World Preview is a utility mod that lets you preview a map or seed in the new world screen for Minecraft on Fabric, Forge, and Quilt.
Quick Answer: Install this if you want to inspect a seed before committing to it. It is especially useful for players who like planning terrain, biome targets, or structure hunts before they create a world.
If you have ever rolled a seed, loaded in, and immediately wished you had checked the biome layout first, World Preview solves that exact problem. It gives you a way to inspect the world before generation, and its 1,656,006 Modrinth downloads suggest a lot of players already rely on it for seed checking, world planning, and modded terrain exploration.
Key Features of World Preview Mod
- Biome preview at the current y-level — The mod focuses on sampling the biomes that have not yet been seen on your current layer, which makes the preview much more useful than a flat, one-note map. You are not just staring at colors; you are getting a practical look at what you are likely to encounter as you move through the world.
- Structure visibility controls — When structure sampling is enabled, you can turn specific structure types on or off in the preview. That matters because it lets you narrow your search instead of mentally filtering a crowded map, which is a big help when you are choosing a seed for survival, challenge runs, or a planned build.
- Heightmap view — The heightmap option gives you a colorized terrain overview instead of just biome data. This is valuable when you care about mountains, valleys, or general land shape, because it helps you judge where a base, road, or adventure route might fit before you ever load the world.
- Adjacent y-layer sampling — World Preview can also show the current y-layer and the one below it in a lighter color when intersection sampling is enabled. That extra layer of context matters for cave-biome hunting and terrain reading, since Minecraft's vertical world shape is often just as important as the surface layout.
- Mod compatibility testing — The author specifically notes that it works with mods and lists Terralith and Biomes O' Plenty as tested examples. That gives you more confidence if you use world-generation mods, because a preview tool is only useful when it still makes sense in a modded setup.
- Persistent seed storage and biome highlighting — The mod remembers seeds and can highlight specific biomes, which saves time when you are comparing worlds or trying to return to a promising result. Instead of re-entering the same information over and over, you can keep your search focused and repeatable.
- Highly configurable and extendable — World Preview is not a locked-down one-trick tool. The settings allow you to change how the preview behaves, and the project is described as highly configurable and extendable, which is exactly what you want from a utility that may need to adapt to different worldgen goals.
Screenshots
How to Install World Preview Mod
- Pick the correct loader for your instance: Fabric, Forge, or Quilt.
- Download the World Preview JAR that matches your exact Minecraft version, such as 1.21 or one of the listed 1.20.x builds.
- Place the JAR file into your instance's `mods` folder.
- If you are using Fabric, also install Fabric API, since the mod's instructions call that out as required on Fabric.
- Launch Minecraft, open the Singleplayer menu, and use the new Preview tab to inspect a seed before generating a world.
Requirements & Compatibility
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Supported Minecraft versions in the download list | 1.21, 1.20.6, 1.20.5, 1.20.4, 1.20.3, 1.20.2, 1.20.1, 1.20 |
| Supported mod loaders | Fabric, Forge, Quilt |
| Extra requirement on Fabric | Fabric API |
| World preview access | Preview tab in the Singleplayer menu, with experimental in-game opening support for single-player worlds |
| Version limitation | Versions before 1.20 are not supported |
| Multiplayer | Not supported |
What's New
- Portuguese translation support was added.
- Russian translation received an update.
- Generation was fixed for the case where all chunks are sampled at once.
- The Peaks and Valley noise calculation was corrected to use weirdness instead of depth.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Lets you inspect a seed before committing to a world.
- Supports Fabric, Forge, and Quilt.
- Includes biome, structure, and heightmap-style preview options.
- Can highlight specific biomes and remember seeds.
- Works with modded world generation, with Terralith and Biomes O' Plenty called out by the author.
Cons
- Multiplayer is not supported.
- Versions before 1.20 are not supported.
- Scrolling changes the y-level instead of zooming the map.
- The y-intersection view can look blank if you start at the build limit.
- The author notes that CPU usage can be high unless you limit the number of used cores.
Alternatives to World Preview Mod
- Fabric API is not a preview tool, but it is a required companion for Fabric users and a practical part of the same setup.
- Terralith is a world-generation mod that pairs well with seed previewing if you like exploring custom terrain layouts.
- Biomes O' Plenty adds more biome variety, making a preview tool even more useful when you want to compare world layouts.
Download World Preview Mod
| Minecraft Version | Fabric | Forge | Quilt |
|---|---|---|---|
| For Minecraft 1.21 | Download | Download | Download |
| For Minecraft 1.20.6 | Download | Download | Download |
| For Minecraft 1.20.5 | Download | Download | — |
| For Minecraft 1.20.4 | Download | Download | Download |
| For Minecraft 1.20.3 | Download | Download | — |
| For Minecraft 1.20.2 | Download | Download | Download |
| For Minecraft 1.20.1 | Download | Download | Download |
| For Minecraft 1.20 | Download | Download | — |
Always download mods from official sources to stay safe.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does World Preview work on Minecraft 1.21?
Yes. The download list includes a build for Minecraft 1.21, along with builds for the listed 1.20.x versions.
Is multiplayer supported?
No. The author says multiplayer is not supported, so this is a single-player-focused preview tool.
Does scrolling zoom the preview?
No. Scrolling moves along the y-axis, and zoom is controlled separately in the Settings menu under Resolution.
Why does the y-intersection view look white or black?
That usually means you started at the build limit. Scroll down to a lower y-layer and the preview should begin showing data.
Can I reduce CPU usage if the mod is running hard?
Yes. The settings include a way to limit the number of used cores under Settings, then General.
Does World Preview work with other mods?
Yes. The author says it works with mods and specifically tested it with Terralith and Biomes O' Plenty.
Looking for more? Browse all Minecraft Mods on McInside.
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