Async Locator is an optimization mod that changes the searching of structures and features to run asynchronously, eliminating the lag spikes caused by the /locate command, villager trades, and dolphin treasure finding in Minecraft Fabric and Forge.
Anyone who has typed /locate in Minecraft knows the pain — your game freezes for a second or more while the server searches thousands of chunks for the nearest structure. The same thing happens invisibly when a cartographer villager generates an explorer map or a dolphin leads you to treasure. These operations run on the main server thread by default, meaning everything else grinds to a halt until the search finishes. Async Locator solves this by moving all of those searches off the main thread, so your server keeps ticking smoothly while structures are found in the background. With over 5 million downloads on Modrinth, it has become one of the most trusted server-side performance mods in the Minecraft ecosystem.
Key Features of Async Locator
- Asynchronous /locate Command — When a player or command block runs
/locate, the search now happens on a separate thread. This means no more game freezes while the server scans potentially thousands of chunks to find the nearest structure, which is especially important on servers where multiple players might run locate commands simultaneously. - Lag-Free Villager Explorer Map Trades — Cartographer villagers offer woodland mansion and ocean monument maps, and generating those maps requires the server to locate those structures. Async Locator ensures this trade calculation happens in the background, so your trading session with a villager no longer causes a server-wide lag spike that affects every connected player.
- Smooth Dolphin Treasure Finding — When dolphins guide players to buried treasure, the server must search for the nearest treasure structure. Without this mod, that search can cause noticeable stuttering. Async Locator moves this to a background thread, keeping the dolphin animation and gameplay smooth.
- Exploration Maps in Chests (v1.1.0+) — Starting with version 1.1.0, the mod also handles exploration maps that generate inside loot chests. When a chunk loads and a chest contains a map pointing to a structure, that structure search is now asynchronous too. This prevents lag when exploring new areas with structure loot tables.
- Server-Side Only Installation — Async Locator only needs to be installed on the server. Individual players do not need the mod on their client to benefit from the lag reduction, which makes deployment on multiplayer servers extremely simple. If you play single-player, you install it like any other mod since your game acts as both client and server.
- Mod Integration API — Other mod developers can use Async Locator as a dependency to make their own structure-locating code asynchronous. The mod exposes a clean API through its AsyncLocator class, allowing the broader modding community to build on its functionality rather than reinventing the wheel.
Screenshots
How to Install Async Locator
- Install Fabric Loader or Minecraft Forge for your Minecraft version (1.18.2 through 1.20.2 are supported).
- Download the correct Async Locator file for your Minecraft version and mod loader from the download section below.
- Place the downloaded
.jarfile into yourmodsfolder inside your Minecraft directory (or your server'smodsfolder for multiplayer). - Launch Minecraft or restart your server. No configuration is required — the mod works immediately out of the box.
- To verify it is loaded, check your mod list in-game or look for the Async Locator entry in your server logs on startup.
Requirements & Compatibility
| Minecraft Version | Fabric | Forge |
|---|---|---|
| 1.20.2 | ✅ | ✅ |
| 1.20.1 | ✅ | ✅ |
| 1.20 | ✅ | ✅ |
| 1.19.4 | ✅ | ✅ |
| 1.19.3 | ✅ | ✅ |
| 1.19.2 | ✅ | ✅ |
| 1.18.2 | ❌ | ✅ |
Known incompatibility: Structure Essentials (Forge/Fabric) overlaps with Async Locator's functionality. On startup, only one mod's locating improvements will take effect. There are no crashes, but you only need one of the two installed.
What's New
- Fixed a Fabric startup crash caused by a missing mixin refmap
- Exploration maps in loot chests are now handled asynchronously (added in v1.1.0)
- Continued support for both Fabric and Forge across Minecraft 1.18.2 through 1.20.2
- For Minecraft 1.21 and later, a community port called Async Locator Refined by Alvaro842DEV continues development
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Eliminates lag spikes from /locate, villager trades, and dolphin treasure finding
- Server-side only — clients do not need to install it
- Zero configuration required, works immediately after installation
- Open-source under MIT license with a clean integration API for other mods
- Lightweight and focused — does one thing and does it well
Cons
- Only covers vanilla structure locating — other mods must integrate separately
- Not updated past 1.20.2 by the original author (community port available for 1.21+)
- Incompatible with Structure Essentials — only one can be active at a time
- Results from /locate may arrive with a slight delay since the search is no longer blocking
Alternatives to Async Locator
- Lithium — A general-purpose server optimization mod that improves many game systems including world generation and entity AI, though it does not specifically target structure locating lag.
- ServerCore — A performance mod that offers various server-side tweaks and optimizations, including some chunk loading improvements that complement Async Locator's approach.
- Chunky — A chunk pre-generation mod that can eliminate locate lag indirectly by generating all chunks in advance, so structure searches complete almost instantly against already-generated terrain.
Download Async Locator
| Minecraft Version | Fabric | Forge |
|---|---|---|
| For Minecraft 1.20.2 | Download | Download |
| For Minecraft 1.20.1 | Download | Download |
| For Minecraft 1.20 | Download | Download |
| For Minecraft 1.19.4 | Download | Download |
| For Minecraft 1.19.3 | Download | Download |
| For Minecraft 1.19.2 | Download | Download |
| For Minecraft 1.18.2 | — | Download |
Always download mods from official sources to stay safe.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to install Async Locator on the client?
No — Async Locator is a server-side only mod. You only need to install it on the server, and all connected players will benefit from the reduced lag. The only exception is single-player, where your game acts as both client and server, so you install it like any regular mod.
Does Async Locator work with Fabric and Forge?
Yes — Async Locator supports both Fabric and Forge for Minecraft versions 1.19.2 through 1.20.2. For Minecraft 1.18.2, only the Forge version is available. Make sure you download the correct file for your mod loader.
Is Async Locator available for Minecraft 1.21 or newer?
No — the original Async Locator by bright_spark has not been updated past 1.20.2. However, a community port called Async Locator Refined by Alvaro842DEV is available on Modrinth for Minecraft 1.21 and later versions.
Can I use Async Locator with Structure Essentials?
Technically yes, but only one mod's locating improvements will take effect. Both mods modify the same vanilla structure-locating behavior, so on startup the game will only apply one set of changes. There are no crashes or errors, but installing both is redundant — choose one or the other.
Does Async Locator require any configuration?
No — the mod works immediately after installation with no configuration files or settings to adjust. Simply drop the jar file into your mods folder and start your server. All supported vanilla operations are automatically patched to run asynchronously.
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