Filtering items in Create Mod means telling machines which items to accept or reject

Create Mod's filtering system lets you control what goes into hoppers, chutes, and other containers. Instead of accepting everything that comes down a pipe, you can set up a filter so only specific items enter — like sending logs to one chest and planks to another. Filters work through filter items that you place inside the container itself, and the machine then compares incoming items against what you've set up.

The most common way to filter is by placing a filter (the item) directly into a hopper or chute. Once the filter is in place, only items that match what you've configured will pass through. If an item doesn't match, it bounces back or stays in the pipe, depending on your setup.

Key Takeaways

  • Place a filter item into a hopper or chute to restrict what enters that container.
  • Right-click the filter to open its menu and add the specific items you want to allow through.
  • You can filter by single items, item tags (like all logs or all planks), or mod-specific categories.
  • Filters work on hoppers, chutes, funnels, and other Create containers, but not on vanilla hoppers.
  • If you want to reject certain items instead of accepting them, you can toggle the filter to invert mode.

Setting up a basic filter in a hopper

Start by crafting a filter — the recipe uses a piece of string and a piece of iron. Place the filter into the hopper you want to control by right-clicking the hopper and dropping the filter into its inventory. The hopper now has one filter item taking up one slot.

Right-click the filter itself (not the hopper) to open the filter menu. A window appears showing empty slots. Click any slot and then click the item in your inventory that you want to allow through. If you want oak logs to pass through, click a slot in the filter menu, then click oak logs in your inventory. The filter now remembers oak logs.

Add more items to the filter by clicking additional slots and selecting items. You can add multiple different items to the same filter — for example, oak logs, birch logs, and spruce logs all in one filter. Any item that matches something in your filter will pass through the hopper. Everything else bounces back.

Using item tags to filter whole categories

Instead of adding individual items one by one, you can filter by item tags — groups of similar items that Minecraft and mods organize together. The tag "logs" includes all types of logs from all mods. The tag "planks" includes all planks. Using tags means you don't have to add oak logs, birch logs, spruce logs, and jungle logs separately.

To add a tag to your filter, right-click the filter menu and look for a small icon or button that switches between item mode and tag mode — this varies slightly depending on your Create Mod version, but it's usually a small symbol in the corner of the filter window. Once you switch to tag mode, click a slot and then select the tag you want. Common tags include #minecraft:logs, #minecraft:planks, #minecraft:wooden_buttons, and #forge:ores.

Mod-added items also have tags. If you're using Create Mod's own items, tags like #create:crushed_ores or #create:ingots let you filter whole groups at once. Check the mod's documentation or use a mod menu like JEI (Just Enough Items) to see what tags are available for the items you're working with.

Inverting a filter to reject items instead

By default, a filter says "let these items through." Sometimes you want the opposite — "block these items and let everything else through." This is called inverting the filter.

Open the filter menu and look for a toggle button, usually shown as an arrow or a small icon. Clicking it switches the filter to inverted mode. Now the filter says "reject these items" instead of "accept these items." If you put oak logs in an inverted filter, oak logs bounce back and everything else passes through.

Inverted filters are useful when you have many different items coming down a pipe and only want to block a few. For example, if you're sorting output from a furnace and want to keep the furnace fuel separate, you can invert a filter to reject fuel items and let everything else through to your main storage.

Filtering with chutes, funnels, and other containers

Filters work on most Create Mod containers, not just hoppers. Chutes (the vertical pipes) accept filters the same way — right-click the chute, drop a filter in, and configure it. Funnels (the moving arms that push items) also support filters. Extractors (which pull items from containers) can filter what they pull.

The process is identical: place the filter item into the container's inventory, right-click the filter to open its menu, and add the items or tags you want to allow. The main difference is where the filtered items end up — a filtered chute sends matching items downward, while a filtered funnel pushes them in the direction the funnel faces.

Vanilla Minecraft hoppers do not support Create Mod filters. If you place a filter into a vanilla hopper, it just sits there as an item and doesn't work. Always use Create's own containers — hoppers, chutes, and funnels — when you need filtering.

Combining filters with sorting systems

Filters become powerful when you combine them with multiple containers. Set up one hopper with a filter for logs, another with a filter for planks, and a third with an inverted filter to catch everything else. Items coming down a pipe split into three different chests based on what they are.

You can chain filters together. A filtered chute sends only logs downward, then a second filtered chute below it sends only oak logs to one chest and birch logs to another. Each filter narrows down what passes through, creating a sorting system that organizes items by type, mod, or any other category you set up.

For large sorting systems, use item tags instead of individual items. A single filter with the tag #minecraft:logs catches all logs from all mods, saving you from adding each type manually. As you add new mods with new log types, they automatically get sorted correctly without changing your filter setup.

Troubleshooting filters that aren't working

If items aren't filtering the way you expect, check that the filter is actually in the container's inventory. Right-click the hopper or chute and look for the filter item in the slots. If it's not there, it's not active. Also confirm you're using a Create Mod container, not a vanilla hopper.

If items are passing through when they shouldn't, open the filter menu and verify the items you added are the ones actually coming down the pipe. Sometimes items have different names than you expect — "oak log" and "oak wood" are different items, for example. Use JEI or another item menu mod to see the exact name of what you're trying to filter.

If you're filtering by tag and nothing works, the tag might not exist or might be spelled differently. Check the mod's documentation or use JEI to see what tags are available. Tags are case-sensitive and must include the mod prefix — #minecraft:logs, not #logs.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use a filter on a vanilla Minecraft hopper?

No. Vanilla hoppers ignore Create Mod filters completely. You must use Create's own containers — hoppers, chutes, funnels, or extractors — for filtering to work. If you need to filter items in a vanilla hopper, you'll have to use a different mod or a redstone contraption.

What happens to items that don't match the filter?

Items that don't match bounce back up the pipe they came from. If there's nowhere for them to go, they sit in the pipe and clog it. Make sure you have a second container or pipe to catch rejected items, or use an inverted filter to let unwanted items through to a different location.

Can I filter by damage value or NBT data?

Standard filters work by item type and tags only. They don't distinguish between a diamond pickaxe with 1 durability and one with full durability. For more complex filtering based on durability or enchantments, you'd need to use a different mod or set up multiple separate systems.

Do filters slow down item movement?

Filters don't cause lag or slow down items noticeably. They check each item as it passes and either let it through or bounce it back when ready. The only performance cost is the same as any other container — if you're running thousands of items per second, your computer will struggle, but the filter itself isn't the bottleneck.

Can I copy a filter configuration to another filter?

Not directly through the filter menu. You have to manually add items to each filter. If you're setting up many identical filters, consider using item tags instead of individual items — it's faster to add one tag to multiple filters than to add ten different items to each one.