How to Use Path of Building: Import Builds & Master the Interface

Path of Building (PoB) is the gold standard for planning, optimizing, and analyzing Path of Exile builds, especially as you start runs like Smite Slayer or Mercenary builds in Secrets of the Atlas. This guide helps you import community builds and navigate PoB’s powerful interface—including Tree, Skills, Items, and Config tabs—so you can unlock your build’s full potential.

1. Importing a Build into Path of Building

Importing builds (from PoB links or your live character) is easy and saves you from manual configuration:

1. Click Import/Export Build in the top-left of PoB 

2. Choose “From Website” and paste a Pastebin or pobb.in link from any sturdy PoE guide 

3. Alternatively, use Character Import, select your League and Character Name from the dropdown, and import your live build 

4. Confirm options (e.g., “Items and Skills”, “Passive Tree & Jewels”), delete the old build if prompted, and voilà—your build and its stats load instantly 

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2. Understanding the Interface: Tab-by-Tab Breakdown

A. Tree Tab

• Displays your class, Ascendancy, and passive skill investments.

• Use the Compare Trees dropdown to test different paths before committing.

• Toggle “Power View” to highlight nodes based on your build’s optimization 

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B. Skills Tab

• Shows Active Skills with Support gems in their socket groups.

• Instructions from community guides illustrate the setup steps easily

• Multi-select support gems and hover for cooldowns, stats, and resource costs.

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 C. Items Tab

• Edit or test gear setups—swap rare or unique items, add mods, and observe stat changes instantly.

• The “Craft Item” feature enables experimenting with hybrid mods before committing in-game

• Use “Trade for these items” for direct price comparison via trade API injection.

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 D. Config Tab

 

• Set enemy type, resistances, flask uptime, and more to test realistic boss or map damage.

• Adjust variables like “Target’s current life %”, area-of-effect modifiers, or shock values.

• Tailor simulations to real-world scenarios; changelog examples show how adjustments change DPS output 

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3. Why This Matters

PoB’s strengths lie in its precision—reliable DPS, effective health, and build validation before gear investment:

• Spot stat discrepancies between in-game tooltips (which often lie) and PoB’s accurate calculations

• Test changes to your build tree, flask usage, or item mods instantly before spending currency in-path.

• Use PoB’s simulations to prepare for major content (e.g., Mercenary synergy, or boss DPS at Map levels).

Final Notes & Best Practices

• After importing your build, explore the Tree, Skills, Items, and Config tabs to understand each aspect of your character.

• Use Compare Trees and Gear swaps to test different strategies.

• Finally, simulate your build under current league conditions—e.g., add Trarthus gem setups or Merc support in the Config tab.