Introduction to resource packs

Creating a resource pack[]

All the resources and instructions in a pack reside in the pack folder, which lives in the «resourcepacks» directory. You may wish to use an IDE to help keep track of the files within your resource pack if there are multiple.

In versions 1.11 and higher, all file names within a resource pack should use lowercase letters only.

Creating the Folder

The first thing we need to do is create the folder that will contain all the resource pack files. Create a folder on your desktop or another easily accessible location and name it . This will eventually be the name displayed in the resource pack menu.

Creating a .MCMETA file

Within your resource pack folder, we need to create a file. This lets Minecraft know that the folder is a resource pack and contains useful information such as:

The recommended version for the resource pack.
The description displayed under the pack title in the selection menu.
Preliminary information on any custom languages added in the resource pack.

To create this file, we need to create a text file within the folder and name it . Make sure the file extension is and not or the pack may not be detected. When renaming you may get a warning that changing a file name extension could make the file unusable or may switch the program required to open it. You can still open this file in a text editor by right-clicking the file and selecting the «Open With» option. Note: You may need to select a program using your file browser.

Formatting pack.mcmeta

Open in a text editor or IDE of your choice and type or copy+paste the following:

{
  "pack" {
    "pack_format" 7,
    "description" "Tutorial Resource Pack"
  }
}

The value of tells Minecraft what release the resource pack is designed for, and is different for certain versions. The following list what versions each value is associated with:

for versions 1.6.1 – 1.8.9
for versions 1.9 – 1.10.2
for versions 1.11 – 1.12.2
for versions 1.13 – 1.14.4
for versions 1.15 – 1.16.1
for versions 1.16.2 – 1.16.5
for versions 1.17.x
for 1.18 snapshots

Note: As more updates are released, values may be changed or added.

The text following is displayed under the pack title in the selection menu, and must be put inside quotes . If you wish to use special characters, you can enter the Unicode code for the character in the format , where is the Unicode hex code for the character. Say you want to use the letter Þ (Thorn), which has code . Inside the description you would type . Make sure that you are using the correct slash, or it may not work. A list of Unicode codes can be found here. Note: Only the characters 0000–FFFF (Basic Multilingual Plane) are supported.[citation needed]

Correct syntax

Be very careful not to forget quotation marks , colons , braces , or square brackets . Missing one of these can lead to your resource pack not being detected by Minecraft. Make sure that your file matches the one shown above.

Testing your Pack

If your resource pack is formatted correctly, it should appear in the selection menu like this.

At this point, you can test if the pack is formatted correctly by putting it in the game! To do this you must place your resource pack folder in the Minecraft pack folder. You can access it by selecting «Options», then «Resource Packs», then «Open Pack Folder», or you can navigate to it from your file browser:

For Windows, right click on the start button → run → type in %appdata% → .minecraft → resourcepacks
For MacOS, go to Library → Application Support → minecraft → resourcepacks
For Linux, go to ~/.minecraft/resourcepacks (/home/<username>/.minecraft/resourcepacks)

Once you have the folder open, you can drag your custom pack folder and drop it in.

If you have formatted the files correctly, you should see your resource pack appear in the menu.

Troubleshooting

If you don’t see your pack in the list, make sure your file is correct and saved in the folder. Look for any missing braces , commas , colons , quotation marks , or square brackets . Remember that for each open brace, quotation, or square bracket, you must have a closing brace, quotation, or square bracket.

If an icon is not specified, a cobblestone icon will show up next to the pack. If you want to use your own pack icon, you can place it inside your resource pack folder with the name . The file must be a PNG, and works with any square resolution, but a 128×128 pixel image renders the best.