Cloth Config API | In-Game Settings Screen Library

If you have ever installed a mod and then tweaked its settings through a clean in-game menu instead of digging through config files, there is a good chance Cloth Config API was doing the heavy lifting behind the scenes. It is a library mod, not something you interact with directly. Other mods depend on it to generate their configuration screens. With roughly 140 million downloads, it is one of the most widely used libraries in the modded Minecraft ecosystem. You install it because something else needs it.

What You Actually See as a Player

As a player, you never open Cloth Config on its own. It has no settings menu of its own. What it does is give other mods a way to show you a visual settings screen with interactive controls for their config options. Instead of manually editing config files, you click through a GUI that the mod author designed using Cloth Config's builder tools.

When you use Mod Menu, those config screens appear behind the "Configure" button in your mods list. Mod Menu gives you the list of installed mods. Cloth Config provides the actual settings page you see after clicking "Configure" for a specific mod. The two work together, but they do completely different things.

The Declarative Builder Behind the Screens

For mod authors, Cloth Config provides a declarative builder for constructing config screens. The developer describes what options they want, and the API handles rendering, input binding, tooltips, search, and the config file read/write round-trips automatically. The mod author does not have to build their own widget stack from scratch.

It ships with Architectury support, so developers writing mods for multiple platforms can use the same config screen code across all of them. Maven coordinates use the group me.shedaniel.cloth.

One important distinction: Cloth Config is a config screen API, not a full configuration API. Developers who need server-side config sync have to implement that themselves. They can either ignore Cloth Config on the server entirely, or have the server send the client a config copy and sync when the player saves.

Multi-Platform Support and Maintenance

Cloth Config works across multiple mod loader platforms. The internal mod ID is cloth-config2 (sometimes written cloth-config-2), which is why a mod might list "cloth-config-2" as a dependency. That is just the modern version of the same API, not a separate mod.

The mod is licensed under the GNU Lesser General Public License v3.0. It is actively maintained as of mid-2026, though the author has stated it is in maintenance mode. Bug fixes and updates for new Minecraft versions continue, but new features are unlikely. The author has recommended alternatives like MidnightConfig, owo-lib, OroConfig, and Omega Config for developers exploring other options.

Installing Cloth Config API

1. Figure out which mod loader your modpack or instance uses. If you are not sure, check our how to install Minecraft mods guide for a walkthrough.
2. Download Cloth Config from the official project page. Make sure you grab the version that matches your loader, whether that is Fabric, Forge, NeoForge, or Quilt.
3. Place the downloaded .jar file into your mods folder.
4. Launch the game with the correct loader profile. If you are on Fabric, you likely also need Fabric API, since most mods that depend on Cloth Config also depend on it.
5. If you are on Quilt, Cloth Config runs through the Fabric compatibility layer. See our Quilt Loader guide if you need help setting that up.

Cloth Config API FAQ

Does Cloth Config need to be on the server? No. It is primarily a client-side mod that generates the settings GUI you interact with. Installing it on a server will not cause problems, but it is typically only needed on the client.

What is the difference between Cloth Config and cloth-config2? They are the same mod. "cloth-config-2" is the internal mod ID used since the second major version. If a mod requires "cloth-config-2," it is asking for the modern Cloth Config API.

Is Cloth Config still maintained? Yes, but only for bug fixes and compatibility updates for new Minecraft versions. The author has stated that new features are unlikely. Notable alternatives the author recommends include MidnightConfig, owo-lib, OroConfig, and Omega Config.

Do I need to configure Cloth Config itself? No. Cloth Config does not have its own settings. It is a library that generates config screens for other mods. When a mod depends on it, you access that mod's settings through a visual in-game menu rather than editing config files manually.

Cloth Config API is the kind of mod you never think about until it is missing. If a mod you installed asks for it, grab it from the official project page and drop it in your mods folder. For more on setting up a modded instance, our lightweight mod loader guide walks you through the basics.