Declarative UI
by CJDev
Declarative UI lets server owners and command makers define menus and containers with data, so a screen can be opened with a single command on Fabric servers.
What it does
Declarative UI adds data-driven user interfaces that behave like GUIs and are driven by commands on the server side. A menu is described in data and then opened for a player with the open menu command, so the interface does not need a client-side screen written for it. The mod depends on Fabric API and is published for Fabric only.
Storage content is the most common use. A container slot can take its contents from an item source, and in 1.21.11 and later a slot entry can be chosen with the declarative ui container slot source option. Item commands such as modify and replace can then write into the stored containers of a player, which lets a server build inventory-style screens without a mod on each client.
Six release versions are published: 1.21.11, 26.1, 26.1.1, 26.1.2, 26.2 and 26.3. The latest Fabric file is 1.3.2+26.3 for 26.3, published 2026-09-30 on the beta channel. Declarative UI is released under the GNU Lesser General Public License v3.0 only, and its source code, issue tracker and wiki are public.
Key features
Data-driven menus
Menus are defined in data rather than in client code, so the layout can be changed without rebuilding a mod.
Server-side opening
The open menu command shows a declared interface to a player, and nothing needs to be installed on the player's client.
Container item commands
The item modify and replace commands can change the stored containers of a player, so screen contents stay under command control.
Gallery
Compatibility
Latest build for each game version and loader.
Only full game releases are shown. This mod publishes no snapshot builds.
Requirements
Dependencies declared by the latest file for each loader.
Required 1
Use cases
Server inventory screens
A server can offer storage or shop screens that open from a command, with contents drawn from player containers.
Who it’s for: Server owners and datapack or command authors who want storage interfaces without writing a client mod. Players join without installing anything, since the mod runs on the server alone.
How it compares
Data Driven GUIs is a Fabric mod for 1.21 – 1.21.5 that runs on client and server, under the MIT License. Declarative UI is server-side only and is not limited to that range, so players need no install. Chest Sort is a client-side Fabric mod for 1.21 – 26.2 with All rights reserved and is not open source, so it does not replace server-side menus.
| Mod | Loaders | Game versions | Environment | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Declarative UI | Fabric | 1.21.11 – 26.3 | Server-side only | 2026-09-30 |
| Data Driven GUIs | Fabric | 1.21 – 1.21.5 | Client and server | 2025-04-25 |
| Chest Sort | Fabric | 1.21 – 26.2 | Client-side only | 2026-07-09 |
Questions
Does Declarative UI need Fabric API?
Do players need to install Declarative UI?
Which game versions does Declarative UI support?
In the catalog
Declarative UI is one of 4,058 Storage mods on ModsFinder, and one of 2,474 Storage mods for Fabric. 8,071 mods support Minecraft 26.3.
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Similar mods
Official listing
- Modrinth page
- modrinth.com/mod/declarative-ui
- Owner
- CJDev
- Published
- 2026-04-16
- Updated on Modrinth
- 2026-09-30
- Facts verified
- 2026-10-15