Smart Inventory Sorter

Smart Inventory Sorter is a lightweight automatic inventory organization mod for Minecraft 1.21.x, 26.1.x, and 26.2. It sorts storage containers after players finish using them, organizes player inventories on close, consolidates partial stacks, and supports server-side only, singleplayer, and optional client controls.

Vanilla players can join a server running the mod without installing anything client-side. Install it on the client only when you want the optional sort button and keybind.

Supported Versions

Minecraft	Java	Status
1.21.x	21	Full support
26.1.x	25	Full support
26.2	25	Full support

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Installation Modes

Mode	Automatic Sorting	Manual Controls	Client Mod Required
Server-side only	Yes	/sort command	No
Singleplayer	Yes	S button, P key, and /sort	Yes
Client + server	Yes	S button, P key, and /sort	For manual client controls only
Raw mode	Yes	No custom button or keybind	Depends on installation mode

Server-side automatic sorting requires the mod and Fabric API on the server. A client-only installation on an unmodded multiplayer server cannot provide authoritative server auto-sorting.

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Purpose & Function

The core mission of this project is to keep storage organized automatically without constant manual stack management.

• Sort When Finished: Containers are sorted once when the player closes them, not continuously every tick.
• Automatic Player Inventory Sorting: The 36 main inventory slots are organized after the inventory closes.
• Smart Stack Consolidation: Compatible partial stacks are merged before sorting to recover empty slots.
• Hotbar Protection: The first nine hotbar slots remain untouched when hotbar locking is enabled.
• Safe Storage Detection: Regular storage is sorted while specialized processing menus are left alone.
• Authoritative Server Changes: Server-side sorting updates the real inventory and persists after reopening the container.

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Key Features

Feature	Description	Default
Auto-Sort on Close	Sort storage after interaction ends	ON
Chest Sorting	Chests, double chests, and ender chests	ON
Barrel Sorting	Automatically organize barrels	ON
Shulker Sorting	Automatically organize shulker boxes	ON
Other Storage	Hoppers, droppers, dispensers, and compatible storage	ON
Player Inventory Sorting	Sort the 36-slot player inventory on close	ON
Hotbar Lock	Preserve all nine hotbar slots	ON
Creative Tab Sorting	Group items by Creative inventory category	DEFAULT
Alphabetical Sorting	Sort items by their displayed names	AVAILABLE
Item ID Sorting	Sort items by their registry identifiers	AVAILABLE
Manual Sort Button	Compact S button in supported container screens	ON with client mod
Manual Sort Key	Press P to request an immediate sort	ON with client mod
Raw Mode	Remove the custom button and keybind	OFF

• 100% Server-Side Capable Vanilla clients receive automatic sorting with no client mod required.
• Singleplayer Ready Minecraft's integrated server runs the same authoritative auto-sort logic.
• Optional Zero-UI Mode Enable raw mode for automatic sorting with no custom interface.
• Safe by Design Processing and crafting menus are excluded from automatic rearrangement.
• Lightweight No database, inventory scanning loop, scheduled sorter, or constant CPU usage.
• Fabric Based Requires Fabric Loader and Fabric API.

Enhance your server setup! Check out my other server-side mods over at : Fabric Server Essentials

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Automatically Sorted Storage

Smart Inventory Sorter recognizes standard storage layouts and compatible storage menus, including:

• Chests and double chests
• Ender chests
• Barrels
• Shulker boxes
• Hoppers
• Droppers
• Dispensers
• Compatible modded storage using a regular storage-slot layout

For safety, specialized menus are not automatically rearranged, including:

• Crafting tables and player crafting grids
• Furnaces, blast furnaces, and smokers
• Brewing stands
• Anvils, smithing tables, and stonecutters
• Enchanting and other processing menus

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How to Use

Automatic container sorting:

1. Open a supported storage container.
2. Add, remove, or rearrange items normally.
3. Close the container.
4. The server consolidates stacks and sorts the contents automatically.

Automatic player inventory sorting:

1. Open your player inventory.
2. Finish managing your items.
3. Close the inventory.
4. The main inventory is sorted while the locked hotbar remains unchanged.

Optional manual controls:

• Click the compact S button in a container screen.
• Press P to request an immediate sort.
• Use /sort for server-authoritative sorting.

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Command

/sort

• Sorts the currently active storage menu when one is open.
• Sorts the player's main inventory when no external storage menu is active.
• Can be used by players without installing the client mod when the mod is installed server-side.

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Configuration

Configuration is stored in:

config/smart_sorter_config.json

Default configuration:

{
  "rawMode": false,
  "autoSortOnClose": true,
  "sortChests": true,
  "sortBarrels": true,
  "sortShulkers": true,
  "sortOtherContainers": true,
  "sortPlayerInventoryOnClose": true,
  "lockHotbar": true,
  "sortingMethod": "CREATIVE_TAB"
}

Setting	Description
rawMode	Disable the client-side S button and P keybind while keeping automatic sorting
autoSortOnClose	Master switch for automatic close sorting
sortChests	Automatically sort chest-style storage
sortBarrels	Automatically sort barrels
sortShulkers	Automatically sort shulker boxes
sortOtherContainers	Sort other safe storage layouts such as hoppers, droppers, and dispensers
sortPlayerInventoryOnClose	Sort the player's main inventory after it closes
lockHotbar	Preserve hotbar slots during player inventory sorting
sortingMethod	Select CREATIVE_TAB, ALPHABETICAL, or ID

Set raw mode for automatic sorting without custom client UI:

"rawMode": true

Restart the game or server after changing the configuration. Existing installations should verify that sortPlayerInventoryOnClose and sortOtherContainers are set to true if those options were not present in an older config.

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Requirements

• Fabric Loader
• Fabric API
• Java 21 for Minecraft 1.21.x
• Java 25 for Minecraft 26.1.x and 26.2

For server-side-only usage, install the correct Smart Inventory Sorter JAR and Fabric API on the server. Players can connect with an unmodified vanilla client.

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Built for players and server owners who want organized storage without repeated inventory cleanup. Finish interacting, close the menu, and let the sorter handle the rest.