Farming in World of Warcraft can be relaxing, rewarding, and sometimes repetitive. Whether you’re gathering herbs, hunting for rare mounts, grinding gold, or running old raids for transmog, having the right addons can make a huge difference. I’ve tested dozens of addons over the years, and this page shares the ones I personally recommend for farming.
These addons will help you track spawns, manage inventory, speed up your routes, and keep your farming sessions more organized and productive.
1. HandyNotes
HandyNotes is one of the most useful addons for farming. It adds icons to your map for rare mobs, treasures, and quest objectives. With plugin packs like “HandyNotes: Dragonflight Treasures” or “HandyNotes: Shadowlands Rares,” you can see exactly where to go and what’s worth your time.
Why I recommend it: Saves time by showing locations of rares, treasures, and farming spots you might miss otherwise.
2. Routes
Routes lets you create custom farming paths on your map. You can plan out the most efficient way to gather herbs, mine ore, or skin beasts. It works even better when paired with data from addons like GatherMate2.
Why I recommend it: Helps you avoid wasting time and backtracking. Great for herbalism, mining, and skinning.
3. GatherMate2
GatherMate2 records where you’ve picked herbs, mined ore, or fished. It shows these spots on your map and minimap so you can return to them later. It also works with shared databases that give you locations even before you farm them yourself.
Why I recommend it: It makes farming predictable and more efficient. You’ll never wonder where to go next.
4. FarmHud
FarmHud turns your minimap into a fullscreen transparent overlay so you can farm without constantly glancing at your map. It works well with GatherMate2 and Routes, letting you stay focused and fast.
Why I recommend it: Keeps your eyes on the screen and improves your gathering speed without opening maps constantly.
5. LootAppraiser
LootAppraiser tracks the total value of items you collect during a farming session. It shows how much gold you’re making in real time and can be used with TradeSkillMaster for even more detail. It’s especially useful for transmog or raw gold farming runs.
Why I recommend it: Great for keeping track of profits and comparing different farming spots.
6. RareScanner
RareScanner alerts you when a rare mob, treasure, or event appears near you. It puts markers on your screen and plays a sound so you never miss anything. This addon works well while farming in open-world zones.
Why I recommend it: Increases your chances of finding and tagging rares before others do.
7. Narcissus (Optional)
Narcissus is a visual addon that’s useful if you’re farming transmog and want to quickly preview gear. It’s not a farming tool directly, but it’s nice when checking out what you’ve looted from old raids or dungeons.
Why I recommend it: Simple way to view gear on your character without visiting a transmog vendor.
How to Install These Addons
You can install all of these addons through addon managers like CurseForge App or WoWUP. Just search for the addon by name, click install, and restart your game. I keep my addon folder clean and update everything weekly to avoid bugs or lag.
My Farming Setup
When I’m farming herbs, I usually run Routes + GatherMate2 + FarmHud. For rares and treasures, I switch to HandyNotes + RareScanner. If I’m doing old raids or dungeons for gold and transmog, I keep LootAppraiser + Narcissus active.
This setup gives me the right tools without cluttering my screen or slowing down my gameplay.
Final Tips
Farming can be peaceful, but it can also be competitive if you’re in a busy zone. Use the tools above to stay fast, stay aware, and make the most of your time. Don’t forget to empty your bags before heading out, and keep your gear repaired—especially in older content with trash mobs.
If you have questions about these addons or want help building your own farming route, feel free to email me at [email protected]. I’m always happy to help.
– Noelle Ward