update whenever the workshop author pushes an update. it will download immediately.

if you're looking to do a version freeze because the developers are overcooking the game and keep ruining the mods, there might be methods available to do that, but it wont exist for every game.

edit: i would think this goes without saying but theres no point in allowing the workshop downloads if one is not going to update the executable, or the mods may stop working.