Getting Started With Fabric Mods

Fabric is one of the most popular Minecraft mod loaders, known for being lightweight, fast to update, and home to a thriving modding community. If you want to run mods like Sodium, Iris, or Carpet, you'll need Fabric installed first. This guide walks you through the entire process from scratch.

What You'll Need

  • A legitimate copy of Minecraft: Java Edition
  • The official Minecraft Launcher (or a third-party launcher like Prism or MultiMC)
  • A desktop or laptop computer (Windows, macOS, or Linux)
  • The specific Minecraft version you want to mod (check which version your desired mods support)

Step 1: Download the Fabric Installer

Head to the official Fabric website at fabricmc.net and click the "Download" section. You'll find the Fabric Installer — a small Java application (.jar file) that does all the heavy lifting. Download the latest universal installer.

Step 2: Run the Fabric Installer

  1. Double-click the downloaded .jar file to open it. (If it doesn't open, right-click → Open With → Java)
  2. In the installer window, select the Minecraft version you want to use from the dropdown.
  3. Make sure "Create profile" is checked — this adds a new profile to your Minecraft Launcher automatically.
  4. Click Install. The process takes just a few seconds.
  5. Once complete, you'll see a success message.

Step 3: Install the Fabric API

Almost every Fabric mod requires the Fabric API — a core library that provides shared tools and hooks for mod developers. Without it, most mods simply won't work.

  1. Go to modrinth.com or curseforge.com and search for "Fabric API".
  2. Download the version that matches exactly the Minecraft version you installed Fabric for.
  3. Save the .jar file — you'll place it in the mods folder in the next step.

Step 4: Find Your Mods Folder

Minecraft stores mod files in a dedicated folder inside its game directory:

  • Windows: Press Win + R, type %appdata%\.minecraft, and press Enter. Look for the mods folder.
  • macOS: Open Finder, press Cmd + Shift + G, and type ~/Library/Application Support/minecraft.
  • Linux: Navigate to ~/.minecraft/mods

If the mods folder doesn't exist yet, create it yourself inside the .minecraft directory.

Step 5: Add Your Mods

  1. Download your desired mods from trusted sources like Modrinth or CurseForge. Always verify the mod is built for Fabric and your specific Minecraft version.
  2. Drop the downloaded .jar files (including Fabric API) directly into the mods folder.
  3. Do not unzip or extract them — they go in as .jar files.

Step 6: Launch Minecraft With Fabric

  1. Open the Minecraft Launcher.
  2. In the bottom-left corner, click the profile selector and choose the new fabric-loader-[version] profile.
  3. Click Play and wait for the game to load.
  4. On the main menu, you should see "Mods" listed — this confirms Fabric is running.

Troubleshooting Tips

  • Game crashes on launch: One of your mods likely has a version mismatch. Remove mods one by one to find the culprit.
  • "Missing dependency" error: A mod requires another mod to work. Read the mod's description for required dependencies.
  • Mods not showing up: Make sure you're launching the Fabric profile, not the vanilla profile.

You're Ready to Mod!

With Fabric installed and your first mods in the folder, you're set to explore everything the Fabric modding ecosystem has to offer. Start with well-known mods, read each mod's page carefully for compatibility notes, and build your setup one mod at a time.