BACK Button Type

The BACK button type returns the player to the previously opened inventory. zMenu maintains a history of opened inventories, allowing seamless navigation.

Usage

items:
  back:
    type: BACK
    slot: 45
    item:
      material: ARROW
      name: "&c&lBack"
      lore:
        - "&7Return to previous menu"

How It Works

1. Player opens Menu A
2. Player clicks to open Menu B (history: [Menu A])
3. Player clicks to open Menu C (history: [Menu A, Menu B])
4. Player clicks BACK button → Returns to Menu B
5. Player clicks BACK button → Returns to Menu A

If there's no previous inventory in history, clicking a BACK button does nothing.

Properties

The BACK button accepts all standard button properties:

Property	Description
slot / slots	Position(s) in inventory
item	Visual appearance
sound	Sound on click
is-permanent	Show on all pages
view-requirement	Conditions to see

Examples

Basic Back Button

items:
  back:
    type: BACK
    slot: 45
    item:
      material: ARROW
      name: "&c&lBack"
    sound: UI_BUTTON_CLICK

Styled Back Button

items:
  back:
    type: BACK
    slot: 45
    item:
      material: PLAYER_HEAD
      url: "eyJ0ZXh0dXJlcyI6eyJTS0lOIjp7InVybCI6Imh0dHA6Ly90ZXh0dXJlcy5taW5lY3JhZnQubmV0L3RleHR1cmUvYmQ2OWUwNmU1ZGFkZmQ4NGU1ZjNkMWMyMTA2M2YyNTUzYjJmYTk0NWVlMWQ0ZDcxNTJmZGM1NDI1YmMxMmE5In19"
      name: "&c&l← Back"
      lore:
        - "&7Return to the previous menu"
    sound: UI_BUTTON_CLICK

Permanent Back Button

items:
  back:
    type: BACK
    slot: 45
    is-permanent: true
    item:
      material: ARROW
      name: "&c&lBack"

This shows the back button on all pages of a paginated inventory.

Navigation Bar with Back

items:
  back:
    type: BACK
    slot: 45
    item:
      material: ARROW
      name: "&c&lBack"
    sound: UI_BUTTON_CLICK

  home:
    type: HOME
    slot: 49
    item:
      material: NETHER_STAR
      name: "&e&lMain Menu"
    sound: UI_BUTTON_CLICK

  close:
    slot: 53
    close-inventory: true
    item:
      material: BARRIER
      name: "&c&lClose"
    sound: UI_BUTTON_CLICK

Conditional Back Button

Only show back button if there's a previous inventory:

items:
  back:
    type: BACK
    slot: 45
    view-requirement:
      requirements:
        - type: placeholder
          value: "%zmenu_player_previous_inventories%"
          compare: ">"
          number: 0
    item:
      material: ARROW
      name: "&c&lBack"
    else:
      item:
        material: GRAY_STAINED_GLASS_PANE
        name: "&8"

Alternative: Using Actions

You can also use the back action with a regular button:

items:
  back:
    slot: 45
    item:
      material: ARROW
      name: "&c&lBack"
    actions:
      - type: back

The BACK button type is shorthand for this.

Common Patterns

Bottom Navigation Bar

items:
  nav-border-left:
    slots:
      - 45
      - 46
      - 47
    item:
      material: BLACK_STAINED_GLASS_PANE
      name: "&8"

  back:
    type: BACK
    slot: 48
    item:
      material: ARROW
      name: "&c&lBack"

  info:
    slot: 49
    item:
      material: BOOK
      name: "&e&lPage %page%/%max-page%"

  home:
    type: HOME
    slot: 50
    item:
      material: NETHER_STAR
      name: "&6&lHome"

  nav-border-right:
    slots:
      - 51
      - 52
      - 53
    item:
      material: BLACK_STAINED_GLASS_PANE
      name: "&8"

Best Practices

1. Place consistently - Put back buttons in the same position across all menus
2. Use clear icons - Arrows or left-pointing heads work well
3. Add sounds - Provide audio feedback when navigating
4. Consider HOME - For deep menu hierarchies, add a HOME button too
5. Make permanent - In paginated menus, use is-permanent: true

Related Button Types

• HOME - Return to the first inventory in history
• MAIN_MENU - Open the configured main menu
• INVENTORY - Open a specific inventory

Next Steps

• Learn about HOME buttons
• See PREVIOUS for page navigation
• View all Button Types