YACL Config Files Explained

Where Config Files Live

Open your Minecraft instance folder and look for the config directory beside the mods folder. Most mods keep one file there, named after the mod, sometimes inside a subfolder for larger projects.

Launcher instances each have their own config folder, which is why settings differ between instances. The YACL installation guide shows the instance layout if you are not sure which folder belongs to which profile.

Key points:

• Instance folder, then the config directory
• One file per mod in most setups
• Each launcher instance keeps separate files

The Formats You Will Meet

Most files you meet are JSON or TOML, both plain text formats with different punctuation habits. JSON uses braces and quoted names, while TOML reads closer to a list of labelled values.

Never guess at syntax. A missing comma in JSON or a broken line in TOML makes the mod ignore the file and fall back to defaults, which looks exactly like your settings being deleted.

Reading A File Without Breaking It

Open configuration files in a plain text editor, never a word processor, because rich text formatting corrupts them invisibly. Read first and edit later; many players open a file only to learn a setting name, then change the value in the menu instead.

Note the exact spelling of option names before touching anything. Menus and files describe the same settings, and the file shows you which values the mod considers valid.

Backing Up Before You Experiment

Copy the whole config folder somewhere dated before any big experiment, an update day, or a modpack change. The folder is small, and a copy turns most configuration accidents into a two minute restore.

Backups also travel: moving to a new computer or instance is far easier when your tuned settings come with you. The settings backup guide builds a full routine around this habit.

When Hand Editing Makes Sense

Editing by hand suits bulk changes, copying values between instances, and fixing a single broken line that stops a file loading. It is a poor substitute for the menu when you are exploring, because the menu explains options the file leaves cryptic.

Always edit with the game closed, keep the backup from the previous section, and change one value before launching to test. If the file fails to load, restore and try again with a smaller change.

Config Files After Mod Updates

Updates can add options, rename them, or retire old ones, and well behaved mods migrate your values where they can. A setting returning to default after an update usually means the option itself changed, not that your file was lost.

Compare the fresh file with your backup after big updates. The differences show you exactly what the update changed, which is useful reading before you retune anything.

Three Golden Rules For Config Files

Rule one: the game stays closed while you edit. Rule two: every edit starts from a backup copy. Rule three: one change, one launch, one check, so a mistake always has exactly one suspect.

Follow those three and Yet Another Config files become boring in the best possible way: readable, restorable, and predictable. Break them and the same files turn into the kind of mystery that eats a weekend.