Which Key NG
⚪ Last updated 2022⚠️ Install Order · 6 steps
Install in this order, then this mod last — most mods fail to load without their framework and dependencies in place.
Preview

🔍 Analysis
- 👍 0.1% endorsement rate
- 🏆 #22 of 140 User Interface mods in this game by downloads
📋 About This Mod
Which Key? NG
Have you ever been surprised when you activate a locked door, but instead of starting to pick the lock, you opened it with some key you don't even remember picking up? Do you miss Fallout 3 and New Vegas replacing the difficulty of the lock with the key that unlocks it? Here's a mod for you. Now when you look at a locked door or container while the key is in your inventory, the prompt will show the name of the key instead of the lock's difficulty.
I rewrote my original mod as an SKSE plugin, because while doing this in Papyrus is nice for compatibility, there's a noticeable delay between moving your crosshair over a locked door and the prompt updating to display the key's name. Now it's instantaneous.
Written against CommonLibSSE-NG, so one .dll supports all relevant versions of Skyrim SE. Currently does not support VR, because I don't have a copy of VR to reverse engineer and test with. It's probably not a fundamental incompatibility, it's just a matter of finding the right offset in the VR executable. PRs are welcome.
Requirements
Address Library
CompatibilityCompatible with:
- []Better Third Person Selection
- []Languages other than english. I was not able to test other languages.
- UI replacers, so long as they don't change the underlying HTML of the rollover text
Source
Which Key NG is a Skyrim Special Edition mod that replaces the lock level text on locked doors and containers with the key name if the player has the key. It's an SKSE plugin, updated in November 2022, with over 1,200 endorsements and nearly 900,000 downloads.
✨ Key Features
📊 Pros & Cons
✅ Pros
- Huge community trust: 1,276 endorsements and 899k downloads show this mod is a staple.
- Tiny QoL improvement that saves you from digging through your inventory to find the right key.
- SKSE plugin means it's more stable than older script-based versions.
⚠️ Cons
- Last updated in 2022 — may not be compatible with the latest Skyrim patches or SKSE versions.
- Requires SKSE, so you'll need to set that up first if you haven't already.
- Only affects the lock text; doesn't help if you don't have the key yet.
For Skyrim players who hate fumbling through keys to unlock doors and containers. If you're a completionist or explorer who picks up every key, this mod is a must-have. Skip if you want gameplay overhauls — this is purely a UI convenience.
💡 Beginner Tips
- Make sure you have the latest SKSE64 installed and that your Skyrim version matches the SKSE version.
- Use a mod manager like Vortex or Mod Organizer 2 to install the mod and manage load order.
- If the mod doesn't work, double-check that SKSE is launching the game (look for the SKSE console window).
📊 Mod Details
- Game
- Skyrim Mods
- Author
- kpvw
- Version
- 1.1
- Downloads
- 899,021
- Endorsements
- 1,276
- Category
- User Interface
- Created
- 11/17/2022
- Updated
- 11/18/2022
🔧 How to Install Skyrim Mods
Download from Nexus.
📖 Full step-by-step install guide for Skyrim →
Visit the official mod page for specific installation instructions for this mod.
🎮 Need cheat codes or console commands? Check ur gaming wiki for Skyrim commands, item IDs, and more.
Keep browsing — more Skyrim mods await