Standard Configs
Anyone who has spent hours fine-tuning a modpack knows the pain: you update a pack, and every config change you made gets wiped out. Standard Configs exists to solve exactly that problem. This lightweight utility mod copies files from a dedicated folder into your config and defaultconfig directories, but only when those files do not already exist. The result is simple and powerful: your personal tweaks survive modpack updates instead of being overwritten.
What Standard Configs Actually Does
At its core, the mod acts as a smart file seeder. When the game loads, it checks a folder called standardconfigs inside your instance. Any file placed there gets copied to the appropriate target directory, but only if a file with that name is not already present. If you have edited a config, the mod leaves it alone. If the file is missing entirely, perhaps because a fresh update replaced it or a new installation never had it, the mod restores your version.
This behavior is especially valuable for modpack authors and server administrators. The mod was originally developed for the Vampirism.co community, where pack updates constantly clobbered carefully tuned settings. Instead of shipping a pack with rigid defaults, authors can include a standardconfigs folder and trust that player-side changes are respected.
Why Not Just Use Another Config Mod?
Plenty of mods claim to handle config persistence, but many of them only work with specific file types, lack documentation, or fail on arbitrary files. Standard Configs takes a broader approach. It does not care whether you are copying a TOML file, a shader configuration, or something unusual. If it sits in the right folder, it gets handled. The documentation is also clear, which is more than can be said for several alternatives.
Folder Structure and Usage
The mod uses three subfolders, each mapping to a different target. Getting this right is the key to making it work.
- standardconfigs/client — copies into the config folder. Use this for client-only files such as -client.toml configs, shader settings, and similar client-side preferences.
- standardconfigs/common — also copies into the config folder. This is for files shared by both client and server, typically -common.toml configs or anything both sides read.
- standardconfigs/server — copies into the defaultconfig folder. Reserve this for server-only or world-specific files, usually -server.toml configs that only the server or a particular world needs.
Once your files are in place, the mod handles the rest on startup. There is no GUI to configure, no commands to run, and no performance overhead worth mentioning.
Version and Loader Support
Standard Configs is built for modern Minecraft and targets the Forge mod loader, which is where the majority of large modpacks live. It fits naturally into 1.16.5, 1.18.2, 1.19.2, and 1.20.1 packs, the versions most players still run for stability and mod availability. If you are maintaining an older or newer pack, check the mod page for the current compatibility list before you download Standard Configs, since the author updates support as new Minecraft releases stabilize.
Installation is refreshingly straightforward. Drop the mod file into your mods folder alongside your other Forge mods, create the standardconfigs directory inside your instance, and populate the client, common, and server subfolders with the files you want protected. If you are wondering how to install it without hunting through folders manually, the foxygame.net launcher offers a one-click install for Standard Configs, placing it correctly in your instance so you can skip the manual file shuffling entirely.
Who Should Use It
This mod is not for everyone, and that is fine. If you never touch config files, you will not notice it. But if you fall into any of these groups, it earns its place in your mods folder:
- Players who customize mod settings and hate redoing them after every pack update.
- Server owners who need consistent world-specific configs across restarts.
- Modpack developers who want to ship sensible defaults without locking players in.
- Anyone running a pack where a single update has ever erased hours of tuning.
The non-destructive copy logic is the whole point. It never overwrites, so there is no risk of the mod undoing your work. It only fills gaps.
Final Thoughts
Standard Configs is one of those quiet utility mods that solves a real, recurring annoyance without adding complexity. It respects your edits, restores missing files, and stays out of the way. For modpack veterans and server admins alike, that combination makes it an easy recommendation. Grab it for your next Forge pack, set up your standardconfigs folders once, and stop worrying about updates wiping your settings.