Smaller Nether Portals Mod FAQ
10 questions players actually ask, answered.
What is the smallest nether portal I can make with this mod?
The smallest valid portal is 1×2 — one block wide and two blocks tall. The mod also supports 1×3 and 2×2 portals, all of which are smaller than the vanilla minimum.
How do I build a 1×2 nether portal?
Place obsidian in a 1-wide, 2-tall frame shape and light it with flint and steel. The mod recognizes the smaller frame and activates the portal instead of requiring the vanilla minimum size.
Do I need obsidian in the corners of a 2×2 portal?
No — the mod lets you omit the corner obsidian blocks on smaller portals. This saves obsidian and makes compact builds easier.
Why do I spawn underneath the portal after using a small portal?
This is a known vanilla quirk when teleporting through smaller portals. The mod detects this and teleports you in front of the portal on the other side instead of leaving you stuck below it.
How does the mod stop me from dying when I arrive on the other side?
It checks the blocks below the arrival point. If they are Netherrack, Soul Sand, or air, it replaces them with obsidian and creates an air gap if needed, so you land safely instead of suffocating or falling into lava.
Can I use small portals to build a compact nether highway?
Yes — 1×2 and 1×3 portals are popular for tight tunnel networks and fast travel routes. Their small footprint lets you chain portals close together without carving out large rooms.
Will my small portal still work if I light it normally with flint and steel?
Yes. The mod only changes the minimum size requirement; lighting behavior is otherwise the same as vanilla. Just build the smaller frame and ignite it.
Does this mod work with other portal or dimension mods?
It is designed around vanilla nether portals, so compatibility with mods that replace or heavily modify portal mechanics is not guaranteed. If another mod changes portal sizes or teleport logic, conflicts are possible.
Does the mod affect performance or cause lag?
No — it is a minimalistic mod that only checks blocks around portal arrivals. The overhead is negligible even with many portals in a world.
Can I disable the automatic obsidian placement or air gap creation?
The safety behavior is part of how the mod handles small-portal teleporting and is not typically toggled in-game. If you want vanilla behavior, you would need to remove the mod.