What Cloth Config API works with.
| Platform | Java Edition |
|---|---|
| Loaders | Fabric, Forge, NeoForge |
| Minecraft versions | 1.16.5, 1.18.2, 1.19.2, 1.20.1, 1.20.4, 1.21.1, 1.21.5, 1.21.8, 1.21.10, 1.21.11, 26.1, 26.1.1, 26.1.2, 26.2 |
| Environment | Client, Server |
A mod crash log naming Cloth Config API almost always means a missing or mismatched dependency, not a broken install. Cloth Config API is a configuration screen library for Fabric, Forge, and NeoForge that other Java mods use to render their in-game settings menus. It adds no gameplay content of its own: install the build that matches your mod loader and Minecraft version, and the crash clears.
What Cloth Config API does
Cloth Config API draws the settings screens that many Fabric mods expose through Mod Menu. Mod Menu's own documentation describes the pairing directly: the intended use case is for a library like Cloth Config to provide config screens for mods that use its API, and Mod Menu lists them from the mod menu screen. Roughly Enough Items is a common example. Its Modrinth listing declares Cloth Config API as a required dependency, which is why the crash shows up the moment Cloth Config is missing or built for the wrong loader. On Forge and NeoForge, mods show the same kind of screen through their own mod list, without needing Mod Menu. The library itself changes no game mechanics. It only exists so mod authors do not have to build a settings UI from scratch.
Which Minecraft version to grab
Cloth Config publishes a dedicated build for almost every Minecraft release going back to 1.14. The current line follows the 26.x drop cycle: 26.1, 26.1.1, 26.1.2, and 26.2, alongside a matching 1.21.11 release for players still on the old version-number format. Match the build to the exact Minecraft version and loader the dependent mod uses. A build for the wrong version will not load, and the dependent mod will throw the same error again.
- 26.2 and 26.1.x, the current 26.x drop line
- 1.21.11, the last release on the old version-number format
- 1.21.1 through 1.21.10, the Minecraft 1.21 line
- 1.20.1 through 1.20.4, the Minecraft 1.20 line
- 1.16.5, 1.18.2, and 1.19.2, older long-term releases still covered
Fabric, Forge, or NeoForge build
Cloth Config API ships three separate builds, one for each loader it supports, and they are not interchangeable. Take the build for whichever loader the mod that needs it runs on. If you have not installed a loader yet, our Fabric install guide covers that first step.
- Fabric: pick the Fabric-tagged file for a Fabric Loader modpack or client
- Forge: pick the Forge-tagged file for a Forge modpack or server
- NeoForge: pick the NeoForge-tagged file for a NeoForge modpack or server
Questions about Cloth Config API.
5 questions
Do I need Cloth Config?
Only if another installed mod requires it. Cloth Config API adds no gameplay or content of its own; it exists purely to draw settings screens for other mods, such as Roughly Enough Items. Check your crash log or the dependent mod's Modrinth page for Cloth Config API listed under dependencies, then install a build on the same loader and Minecraft version.
Which Minecraft version does Cloth Config support?
Cloth Config publishes dedicated builds back to Minecraft 1.14. The current line covers the 26.x drops, including 26.1, 26.1.1, 26.1.2, and 26.2, alongside the earlier 1.21.11 release. Match the exact build to the Minecraft version and loader the dependent mod requires; a mismatched version is the most common cause of the crash.
Does Cloth Config work with Fabric, Forge, and NeoForge?
Yes, but the three builds are separate downloads and are not interchangeable. Pick the Fabric build for a Fabric Loader modpack, the Forge build for Forge, and the NeoForge build for NeoForge. Installing the wrong loader's build will not fix a missing-dependency crash; the game needs the version built for its own loader.
What does Cloth Config API actually add to the game?
Nothing by itself. Cloth Config is a configuration screen library, not a gameplay mod. Mods such as Roughly Enough Items use it to render their in-game settings menus, often surfaced through Mod Menu on Fabric. Removing it does not change gameplay, but it breaks the settings screen, and sometimes the crash the log names, for any mod that depends on it.
Is Cloth Config safe to use on a multiplayer server?
Yes. Cloth Config runs on the client, the server, or both, depending on what the mod that needs it requires. It is licensed under LGPL-3.0-only and distributed through Modrinth by its original author, shedaniel, with no gameplay changes that would affect server behavior.
