The invention relates to a method for planning and performing a magnetic resonance examination using a magnetic resonance appliance, in which at least one coil unit is arranged on the patient and at least two areas are examined. The coil unit comprises an input panel and possibly an optical coil-specific marker. In the method taking place automatically, activation operations on at least one input panel cause the coil unit(s) and hence the areas of the patient which are to be examined to be moved into the magnetic resonance appliance's isocenter, for example. The advantage of this is that patient positioning is significantly simplified and speeded up and that the input panel can be used to carry out part of the measurement protocol creation on the patient in situ.