To install Litematica, you install three things: the Fabric Loader for your Minecraft version, the Litematica jar, and the matching MaLiLib jar. That is the whole job. Most failed installs are not complicated — they come from one wrong version in that trio, so this guide walks through each step in order and ends with two in-game checks that prove the mod is loaded and working. Worked examples below use Minecraft 26.3, the current game version, and the same steps apply to 26.2, 26.1.x and 1.21.11 with the version pairs from the table in Step 2.
Before You Start
You need a legitimate copy of Minecraft: Java Edition and the standard Minecraft Launcher (or a third-party launcher that supports Fabric). Litematica is a client-side mod — it is installed only in your game client, never on a server.
One requirement that changed recently is Java. The Minecraft 26.x line runs on Java 25, while the 1.21.11 line uses Java 21. Most launchers select the correct Java automatically when the instance is created for that game version, so for most players this needs no action — but if you have set a manual Java path in your launcher in the past, it must point at the right runtime for the version you are installing, or the game will crash before any mod is even read.
Step 1: Install the Fabric Loader
Litematica is a Fabric mod, so the Fabric Loader has to be in place first.
- Download the Fabric Installer from the Fabric project’s website (fabricmc.net) and run it.
- In the installer, select the Minecraft version you play — for example 26.3 — and leave the loader version at the default offered.
- Click Install. The installer creates a new Fabric profile in your launcher.
- Open the Minecraft Launcher and confirm the new Fabric profile appears in the version list.
If you use a third-party launcher such as Prism Launcher or Modrinth App, you do not need the standalone installer: create a new instance for your game version and choose Fabric as the mod loader instead. The result is the same.
Step 2: Download the Matching Litematica + MaLiLib Pair
This is the step that decides whether the install works. Litematica cannot run without MaLiLib — the mod’s own documentation says so plainly — and the MaLiLib version is locked to the Minecraft version. Litematica 0.29.1 will not load with the MaLiLib build you used on 26.2, and no single MaLiLib covers all game versions. Download both jars for your game version from the download hub, which links the official Modrinth release files:
| Minecraft | Litematica | MaLiLib | Java |
| 26.3 | 0.29.1 | 0.30.2 | 25 |
| 26.2 | 0.28.8 | 0.29.6 | 25 |
| 26.1 / 26.1.1 / 26.1.2 | 0.27.14 | 0.28.12 | 25 |
| 1.21.11 | 0.26.16 | 0.27.20 | 21 |
The file names follow a fixed pattern — litematica-fabric-26.3-0.29.1.jar and malilib-fabric-26.3-0.30.2.jar — so you can always check the Minecraft version and the mod version straight from the file name before installing. Each version also has a dedicated page with its own notes: Litematica for 26.3, for 26.2, for 26.1.2 and for 1.21.11.
Step 3: Put Both Jars in the Mods Folder
Move both downloaded jars into the mods folder inside your Minecraft directory:
- Windows:
%appdata%\.minecraft\mods - macOS:
~/Library/Application Support/minecraft/mods - Linux:
~/.minecraft/mods
Three rules for this folder. First, do not extract or unzip the jars — Fabric loads them exactly as downloaded. Second, if you are updating from an older game version, remove the old Litematica and MaLiLib jars instead of adding the new ones next to them; two versions of the same mod in the folder is the single most common cause of a crash after an update. Third, the jars go in mods, not in resourcepacks or the game directory itself.
Step 4: Launch and Verify the Install
Start the game using the Fabric profile you created in Step 1. Then run these two checks:
- Mod list check. On the title screen, the game runs under the Fabric Loader; if you use the Mod Menu mod, Litematica and MaLiLib both appear in its mod list. If a mod is missing from the list, its jar is not in the right folder or is for the wrong game version.
- In-game menu check. Load any world and press M. The Litematica main menu should open. Pressing M + C opens the configuration GUI. If both menus open, the install is complete and correct.
If the game crashes during loading instead, the crash message almost always names the problem: a missing or mismatched MaLiLib is reported by name, and a Java mismatch on the 26.x line shows up as a class-version error. Fix the pair or the Java first — reinstalling the same wrong files changes nothing.
Do You Need Fabric API? No.
Many install guides for Fabric mods list Fabric API as a requirement, and Litematica is the exception worth knowing about. The project’s README states it directly: Fabric API is not needed. Litematica’s only hard requirements are the Fabric Loader and MaLiLib. Installing Fabric API anyway does no harm — plenty of other mods need it — but leaving it out will never be the reason Litematica fails to load. (Some third-party add-ons built around Litematica, such as printer extensions, do require Fabric API for themselves; that requirement belongs to the add-on, not to Litematica.)
Common Install Mistakes
- Mismatched pair. Litematica and MaLiLib from different Minecraft versions. Always take both files from the same row of the table in Step 2.
- Old jars left behind. After a game update, delete the previous Litematica and MaLiLib jars before adding the new pair.
- Wrong Java on 26.x. The 26.x line needs Java 25; a launcher Java path still pointing at Java 21 or older will fail before mods load.
- Expecting a server install. There is nothing to install on a server or Realm — Litematica works purely from your client. See which Litematica version is current if you are not sure which line your server community plays on.
- Looking at the wrong keyboard key. On AZERTY layouts the main menu key is the comma key, not M. Our Litematica keybinds guide covers this and the other default hotkeys.
Updating Litematica When a New Version Drops
Updating is the install process in miniature, with one extra rule. When Minecraft gets a new game drop — or you move to a newer line, such as from 26.2 to 26.3 — download the new Litematica and MaLiLib pair for that game version, delete the two old jars from the mods folder, and drop the new pair in. Never run two Litematica jars at once, and never pair a new Litematica with the previous line’s MaLiLib: version-matched pairs are how the mod’s releases are designed to work. Your schematics survive every update — .litematic files live in the separate schematics folder and carry over — and your configuration carries over too, because it is stored outside the jars themselves. If the game refuses to start right after an update, read the crash message before changing anything: it names the offending file, and in most cases it is the old MaLiLib that was left behind in the folder.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need Fabric API to install Litematica?
No. Litematica needs only the Fabric Loader and MaLiLib. The project’s own documentation states that Fabric API is not needed, even though many other Fabric mods do require it. Some separate add-on mods built around Litematica ask for Fabric API themselves, but the mod itself does not.
Which MaLiLib version do I need for Litematica?
The MaLiLib build that matches your Minecraft version, released in the same period: MaLiLib 0.30.2 for Minecraft 26.3, 0.29.6 for 26.2, 0.28.12 for 26.1 / 26.1.1 / 26.1.2, and 0.27.20 for 1.21.11. There is no single MaLiLib that works for every game version — the pair has to match.
I installed everything but the M menu does not open. What is wrong?
The usual causes are a mismatched Litematica / MaLiLib pair, an old jar of either mod still sitting in the mods folder, or the wrong Java for a 26.x install (the 26.x line needs Java 25). On AZERTY keyboards the main-menu key is the comma key instead of M. Check the pair first — it is the cause in most failed installs.
Does Litematica need to be installed on the server too?
No. Litematica is a client-side mod: you install it only in your own game client, and it works in single player and on multiplayer servers and Realms without anything installed on the server side. Server rules still apply to some features, so check them before using placement helpers in multiplayer.
Next Steps
With the mod installed, continue with how to use Litematica for a first end-to-end build, or how to load schematics if you already have a .litematic file ready to place.