How to Use Maker Codes in Animal Crossing New Horizons

Custom designs are one of the best parts of Animal Crossing: New Horizons. Players have created everything from realistic brick paths to anime-inspired dresses, and maker codes let you download those designs straight to your island. If you've seen a screenshot of an incredible outfit or a beautifully decorated room and wondered how to get those same designs, learning how to use maker codes in Animal Crossing: New Horizons is the answer. It takes just a few minutes to set up, and it opens up thousands of free community-made designs for your game.

What Are Maker Codes in Animal Crossing: New Horizons?

Maker codes are shareable codes tied to a player's custom designs. When someone creates a pattern or outfit in ACNH, the game assigns it a unique code. Other players can type that code into the Custom Designs Portal to download the exact same design. There are two types:

Creator IDs (MA codes): These link to a specific player's profile, showing all the designs they've shared. Think of it like visiting someone's portfolio.
Design IDs (MO codes): These link to one single design. Use these when you want a specific item rather than browsing someone's full collection.

You'll often see these referred to as custom design codes, creator codes, or design codes online. They all mean the same system.

How Do You Access the Custom Designs Portal?

Before you can use any maker code, you need two things:

A Nintendo Switch Online subscription. The portal connects to the internet to pull designs from other players, so online access is required.
The Able Sisters shop built on your island. Mabel will visit your plaza first. After buying enough items from her on separate days, she'll ask you to help set up the permanent shop. Once it's open (usually within a week or so of playing), you'll find a pink terminal in the back-left corner of the store.

That terminal is the Custom Designs Portal. Walk up to it and press A to interact.

Step by Step: How to Enter a Maker Code

Once you're standing at the portal inside the Able Sisters shop:

Select "Search by Creator ID" or "Search by Design ID" depending on which type of code you have.
Type the code exactly as shown. Creator IDs start with MA- and Design IDs start with MO-.
Press OK to search.
Browse the results. If you searched a Creator ID, you'll see all of that player's shared designs. If you entered a Design ID, you'll see the single design.
Choose the design you want and select "Save." The design will be added to your Custom Designs app on your NookPhone.

From there, you can wear it, display it on mannequins, place it as a canvas on your walls, or use it as a ground pattern for paths and decorations.

Where Can You Find Good Maker Codes?

Social media is the biggest source. Here are the most popular places players share codes:

Reddit: The subreddit r/ACQR and r/AnimalCrossing both have thousands of shared codes sorted by category.
Twitter/X: Searching hashtags like #ACNHdesigns or #ACNHcodes pulls up constant new uploads.
Instagram and Tumblr: Many dedicated ACNH design accounts post codes daily with preview images.
Pinterest: Surprisingly useful for finding themed collections like cottagecore paths or fall clothing sets.

If you're looking for specific game-themed designs, there's a helpful collection of maker codes organized by game-specific categories that can save you time searching.

What's the Difference Between Wearing a Design and Placing It?

This trips up new players. After you save a design to your NookPhone, you have two main options:

Wear it: Open your Custom Designs app, select the design, and choose "Wear." You can assign it to a specific clothing slot (hat, shirt, dress, etc.).
Display or place it: You can put custom designs on mannequns, display them as wall art in your home, or lay them on the ground as path tiles. Ground designs are a huge part of island decoration.

Some designs are meant to be worn. Others are designed as ground textures, signs, or decorative panels. The preview image usually makes this clear.

What Are Common Mistakes When Using Maker Codes?

A few things tend to cause confusion:

Entering the wrong code type. If you have a Design ID (MO) but search under Creator ID (MA), you won't find anything. Check the prefix before you search.
Not having Nintendo Switch Online. Without an active subscription, the portal won't connect. This is the most common reason the search fails.
Typos in the code. Maker codes use letters and numbers that can look similar (like O and 0). Double-check each character.
Not enough design slots. You only get 50 basic custom design slots and 50 pro design slots in your NookPhone. If you're full, you'll need to overwrite an existing design to save a new one. Plan which designs matter most to you.
Confusing custom designs with tailor-made clothing. Maker codes are for patterns players draw in the Custom Designs app. They are not the same as items you buy from the Able Sisters or craft with DIY recipes.

Can You Use Custom Designs on Furniture?

Yes, but only on certain furniture items. Some items like cushions, simple panels, cardboard boxes, and standees can display custom designs. When placing these items, choose "Display custom design" to apply any pattern you've saved. This is a popular way to add signage, artwork, or themed decorations to rooms and outdoor areas.

How Do You Make Your Own Designs to Share?

Open the Custom Designs app on your NookPhone and choose "Create New Design." You'll get a pixel grid where you can draw freehand using colors and tools. If you want to make clothing patterns specifically, unlock the Pro Design feature through Nook Miles. Pro Designs let you create tops, dresses, hats, and shoes with separate panels for each part of the garment.

Once you're happy with a design, select it and choose "Post." This uploads it to the Custom Designs Portal and generates a Design ID others can use to download your work. If you want to give people access to everything you've made, share your Creator ID instead.

For players interested in building custom content across other Nintendo games, it's worth noting that similar creator code systems exist for sharing Super Mario Maker 2 levels and even downloading custom tracks in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.

Useful Tips for Organizing Your Downloaded Designs

Use your design slots wisely. If you download a full path set (which might use 8–12 slots), make sure you actually need all the pieces before saving them.
Screenshot the source code. If you ever need to re-download a design after overwriting it, you'll want the original code. Take a quick screenshot on your Switch.
Rotate ground designs. When placing custom patterns on the ground, press the L/R buttons while previewing to rotate the tile. Some designs only work in one orientation.
Consider a Pixel Font for design inspiration. Looking at pixel-style typography can spark ideas for signs, labels, and text-based designs in your custom patterns.

Quick Checklist: Getting Started with Maker Codes

✅ Make sure you have an active Nintendo Switch Online subscription
✅ Wait for the Able Sisters shop to open on your island
✅ Find the pink terminal in the back-left corner of the shop
✅ Search for codes using the correct prefix (MA for creators, MO for individual designs)
✅ Save the designs to your NookPhone Custom Designs app
✅ Wear, display, or place them wherever you want
✅ Keep track of your slot count so you don't accidentally overwrite favorites

Start by picking one theme for your island a color palette, a season, or an aesthetic you like and search for a few maker codes that match. Saving ten or fifteen coordinated designs at once makes decorating much easier than piecing things together randomly.