Minecraft: How to Install Fabric

Fabric is a Mod Loader for Minecraft which has been increasing in popularity since its release. It’s necessary for using some mods which are released on CurseForge. In this guide, we’re going to show you how to get started with Fabric, specifically when it comes to downloading and installing it.

Step 1: Download Fabric

First, you should head to the Fabric Downloads page. There are two options available here, one is a universal JAR and one is an EXE installation file. Either file type should work, so go ahead and choose either the Universal JAR file or the Installer EXE.

Once downloaded, open the file,. Windows users might receive a SmartScreen warning message due to an Unknown Publisher. If that happens, you should choose ‘More Info’, and then select ‘Run Anyway’. If you downloaded the JAR file and it doesn’t open, make sure you have the latest version of Java installed.

Step 2: Install Fabric

The Fabric Installer should open up, which looks like the image below. There’s a few options to consider, such as the Minecraft Version you want to install Fabric for, which can be chosen in the drop-down menu.

Nothing else should need changing. You can leave Create Profile checked too. There’s a small chance that the Installation Location could be incorrect, but this is only true if you’ve previously installed Minecraft to somewhere other than the default directory.

Client Version

First is the Client tab. Client means single player, and is required no matter what. So make sure to click Install here.

Server Version

If you want to use the Fabric Mod Loader for multiplayer, then you should move to the Server tab. On this screen, choose an empty folder where you want to install the server files to, and then press the Install button. You should also make sure to install your Server to be the same Minecraft Version as the Client.

Step 3: Open the Minecraft Launcher

Now that Fabric is successfully installed, it’s time to launch it. To do that, open up the Minecraft Launcher like you normally would.

In the bottom left corner is a dropdown box. This box contains all the versions of Minecraft that you currently have installed. One of them should be Fabric, simply select this and press the Play button to launch Minecraft with Fabric.

Step 4: Install Mods

Fabric should have now created all the necessary installation files so that you can start installing Minecraft mods. One of the best places to download mods would be at CurseForge. It’s important to note that not all mods will work, you’ll have to find some which are specifically designed to be used with Fabric.

Once a mod is downloaded, it should consist of a JAR file. You need to move this into your Minecraft installation directory. The easiest way to get there would be by opening Minecraft, selecting Options > Resource Packs > Open Pack Folder. Then you just need to move up one folder to reach the default directory.

One of the first mods you should grab is the Fabric API, as other mods will require it. You need to place the JAR file into the mods folder of your Minecraft directory. If it doesn’t exist, then create it.

When you’ve done all that, relaunch Minecraft with Fabric. It should launch with the installed mods.