>>542048079
>manually or with a mod manager like vortex?

since mods are drag and drop, manually installing is pretty simple.
if you are on GOG, turn off auto updates in case a random update comes out.
there are a few tricky ways to achieve the same effect on Steam. whenever the game updates the few required mods need an update.

for keeping track of your mods. it wouldnt hurt to hold on to the zip files. Maybe rename them so you know what they are for later. You can rely on your nexus profiles previously downloaded list or you can make your own text file of mod names and URLs so you know what things are and where to find them for updates.