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Creating and managing instances

Create isolated setups, edit their content, lock stable builds, and manage their lifecycle.

Two versions of this page follow. Step by step walks through the task in order. In depth explains the underlying behavior. They describe the same product, at different levels of detail.

Step by step

Follow the steps in order. No prior modding knowledge assumed.

An instance is a self-contained Minecraft setup. Separate instances let you keep different game versions, mod loaders, packs, and play styles without mixing their files.

After this you will be able to

Create an instance with compatible core settings.
Open, launch, rename, lock, and delete an instance safely.
Know when to use separate instances instead of reconfiguring one.

Create an instance

Open My Instances and select Create Instance. Give it a recognizable name, then choose a Minecraft version, loader, loader version, and memory allocation.

Choose the Minecraft version required by the mods or pack you intend to use.
Choose one loader. Do not mix loader-specific mod files.
Keep the suggested loader version unless a project requires another.
Start with a moderate memory allocation and adjust only when needed.
Create the instance, then use Edit to add content.

Import from another launcher

Select Import Instances on My Instances to detect Prism Launcher, CurseForge, and Modrinth App profiles. Nothing is selected automatically: choose the instances you want, review disk use, loader support, and launch settings, then approve the batch once.

Close Minecraft in the source launcher before copying a world.
Review any unsupported loader or custom-component warning; Agora never substitutes a nearby version.
Agora copies game data and leaves the source instance untouched. Accounts, credentials, and launch hooks are never imported.
Successful instances remain imported even if another selected instance is skipped or fails.

Use instance cards

Each card shows the instance name, loader, Minecraft version, last launch, and lock state. Launch starts the game, Edit opens the full editor, Troubleshoot opens diagnostic tools, and Delete permanently removes the instance after confirmation.

Lock a stable setup

Locking prevents content changes while still allowing launch. Use it after a pack or personal setup is working well. Unlock only when you intend to install, remove, enable, disable, or update content.

In depth

How the system actually behaves, and why, for readers who prefer the model to a recipe.

Use instances as controlled environments: establish a baseline, isolate purpose-specific builds, and manage mutable and reproducible states intentionally.

After this you will be able to

Design an instance strategy for testing and long-term play.
Use locks and snapshots as separate safeguards.
Interpret running, provisioning, and recoverable-profile states.

Separate by compatibility boundary

Create a new instance when changing Minecraft major/minor versions, switching loaders, evaluating an uncertain pack, or maintaining distinct server requirements. Reusing one instance across those boundaries makes rollback and diagnosis harder.

Keep a locked, known-good play instance.
Use a disposable test instance for major updates and unverified manual files.
Clone from a lockfile when exact reproducibility matters.

Locking versus snapshots

A lock blocks future content edits; a snapshot captures a restorable state. Use both for important instances: snapshot the baseline, then lock it. Unlocking does not erase the snapshot.

Read operational states

The Instances page can show Java provisioning progress, a running direct-launch process and PID, recent console output, or a recoverable launcher-profile warning. Prefer Reinstall Loader for a damaged profile; use delegated launch when you want the official launcher to own execution.

Update a prior import safely

Importing the same source again updates the existing Agora copy only while its imported files and launch settings still match the last-import baseline. If you changed mods, configs, saves, screenshots, or settings in Agora, the importer offers a separately named copy instead of merging or overwriting your work.

This guide is the same text Agora shows in its built-in Help & Guide, which is searchable and links directly to the screens it describes.