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How to Install Cloth Config API for Minecraft Mods

Cloth Config API is a dependency library, not a content mod. This guide shows how to choose the correct loader build, install Fabric or Quilted Fabric API when needed, and fix “Missing Cloth Config” errors.
Length9 min Posted Quest giverVGSources Team
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Cloth Config API is installed as a dependency for another Minecraft mod. It is a library that draws the in-game settings screens other mods use, not a standalone content mod. To install it successfully, choose the jar that matches both your Minecraft version and mod loader, add the loader’s required API library, place everything in the active profile’s mods folder, and remove outdated duplicates.

The same basic process applies to Fabric, Quilt, Forge, and NeoForge, but their files are not interchangeable. A Fabric jar can be ignored by Forge, for example, leaving the dependent mod reporting that Cloth Config is missing.

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What Cloth Config API does

Cloth Config API is a configuration-screen library for Minecraft mods. The project describes it as “A library that draws the in-game settings screens other mods use.” CurseForge labels it “Config Screen API for Minecraft.” A mod uses Cloth Config when it wants an in-game configuration menu instead of building that screen itself.

Because it is a library, you normally install Cloth Config only when a separate mod lists it as a dependency. Installing the library by itself does not add biomes, blocks, items, mobs, dimensions, or a new game mode. The dependent mod is the part that provides content; Cloth Config supplies the configuration interface.

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Why the exact file matters

Every Cloth Config build targets a Minecraft version and a loader family. The loader is the mod platform used by the profile: Fabric, Quilt, Forge, or NeoForge. A jar for the wrong loader may be skipped during mod discovery, and a jar for the wrong Minecraft version may fail dependency checks even when its filename looks similar.

Compare downloads by the complete compatibility combination, not by download count or filename alone:

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  • Minecraft version used by the profile.
  • Loader and loader version used by the profile.
  • Version range requested by the dependent mod.
  • Whether the profile also needs Fabric API or Quilted Fabric API.

Cloth Config files by loader

Use this matrix before downloading anything. The artifact and companion-library rules are different for each loader.

Profile loader Cloth Config artifact Additional API normally required Key check
Fabric Fabric Cloth Config build for the profile’s Minecraft version Fabric API for the same Minecraft version Both jars must target the profile’s Minecraft version.
Quilt Fabric artifact, as specified by the Cloth Config project Quilted Fabric API Use the Quilt profile’s version and satisfy the dependent mod’s requested range.
Forge Forge Cloth Config build for the profile’s Minecraft version No separate Cloth Config companion API is listed Do not use a Fabric or NeoForge jar.
NeoForge NeoForge Cloth Config build for the profile’s Minecraft version No separate Cloth Config companion API is listed Do not use a Fabric or Forge jar.

“No separate Cloth Config companion API” does not mean that no other mod can have dependencies. Check the dependent mod’s own requirements as well as Cloth Config’s loader requirement.

Before you download

Identify the active profile

  1. Open your Minecraft launcher.
  2. Select the profile that will run the mod.
  3. Record the exact Minecraft version shown for that profile.
  4. Record whether the profile uses Fabric, Quilt, Forge, or NeoForge.
  5. Use the profile’s game directory or instance-folder control to identify the folder that actually contains its mods.

Do not assume that the profile you last played uses the same directory as another installation. A default launcher can let multiple profiles share one game directory, which makes an otherwise correct jar appear in the wrong instance or creates conflicts between incompatible mod sets.

Read the dependent mod’s requirement

Open the dependent mod’s installation information and note the Cloth Config version range. A message can require a minimum version, a bounded range, or a particular Minecraft release. The newest Cloth Config file on a download page is not automatically the right one if the mod was built for an older release.

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Where to get Cloth Config

Use the official Cloth Config project download table or an established project page on Modrinth or CurseForge. Filter the page by the Minecraft version first, then verify the loader designation in the release row. Download the jar from that exact row rather than selecting a file solely because its name contains cloth-config.

For Quilt, follow the project’s loader guidance: the Quilt profile uses the Fabric artifact, while the profile still needs Quilted Fabric API. For Fabric, select the Fabric artifact and obtain Fabric API for the same Minecraft version. Forge and NeoForge require their respective artifacts.

Step-by-step installation

1. Select the matching Cloth Config release

  1. Open the official project table, Modrinth project page, or CurseForge project page.
  2. Filter releases to the Minecraft version recorded from your profile.
  3. Check the loader label: Fabric, Forge, NeoForge, or the Fabric artifact for a Quilt profile.
  4. Compare the release version with the dependency range shown by the mod that needs Cloth Config.
  5. Download the matching jar.

If the page presents multiple files for one Minecraft version, the loader label is the deciding field. Do not substitute a file from another loader family.

2. Download the required companion API

For a Fabric profile, download Fabric API for the same Minecraft version. For a Quilt profile, download Quilted Fabric API. Place these API jars in the same instance as Cloth Config. Forge and NeoForge use their corresponding Cloth Config builds without an additional Cloth Config dependency listed by the project.

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3. Close Minecraft

Exit the game and launcher process before changing the mods folder. A running game can keep files locked, and a launch made before the new jar is present cannot test the installation you just made.

4. Open the profile’s mods folder

Use the launcher’s instance or game-directory control to open the directory belonging to the selected profile. Open its mods folder; create that folder only if the profile’s loader documentation says it is absent and should be created. Do not copy the file into a global downloads folder or into a different profile’s directory.

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5. Copy the jars

Place the Cloth Config jar and, where required, Fabric API or Quilted Fabric API in that profile’s mods folder. Keep the files as downloaded; do not extract a jar or rename its extension.

6. Remove stale duplicates

Inspect the folder for older files whose names include cloth-config or cloth-api. Remove obsolete versions and duplicate loader variants. Leaving several incompatible copies can cause the loader to select an unintended version or report a conflict. Keep only the release that matches the profile and the dependent mod’s requirement.

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7. Launch and verify

  1. Start the same profile whose mods folder you edited.
  2. Wait for the loader to complete dependency checks.
  3. Open the dependent mod’s configuration screen, if it provides one.
  4. If the game reaches the title screen without a missing-dependency error, the library is being discovered.

A successful launch does not mean every mod is compatible with every other mod. It confirms only that this dependency was found and accepted; investigate any separate error on its own terms.

How to diagnose “Missing Cloth Config”

Work through the checks in order. Most failures are caused by a wrong loader, wrong Minecraft version, wrong folder, an unsatisfied version range, or an old duplicate.

Check the Minecraft version

Compare the profile’s Minecraft version with the version shown on the Cloth Config release row and with the dependent mod’s supported version. After a Minecraft upgrade, download a build for the new version and update the matching loader and API components. A mod that works on one Minecraft version may not work on another, even when the loader name is unchanged.

Check the loader artifact

Confirm that Fabric is using the Fabric artifact, Quilt is using the Fabric artifact plus Quilted Fabric API, Forge is using the Forge build, and NeoForge is using the NeoForge build. A Fabric jar in Forge or NeoForge, or the reverse, can be skipped during discovery. The dependent mod then behaves as if Cloth Config is absent.

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Check the active instance folder

Open the folder from the profile you actually launched and verify that the jar is directly inside its mods directory. Common mistakes include editing a test profile while launching a main profile, placing the jar in a parent directory, or using a shared folder that belongs to a different loader.

Check the dependency range

Read the complete error message from the loader. If the mod requests a particular minimum or range, install a Cloth Config release inside that range. A file can be valid for the Minecraft version yet still be rejected because it is too old or too new for the dependent mod.

Remove duplicates and mixed-loader files

Delete old cloth-config and cloth-api jars from the active folder, then leave only the loader-appropriate release. Also remove files copied from another profile if they target a different Minecraft version or loader. Restart after cleanup so the loader performs discovery from a clean folder.

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Verify companion APIs

Fabric installations normally need Fabric API, and Quilt installations need Quilted Fabric API. Match the companion library to the same Minecraft version as the profile. Without it, Cloth Config may be present while the loader still stops on a separate missing API dependency.

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Separate profiles to prevent interference

Use a separate game directory for profiles that have different Minecraft versions or loader families. This prevents a Forge profile from seeing Fabric jars, keeps old releases from being selected accidentally, and makes it clear which mods belong to which installation.

If you must share a directory, audit the mods folder every time you switch profiles. Remove files that do not belong to the profile before launching. Separate directories are safer because they make the profile’s dependency set persistent instead of relying on manual cleanup.

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Updating Cloth Config after a Minecraft upgrade

  1. Confirm the new Minecraft version and loader in the upgraded profile.
  2. Check the dependent mod’s release for support for that version.
  3. Download the matching Cloth Config artifact for the loader.
  4. Update Fabric API or Quilted Fabric API when the profile uses Fabric or Quilt.
  5. Remove the previous version and any incompatible loader variants.
  6. Launch the upgraded profile and read the first dependency error if it stops.

Do not carry a jar forward merely because its filename appears generic. Compatibility is tied to the release metadata, not just the library name.

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Practical examples

Fabric profile

Your profile runs a particular Minecraft release with Fabric. Download the Fabric Cloth Config build for that release, download Fabric API for the same release, and put both jars in the profile’s mods folder with the dependent mod. A Forge build of Cloth Config does not satisfy this setup.

Quilt profile

Your profile runs Quilt. Select the Fabric artifact designated for Quilt use by the Cloth Config project, add Quilted Fabric API for the same Minecraft version, and place all required jars in the Quilt profile’s folder. Do not add a Forge or NeoForge artifact just because it has the same library name.

Forge profile

Your profile runs Forge. Select the Forge Cloth Config build for the exact Minecraft version and place it with the dependent mod. If the loader reports another missing library, follow that mod’s separate dependency list; do not install Fabric API as a substitute for Forge requirements.

NeoForge profile

Your profile runs NeoForge. Select the NeoForge Cloth Config build for the exact Minecraft version, remove any Fabric or Forge copies from that instance, and relaunch. A wrong-loader jar may never be recognized as Cloth Config.

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Quick pre-launch checklist

  • The profile’s Minecraft version is known.
  • The profile’s loader is known.
  • The Cloth Config artifact matches both values.
  • The dependent mod’s required Cloth Config range is satisfied.
  • Fabric profiles include Fabric API.
  • Quilt profiles include Quilted Fabric API.
  • The jars are in the active profile’s mods folder.
  • Older cloth-config or cloth-api copies are removed.
  • Profiles with incompatible loaders do not share an unclean mods folder.

What a correct installation looks like

When the installation is correct, the loader discovers one compatible Cloth Config jar, accepts its version against the dependent mod’s range, and also finds the required loader API. The dependent mod then reaches its normal startup and, if applicable, exposes its configuration screen in-game. If the loader still says Cloth Config is missing, return to the loader, version, folder, and duplicate-file checks rather than downloading random alternatives.

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