How to Install and Use Ore Excavation in Minecraft

Ore Excavation Mod Overview

Mining is one of Minecraft's main loops, but digging for ore can become slow once a world grows larger or a modpack adds even more resources to hunt down. Ore Excavation solves that problem by letting you break many connected blocks or carve a preset tunnel shape with a keybind. It is useful for grabbing full ore veins, clearing stone quickly, cutting down trees, harvesting crops, and making strip mines without spending the whole evening wearing out a pickaxe.

The mod is owned by Funwayguy and authored by darkosoto on CurseForge. It supports many Minecraft versions, including older 1.7.10 builds and newer releases, and has reached tens of millions of downloads. In short, it is popular because it turns repetitive block breaking into one controlled action. Your tools still take durability damage for the work being done, so it is not magic. It is just mining with fewer unnecessary wrist exercises.

Downloading the Mod

1. Open the Ore Excavation page on CurseForge.
2. Select the Files tab near the top of the page.
3. Find the file that matches the Minecraft and Forge version you plan to use.
4. Click the download button for that file.

Save the downloaded `.jar` somewhere easy to find. You will need the same file for both the server and your local Minecraft client.

Installing Ore Excavation on a Server

1. Open the HolyHosting server panel and stop your Minecraft server.
2. Change the server version to the Forge build that matches the Ore Excavation file.

1. Open file access for the server.
2. Find the `mods` folder, or create one if it does not already exist.

1. Upload the Ore Excavation `.jar` file into the `mods` folder.
2. Wait until the upload reaches 100%.
3. Return to the main server controls and start the server again.

Forge mods need to match across the server and connecting players. If the server has Ore Excavation installed, each player should also install the mod locally before joining.

Installing Ore Excavation on Your Client

Before continuing, install Minecraft Forge on your computer for the same game version used by the server.

1. Open the Minecraft Launcher.
2. Select Installations.
3. Hover over your Forge profile and click the folder icon on the right.

1. Open the `mods` folder, or create it if needed.
2. Move the Ore Excavation `.jar` file into that folder.

1. Go back to the launcher and start Minecraft with the Forge profile.

If Minecraft fails to launch, double-check that the mod file, Forge version, and Minecraft version all match. A one-version mismatch is often enough to make Forge complain loudly.

Using Ore Excavation In-Game

After the mod is installed, it is available as soon as you load into a world or server. Some blocks can be excavated by hand, but tools such as pickaxes and axes are the best way to use it. The mod has three main parts: shape selection, excavation activation, and custom shape editing.

Choosing an Excavation Shape

By default, the V key cycles through available excavation shapes and shows the selected shape on screen. Common options include tunnel sizes such as 1x2, 3x3, and 5x5, along with stair shapes that go up or down. These are useful when you want a clean mining path instead of a random crater.

There is also a NONE option. This disables the preset tunnel shape and uses the general excavation behavior instead, which breaks matching connected blocks.

Activating Excavation

Once a shape is selected, hold the backtick key, which is usually located above Tab. While holding it, the mod displays an outline showing where excavation will begin. Mine the highlighted block to perform the selected action.

Tool durability changes based on the number of blocks mined, so a huge tunnel can cost a lot of durability at once. Keep spare tools nearby if you plan to clear large areas.

The NONE shape is best for connected blocks of the same type. Use it to collect an entire ore vein, break matching building blocks, harvest crops, or chop down a full tree quickly.

Editing and Creating Shapes

If the included shapes are not quite right, open the shape editor with the B keybind. This menu lets you choose an excavation shape with left click and set the cursor center point with right click. The side controls adjust distance forward, distance backward, height, and other shape details.

Custom shapes are especially helpful for strip mines, flat clearing patterns, staircases, and tunnels sized for specific builds. A carefully made shape can save a lot of cleanup later.

Final Notes

Ore Excavation is a strong quality-of-life mod for survival and creative worlds alike. It speeds up mining, tree cutting, crop clearing, terrain flattening, and tunnel building while still respecting tool durability. Once installed on both the server and client, choose a shape, hold the excavation key, and mine the target block to start clearing faster.