So I downloaded a world. Not through the exchange and I'm not sure how to get it into the game any advice?

It's a sims3pack (or it should be - if it's anything else, it's not gonna work), so you install it just like you would any sims3pack. Game Help:TS3 CC Basics^wiki

Ok thank you will this work with custom content as well like houses and sims?

Yup. What matters is the file type - all .sims3packs get installed the same way, all .packages get installed the same way, all .sim files get installed the same way (except perhaps in really weird cases, but those will say quite clearly what should be done differently). Worlds should always, ALWAYS be .sims3packs, though some things (like sims, patterns, makeup, objects, etc.) can be package or sims3pack and some creators provide the same stuff in package or sims3pack so you can choose which you prefer.

its not showing up as any packs? Im trying to download redcliffs

It'll probably a rar, zip, or 7z file to begin with. You'll have to extract it. That's covered on the page I linked ya to.

Yes I did but it still wasn't a sim pack.

The contents of the rar, zip, or 7z should be a sims3pack... And I just downloaded Redcliffs to check, and it is indeed a .sims3pack inside a .rar. Maybe you downloaded the wrong file.

I must have lol I'll go try again it's just when I do it even the symbol is wrong its the internet explorer symbol lol weird.

Symbol is irrelevant - file type is all that matters as far as actually working goes... Though if it does have the wrong symbol it may mean you don't have a program to open it installed yet... There's stuff about the programs you can use on that CC Basics page.

I put it in my downloads folder it didn't say simpacks thought and I extracted it this what I did I sent it to a compressed folder (or a zipper folder), then I extracted it to the sims, and then I moved it into downloads but it's still a rar??

Right-click on the rar. If you've got 7-zip properly installed, it should show up when you right-click on the rar file and then you can choose "Extract here" and you'll get a sims3pack alongside the rar file. Then you can delete the rar, stick the sims3pack into My Documents\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3\Downloads, run the launcher and install it to your game... And then it should show up when you go to play.

Thank you so much I had to download a zip extractor and it all worked perfectly you are a life savor! Im so new to this and you made the experience totally easy!