How to Install and Use Roughly Enough Items in Minecraft

Overview

Roughly Enough Items, often shortened to REI, is a Minecraft mod that adds a searchable item and recipe browser directly to your inventory screen. Instead of leaving the game to check how a shield is crafted or what a smithing table recipe needs, players can inspect blocks, tools, materials, and modded items from one menu.

REI is available for common mod loaders such as Fabric and Forge, and it is especially useful on modded servers where recipes can pile up quickly. It can show crafting recipes, display item uses, bookmark materials for later, and, with the right permissions, provide cheat-style item access. That last part is optional, but convenient when testing builds or recovering from a questionable crafting decision.

This guide explains how to download REI, install it on your launcher, optionally add it to a server, and use its main in-game features.

Downloading REI

1. Open the Roughly Enough Items page on CurseForge and select the Files tab.

1. Choose the file that matches your Minecraft version and mod loader.

1. Click Download on the file page.

1. Save the `.jar` file somewhere easy to find, such as your downloads folder or a dedicated mod folder.

1. Download the required dependencies too: Architectury API and Cloth Config API.

If you are installing the Fabric version, also download Fabric API. Forge users usually only need the REI file plus the listed dependencies. Version matching matters here. A Fabric 1.20.1 file will not politely cooperate with a Forge 1.19.4 setup.

Installing REI on Your Client

REI needs a modded launcher profile before it can load. Install Fabric or Forge for the Minecraft version you plan to use, then add REI and its dependencies to that profile's mods folder.

1. Open the Minecraft Launcher and select Installations.

1. Find your Fabric or Forge profile, then click the folder icon for that installation.

1. Open the `mods` folder in the game directory. If it does not exist, create a folder named `mods`.

1. Drag the REI `.jar` file and all required dependency `.jar` files into the `mods` folder.

1. Go back to the launcher and press Play on the modded profile.

Once Minecraft opens, REI should be available from your inventory screen. If the game crashes before reaching the main menu, check that every mod file matches the same Minecraft version and loader.

Optional Server Installation

REI is mainly a client-side mod, so players can use its recipe viewer without the server having it installed in many setups. However, adding REI and its dependencies to the server can be useful for consistency, especially on modded servers where server-side recipe data or compatibility matters.

Before uploading files, make sure your server is running the matching Fabric or Forge version.

1. Open your server panel and go to FTP or your server file manager.

1. Log in with your panel password if prompted.

1. Open the server's `mods` directory.

1. Upload the REI file and the required dependency files.

1. Wait for each upload to finish completely.

1. Return to the main server panel and restart the server.

Do not mix loaders between client and server. If your server is Fabric, use Fabric mod files. If it is Forge, use Forge mod files.

First Look In Game

Join your world or server, then open your inventory. REI adds an item list to the right side of the screen, showing vanilla items and compatible modded content. The search bar at the bottom lets you filter by name, which is far better than scrolling forever while pretending you remember what the item is called.

The menu is meant to be quick: click or hover items to inspect recipes, use keyboard shortcuts for recipe and usage views, and bookmark items you want to track.

Viewing Recipes and Uses

To see how an item is crafted, hover over it and press R. You can also click an item in many cases to open its recipe view. If multiple recipes exist, use the arrow buttons near the top of the recipe window to cycle through them.

To see what an item is used for, hover over it and press U. This is useful for checking whether a material belongs in a crafting recipe, smelting recipe, upgrade recipe, or another modded machine.

If you want to keep an item visible for later, hover over it and press A. REI adds it to a bookmark list on the left side of your screen, which is helpful when gathering materials for a larger project.

Faster Crafting

REI can help fill crafting grids for recipes you already have the materials to make. Open a crafting table, find the item in REI, then use the crafting transfer option. In many setups, this is done by clicking the workbench icon near the search bar, hovering the desired item, and using CTRL + left-click while the crafting interface is open.

The feature only works when the required ingredients are in your inventory. REI will not create missing diamonds out of thin air, which is probably for the best.

Changing REI Settings

Open the gear icon near the REI search bar to access the mod's configuration menu.

From here, you can adjust keybinds, change display behavior, toggle interface options, and control features such as cheat access. This is also where you should look if the menu appears in an awkward position or if a shortcut conflicts with another mod.

Cheat Mode and Operator Tools

Players with operator permissions can use REI for more than recipe lookup. When cheat mode is enabled, the menu can provide item access and quick controls for actions such as changing gamemode, adjusting time, or changing weather.

To enable it, open REI settings, set Cheating to Yes, then save the changes. The extra controls are usually available from the plus icon near the lower-left area of the interface.

On a server, this requires operator privileges. Use the server console command `op playername`, replacing `playername` with the correct Minecraft username. Without those permissions, the buttons may appear but will not work as expected.

JEI as an Alternative

Just Enough Items, or JEI, is the closest alternative to REI. It offers similar recipe lookup and item browsing features and is widely used in Forge-based modpacks.

JEI may be a better fit if a specific modpack expects it, if you prefer its addon ecosystem, or if you run into compatibility issues with REI. For most players, either mod solves the same core problem: finding recipes without turning the game into a browser tab workout.

Troubleshooting

If REI does not appear, confirm that it is installed in the correct `mods` folder for the launcher profile you are actually using. Also check that Architectury API and Cloth Config API are installed, plus Fabric API when using Fabric.

If Minecraft crashes on startup, the most common cause is a version mismatch. Every mod file should match the same Minecraft version and mod loader. Mixing Fabric and Forge files, or using a 1.19 file on a 1.20 profile, can prevent the game or server from loading.

If the server refuses connections after installation, restart both the client and server, then verify the server is running the same loader family as the client. Check the server console for missing dependency messages, since those usually name the exact file that needs to be added.

If REI's cheat features do not work, confirm two things: cheat mode is enabled in REI settings, and the player has operator permissions on the server. Running `op playername` from the server console is the standard way to grant those permissions.

Useful Links

• Roughly Enough Items on CurseForge
• How to allocate more memory to Minecraft
• How to add mods to a Minecraft server
• Modded server optimization guide