Using the field guide

Development

The field guide puts machine instructions and system explanations inside Minecraft. Open the H radial menu and choose Documentation, or use a machine screen's ? help button when available. Machine help opens the relevant topic directly.

These controls describe the updated guide in the current development build. Older releases may have the earlier topic-and-page layout.

Find an answer

1. Click the search box, or press Ctrl+F.
2. Type a machine, material, or problem: try etchant, power, or workshop.
3. Choose a result in the left pane. The reader opens at its first matching section.
4. Open Contents to jump to another section in that topic.

Search checks topic names, section headings, and section text. It ignores capitalization and accents. Multiple words narrow the result: every word must match the same section, with the topic name also counted. Clear the query to return to broader browsing.

If a specific search finds nothing, try fewer words. For exact crafting ingredients and recipe variants, open JEI instead.

Browse by goal

Use the category button above the topic list to choose a group. This reduces the list to a manageable set of related subjects. Choose All topics to remove the category filter. Clear your search too if you want the entire index.

You can browse without knowing which mod module owns a machine: choose the activity you are working on, then the relevant topic.

Move around a topic

Contents lists the topic's sections with page numbers. Select a section to jump straight to it. Use the reader's page controls to continue through the article.

Back returns to the last guide location, including its topic, page, search, and category. It is useful after following help links or changing topics. Close returns to the previous screen when one is retained. Standard machine help closes the machine inventory before opening the guide, so closing that guide returns to the world; interact with the machine again to reopen it.

Controls at a glance

Control	Action
H, then Documentation	Open the guide from the world; H can be rebound in Controls
Machine ? button	Open that machine's help topic
Ctrl+F	Focus the search field
Category button	Choose a topic group
Contents	Show section links for the current topic
Back	Restore the previous guide location
Alt+Left	Go back when the search field is not focused
Tab / Shift+Tab	Move keyboard focus between controls
Enter / Space	Activate a focused button
Page Up / Page Down	Turn reader pages, or page through Contents, when search is not focused
Mouse wheel over the left pane	Scroll the topic or category list
Mouse wheel over the reader	Turn pages, or scroll Contents
Escape / Close	Close the guide; return to its previous screen when one is retained

Which reference should I use?

Need	Best starting point
What a machine does, where to connect it, first example	Its field-guide topic
Exact crafting or processing recipe	JEI in your installed build
A longer walkthrough beside the game	Getting started
Something stopped or refuses to work	Troubleshooting
Computer command or API details	The Terminal's Help app and man command
The route from materials to reality devices	Progression

A machine's live status and JEI recipes reflect the build you are running. Public wiki pages may describe a newer development build; check the download version if its controls look different.