Baritone: pathfinding and automation in Minecraft

What Baritone is

Baritone is an advanced pathfinding system for Minecraft Java Edition, developed since 2018 by the developers known as cabaletta and leijurv. The project is open source on github.com/cabaletta/baritone and uses the LGPL-3.0 license.

Unlike simple "walk straight" scripts, Baritone can solve complex routes through caves, get across lava, jump over gaps, place helper blocks and steer around hostile mobs. The algorithm is based on A* (A-star) with a heuristic tuned to Minecraft's mechanics. The project began as a tool for long trips on 2b2t, the oldest anarchy server in Minecraft, where players have to cover hundreds of thousands of blocks from spawn.

Baritone is not a classic cheat like kill aura or X-Ray: it gives no advantage in combat and doesn't reveal hidden blocks. It's an automation tool. Whether using it is acceptable depends on the rules of the specific server.

Features: goto, mine, build, follow

Goto: autopilot to coordinates

The most popular feature. You give it coordinates (X Z or X Y Z) and Baritone gets there by itself, going around obstacles, jumping, digging when needed and placing blocks under your feet at drops. On flat terrain it covers hundreds of blocks a minute. In jungles or mountains it's slower, but it doesn't stop.

Mine: automatic ore mining

The #mine diamond_ore command makes your character walk around the map, using the built-in chunk cache, and mine every block of the given type. You can list several ores at once (#mine diamond_ore emerald_ore ancient_debris). Handy in survival: it switches to the right tool for each block.

Build: rebuilding schematics

Baritone can read .schematic files. The #build myhouse.schematic command makes your character build an exact copy of the schematic where you stand. It's used to rebuild ruined bases, replicate builds from other worlds and build symmetrical structures that would take hours by hand.

Follow: tracking a player or a mob

The #follow player Steve command makes your character follow another player. Useful on AFK farming servers and when someone leads you to a base. It also works with mobs (#follow entity cow), which helps when transporting animals.

Other features

• #farm: harvests and plants the given crops
• #explore: explores new terrain, filling in the chunk map
• #tunnel: digs a straight tunnel in the direction you're facing
• #clearbuild: tears down structures
• #waypoints: saves points on the map and takes you back to them

Installing Baritone (standalone and as a mod)

Baritone comes in several versions, depending on your needs and your Minecraft version. Always download it only from the official GitHub repository: github.com/cabaletta/baritone/releases. Clones from other sources often contain malware.

Baritone as a Forge mod

This is the most commonly used version. From the repository, download the Forge .jar file that matches your Minecraft version. Install Forge in your launcher (Prism, MultiMC or the official one; see Prism Launcher). Drop the Baritone file into the .minecraft/mods/ folder (or the mods folder of your Prism instance). Launch the game with the Forge profile.

Baritone as a Fabric mod

For Fabric, install Fabric Loader, download the matching Baritone Fabric build and drop it into the mods folder. It also needs Fabric API.

Baritone through Impact or Meteor

Baritone is built into several popular mod clients: Impact Client and Meteor Client have it enabled by default. If you use Meteor or Impact, Baritone is already active, so just open chat and type a command that starts with #. Keep in mind that clients like Impact also include modules that count as cheats (kill aura, X-Ray). Merely having the client installed is often bannable on servers, even if you only use Baritone.

Checking the installation

In the game, enter a singleplayer world, open chat and type #help. If a list of Baritone commands appears, the mod works. If chat returns "unknown command", the mod isn't loaded, so check version compatibility.

Basic commands: #goto, #mine, #set

Baritone commands start with # and are typed into chat. In newer versions a .b prefix is also available, configurable with #prefix. Here are the most important commands for everyday use:

Useful #set settings

• #set allowBreak true: lets it break blocks along the route
• #set allowPlace true: lets it place blocks (bridges, fills)
• #set allowParkour true: allows parkour jumps
• #set avoidance true: steers around hostile mobs
• #set buildInLayers true: builds schematics layer by layer
• #set renderPath true: draws the path in the world (helps with debugging)

For the list of all settings, use the #settings command in game or the documentation on GitHub.

Baritone on servers: rules and when it's allowed

Whether Baritone is allowed depends on the rules of the server you play on. Baritone itself is not a cheat, but many servers treat any form of automation as a rules violation.

Servers where Baritone is accepted

• Singleplayer: you're not bothering anyone, and Baritone works without restrictions
• 2b2t and other anarchy servers: Baritone was made for servers like these, where there are no rules (but note that 2b2t changed its policy and now bans some forms of automation, so check the current rules)
• Private servers with friends: if the admin agrees, there's no problem
• Technical/creative servers: some allow automation within deliberately tolerant limits

Servers where Baritone is banned

• Survival servers with an economy: automatic mining breaks the economic balance
• PvP servers (Hypixel, Minehut and most others): any automation gets you banned
• Minigame servers: bot-controlled movement is bannable even in the lobby
• Mojang's Realms: the terms forbid automation

Detectability

Baritone moves more "mechanically" than a human: in perfectly straight lines, with no small mouse corrections. Good anti-cheat systems (Grim, Vulcan, Matrix) detect a bot within a few seconds. Even when the server doesn't catch it automatically, other players can report your movement to the admins.

The simplest rule: if you're not sure whether a server allows Baritone, ask the staff before using it. A ban for automation is often permanent and can't be appealed.

FAQ

Is Baritone a cheat?

Technically no. Baritone doesn't give an advantage in combat, doesn't reveal hidden blocks and doesn't break the game's physics. It's an automation tool. From the perspective of most survival and PvP servers, though, any automation is treated the same as cheating, because it breaks the rule that "the player controls the character by hand".

Can I get banned for using Baritone?

On most servers, yes. PvP servers (such as Hypixel) ban immediately. Survival servers often give a warning, but a repeat violation leads to a permanent ban. Singleplayer and anarchy servers (like 2b2t, historically) are the exceptions.

Is Baritone allowed under Mojang's terms?

Yes. Mojang doesn't prohibit mods. Baritone as a Forge/Fabric mod doesn't violate the Minecraft EULA. The restrictions come only from the rules of individual servers, not from the game's terms.

What are the alternatives to Baritone?

For singleplayer building and navigation: Litematica (for building schematics by hand, but with a preview) and Xaero's World Map + Xaero's Minimap (for navigation with waypoints). For farm automation: an AutoClicker in some cases (but that's often bannable too). Details: Xaero's World Map guide.

Does Baritone work on Minecraft Bedrock Edition?

No. Baritone is written only for Minecraft Java Edition. Bedrock doesn't support this kind of mod.

Why does Baritone dig the blocks under me and fall?

If you haven't set #set allowBreak false, Baritone may decide that the faster route goes through the block under you. Turn the option off or set #set allowDownward false. Keep in mind that in caves and over lava the default configuration can be risky, so test in singleplayer first.