Xaero's Minimap

Xaero's Minimap gives the player a map — in the corner of the screen they see their surroundings, points of interest, coordinates, and the path they have already traveled. A full world map is added to that as well, where you can pan and search.

This is interesting for a server mainly because the map is not a server thing, but a player thing. The server does not know about it and cannot turn it off; the player installs it themselves. This has two consequences: on one hand, you do not have to worry about anything, on the other hand, you cannot ban it — you can only explain to players whether it is okay on your server.

And that is an important topic: on PvP servers, maps are often considered an advantage (the player can see the way back, find bases, and not get lost). If you have a PvP server, make a conscious decision about whether you allow maps, and write it in the rules. If you leave it up to the players, it will seem to you that some know more than they should.

Xaero's Minimap also supports points of interest and sharing between players; in multiplayer, displaying other players on the map can be configured. This is useful on peaceful servers (you can see who is where), and conversely, it is not suitable where a player should be alone.

Installation is simple: the mod goes into the player's mods folder, the version for their game version. The server does not need anything — except for servers with multiple worlds, where it is worth advising players on configuration.

1. The map is a client-side mod — it is installed on the player's computer, not on the server.
2. Install Fabric Loader or NeoForge for your game version.
3. Download Xaero's Minimap from modrinth.com/mod/xaeros-minimap for your game version and loader.
4. Optionally, also add Xaero's World Map — a full world map that can be panned.
5. Place the .jar in the mods folder (on Windows %appdata%\.minecraft\mods).
6. Launch the game — a map of the surroundings will appear in the corner of the screen.
7. Open the map settings (the key from the controls settings) and configure what should be displayed: coordinates, caves, other players.
8. As a server operator, decide whether you allow maps, and write it in the server rules.
9. On a PvP server, consider whether displaying other players should be turned off — it is an advantage.
10. On a server with multiple worlds, tell players how to switch worlds in the map so they don't get lost.
11. The mod's license does not permit further distribution — do not download it from third-party websites, only from Modrinth.

The map is the player's thing — the server can't turn it off. If you don't want it, you have to write it into the rules and enforce it; you can't ensure it technically.
On a PvP server, the map is an advantage: a player can find their way back and easily discover other people's bases. Make a conscious decision whether you allow it.
Displaying other players on the map can be turned off. On servers where players are supposed to search for each other, having it off is better.
The mod has its own license that doesn't allow redistributing the file — players should download it from Modrinth, not from someone's disk.
On a server with multiple worlds, players have to set up the map for each world separately; without that they report that the map isn't saving.
When a player reports that the map isn't working for them, verify the mod version and whether they're not confusing the keys with another mod.