Press the configured hotkey to open Litematica's main menu

Litematica is a Minecraft mod that lets you load, place, and build from schematic files — templates that show you exactly where each block should go. The menu opens with a single keystroke, but the key itself depends on how you set it up when you installed the mod.

By default, Litematica uses the M key to open its main menu. Press M while in a Minecraft world and a panel should appear on your screen showing your loaded schematics, placement options, and building tools. If nothing happens when you press M, the mod either did not install correctly, or you changed the hotkey during setup.

The menu stays open until you press the hotkey again or click elsewhere to close it. You can move your mouse over the panel to interact with buttons and lists without closing the menu.

Key Takeaways

  • The default hotkey to open Litematica is the M key, pressed while you are inside a Minecraft world.
  • If M does not work, you may have set a different hotkey during installation or the mod did not load properly.
  • You can change the hotkey at any time by editing Litematica's configuration file or through the mod's settings menu.
  • The menu closes when you press the hotkey again, and you can interact with buttons and lists while it is open.

Check that Litematica loaded when Minecraft started

If pressing M does nothing, the mod may not have loaded. Start by checking the Minecraft launcher to see whether Litematica appears in your active mods list. Open the Minecraft launcher, select your profile, and look at the mods section — Litematica should be listed there with a checkmark or enabled status.

If Litematica is not in the list, the mod file may be in the wrong folder. Litematica requires Fabric (a mod loader) to run. The mod file itself must be in your .minecraft/mods folder, not in any subfolder. read the correct version of Litematica for your Minecraft version from the official source, place the JAR file directly in the mods folder, and restart Minecraft.

If Litematica is listed but disabled, click it to enable it, then restart Minecraft. After the game loads, try pressing M again.

Change the hotkey if M does not work for you

Some keyboards or other mods may conflict with the M key. You can change Litematica's hotkey by editing its configuration file. Close Minecraft, then navigate to .minecraft/config and look for a file named litematica.properties or a folder named litematica.

Open the litematica.properties file with a text editor (Notepad on Windows, TextEdit on Mac). Search for a line that contains key.open_menu or similar. The value next to it will show the current hotkey — usually m for M. Change it to a different letter or number that is not already in use. For example, you could use n for N or k for K. Save the file and restart Minecraft.

If you do not see a litematica.properties file, Litematica may store settings in a different location. Check inside the litematica folder itself for a file named config.json or settings.json. The structure will be different, but you should still find a key binding section where you can change the menu hotkey.

Use the menu to load and place schematics

Once the menu opens, you will see a list of available schematics on the left side. These are the building templates you have saved or downloaded. Click on a schematic name to select it, then click the Place button to position it in your world.

After you place a schematic, a preview will appear showing where each block should go. You can move the preview around by holding down a modifier key (usually Ctrl) and dragging with your mouse, or by using the arrow keys. The preview stays visible until you confirm the placement or cancel it.

The menu also shows options to rotate the schematic, flip it, and adjust its position. These buttons are usually arranged below the schematic name. Experiment with them to get the template oriented the way you want before you start building.

Close the menu and return to building

Press the hotkey again (M by default) to close the Litematica menu and return to normal Minecraft gameplay. The schematic preview will remain visible in your world so you can see where to place blocks, but the menu panel itself will disappear.

You can open and close the menu as many times as you need while building. The schematic stays loaded and positioned until you load a different one or close Minecraft.

Troubleshoot if the menu appears but looks broken

Sometimes the Litematica menu opens but buttons are missing, text is cut off, or the panel appears in the wrong place. This usually means a display scaling issue or a conflict with another mod that changes the user interface.

First, try moving your mouse to the top-left corner of the menu panel and dragging it to reposition it on your screen. If buttons are still invisible, close the menu and restart Minecraft. If the problem persists, check whether you have other mods installed that modify the Minecraft interface — mods like Sodium, Iris, or custom HUD mods can sometimes interfere.

As a last step, you can reset Litematica's configuration by deleting the litematica.properties file or the litematica folder from .minecraft/config, then restarting Minecraft. The mod will create a fresh configuration with default settings, and the menu should appear normally.

Frequently Asked Questions

What if I cannot find the .minecraft folder?

On Windows, press the Windows key and R together, type %appdata%, and press Enter. You will see a folder named .minecraft. On Mac, open Finder, press Command and Shift and Period together to show hidden files, then navigate to Library > process Support > minecraft.

Can I use a different key instead of M?

Yes. Edit the litematica.properties file and change the key binding to any letter or number you prefer. Make sure the key is not already used by Minecraft or another mod, or the hotkey will not work.

Does the menu work the same way on servers?

Litematica works on single-player worlds and on servers, but some servers may have restrictions on mods. Check your server's rules before installing Litematica. The menu opens the same way regardless of whether you are playing alone or on a server.

What if the schematic preview does not show up after I place it?

Make sure you actually clicked the Place button in the menu. If the preview still does not appear, the schematic file may be corrupted or in the wrong format. Try downloading the schematic again or using a different one to test whether the problem is with that specific file.