Vortex doesn't have a one-click "export modlist" button, but it keeps its own state as JSON that this tool can read directly. Look in your Windows AppData folder for one of these, newest first:
%AppData%\Vortex\temp\state_backups_full\manual.json (created via Settings → Workarounds → Backup)%AppData%\Vortex\temp\state_backups_full\startup.json%AppData%\Vortex\temp\state_backups_full\hourly.json
Type
%AppData%\Vortex\temp\state_backups_full into File Explorer's address bar to jump straight there. Pick whichever file has the most recent "date modified" — that's your current modlist.
If
startup.json and
hourly.json both look stale (weeks old, not updating when you install mods), Vortex's automatic backup scheduler may have silently stopped working on your install. The reliable fix: in Vortex, go to
Settings → Workarounds and use the manual backup option — it writes a fresh
manual.json to that same folder immediately, no waiting on the scheduler.
Mod Organizer 2 keeps a plain-text list per profile at:
<MO2 install folder>\profiles\<profile name>\modlist.txt
This file already updates live as you enable/disable or install mods, so there's no staleness issue with it the way there is with Vortex's periodic backups. Note that this format only records the mod name and enabled state — no version numbers or source links, since MO2's modlist.txt doesn't store those.
This tool only reads mod metadata (names, versions, enabled state); it can't see your actual mod files.