There is a simple version of this and a complete version, and both are below in that order.

Short answer

Do the simple thing first. It is correct more often than the complicated thing people recommend instead.

  • Test it yourself where testing is cheap.
  • Revisit after a major patch if the behaviour changes.
  • Read the whole sequence once before doing the first step.

Path of Exile assumes you will read a spreadsheet eventually, and most of its depth is genuinely there. The accepted community answer is broadly right and wrong in a specific way that matters here. Nothing here depends on a setting you are unlikely to have.

When the usual advice fails

Where two approaches both work, the one with fewer moving parts is the one to keep. Testing this yourself takes a few minutes and settles it definitively. The mechanic behind it is simpler than the discussion around it suggests. The community wisdom on this is roughly half right, and the half that is wrong costs the most time.

It is worth separating what the game does from what players have concluded it does. Edge cases are genuinely rare, which is why the simple answer is usually the correct one. The developers have changed their mind about this at least once, which explains the older advice.

What to do instead

Most of the disagreement online comes from people describing different versions of Path of Exile. If your result differs from what is described here, note what is different first rather than starting over. Patch notes move numbers around constantly; the shape of the answer holds even when a specific value shifts.

  • Note the exception cases — they are specific rather than vague.
  • Try the straightforward approach before the elaborate one.
  • Write down what you changed, so you can undo exactly one thing if it goes sideways.
  • Check which version any conflicting advice was written for.
  • Do not build a routine around an edge case.
  • Keep a save or backup from before you start — it costs nothing and occasionally saves an evening.

Worth knowing alongside this

Half the pages on this topic were written for a build that no longer exists, which is why they stop matching what you see. None of this needs a paid tool, a third-party launcher or an account on a site you have never heard of. Path of Exile is not shy about hiding useful information two menus deep, so some of this is simply knowing where to look. There is no hidden trick here that the game is keeping from you.

There is usually a fast way and a reliable way, and it is worth knowing which one you are choosing. Do the cheap check before the expensive one — that ordering alone saves most of the frustration. If a step reads as obvious, do it anyway — the obvious ones are the ones people skip and then wonder about.

Why it works this way

Everything below is framed around the current state of Path of Exile rather than a launch-week impression. It helps to understand why a step exists, because then you can adapt it when your situation is slightly different. Where something depends on your platform or region, that is called out rather than glossed over.

Anything that behaves differently on console than on PC is flagged where it matters. Nothing here assumes a particular playstyle beyond wanting the thing to work. What follows assumes you are on a current install and have not modified it.

The practical answer

The awkward part is rarely the step itself, it is knowing which step comes first. If you are coming to this after a long break, the terminology has probably moved on. Most of the disagreement you will find online is two people describing different builds.

Where people go wrong

  • Downloading a helper tool for something the game already does in its own menu.
  • Ignoring the platform-specific note and then wondering why the steps do not line up.
  • Skipping the prerequisite because it looked optional in someone else's summary.
  • Trusting a video thumbnail that promises a result the video never actually shows.

PoE FAQ

Is this still accurate after the latest Path of Exile update?

The method is; individual numbers may not be. If a value on your screen differs, trust the screen and keep the sequence.

Do I need any mods or third-party tools for this?

No. Everything described here works with the base game on any supported platform.

Does this change between platforms?

The behaviour does not. Where menu paths or prompts differ, that is noted above.

Why do other guides describe this differently?

Most were written for an earlier version and never revisited. Compare the steps against what your build actually shows.

Anything that shifts with the next Path of Exile update will show up as a changed number, not a changed approach.