How to Get Started with Axiom After Creating a Creative World

Updated

Create a new creative world and look at your hotbar: a 10th slot with an Axiom icon should appear. If it's there, you're ready — hold Left Alt with that slot selected and scroll to pick a Builder Tool, or press Right Shift to open Editor Mode. If the slot is missing, run /whynoaxiom in-game and follow the instructions it prints.

Confirm Axiom is loaded

The 10th hotbar slot is your signal that the mod is active in the world. It only appears in a new creative world, so if you're in a survival or pre-existing world, that alone explains the missing icon.

If the slot isn't there in a fresh creative world:

  1. Run /whynoaxiom in the chat.
  2. Follow the instructions the command provides.
  3. If the problem persists after that, ask in the official Axiom Discord.

Open the Builder Tools menu

Builder Tools are the beginner-friendly entry point — the documentation describes them as the most approachable part of Axiom.

  • Select the 10th hotbar slot (the Axiom icon).
  • Hold Left Alt and use the scroll wheel to navigate the available options.

The menu stays open while you hold the key, so you can scroll through tools and release to confirm.

Open the Context Menu

The Context Menu works from your normal hotbar slots rather than the Axiom slot:

  • Select any slot from 0 to 9.
  • Hold Left Alt to open the Context Menu for that slot.

Switch to Editor Mode

Press Right Shift to open or close Editor Mode. This is where the more in-depth tools live, and they can be combined with Tool Masks for additional complexity — so treat Editor Mode as the next step once Builder Tools feel comfortable, not the starting point.

Change the keybinds

All of these keys can be reassigned in Minecraft's Controls Menu. If Left Alt or Right Shift conflicts with something else in your setup, remap them there rather than working around the defaults.

Quick reference

Action Input
Verify Axiom is loaded Check for the 10th hotbar slot icon
Troubleshoot a missing icon /whynoaxiom in-game
Open Builder Tools Hold Left Alt with the 10th slot selected, scroll to navigate
Open Context Menu Hold Left Alt with a slot from 0–9 selected
Open/close Editor Mode Right Shift
Rebind keys Minecraft Controls Menu

Who this setup suits

Axiom is built for Minecraft builders of all skill levels and is described as easy to learn but hard to master. If you're new, stay in Builder Mode until the tools feel natural; the added depth of Editor Mode and Tool Masks will still be there when you want it.