Moving Items Without Slots Using the Slotless Item Handler

The Slotless Item Handler capability is for inventories that do not behave like normal chests. Instead of numbered slots, these inventories expose items as a pool. This matters for mods whose machines store items internally in ways a normal hopper cannot address.

Why Slotless Matters

A standard item handler expects slot indices. A slotless handler does not. If you try to insert into a slotless inventory using slot-based logic, you may fail or insert into the wrong place. Common Capabilities provides a way to talk to these inventories correctly.

Practical Steps

1. Find a machine that stores items internally but does not show a normal slot grid.

2. Connect an automation block or pipe that supports the Slotless Item Handler capability.

3. Insert items. The handler should accept them into the machine's internal pool rather than a specific slot.

4. Extract items. The handler should return whatever is available, without you specifying a slot.

5. If insertion fails, check that the receiving machine actually exposes this capability. Some machines only expose the standard slot-based handler.

Use this when building automation around machines that hide their internal storage, so you can still feed and drain them reliably.