Datapacks change Minecraft without mods. They can add recipes, loot, advancements, new structures and whole new world generation, and because they are a built-in part of the game, they work on a plain vanilla server as well as on Paper, Fabric and Forge. Players do not need to install anything to join. This guide covers the one-click route in our panel and the manual route for packs you have downloaded yourself.
What you need before you start
- Your Minecraft Java server in the game panel
- A world that has been generated at least once, meaning the server has started with it
- The Minecraft version your server runs, so you pick a matching pack
How datapacks work on a server
Datapacks belong to a world, not to the server as a whole. Each world has its own datapacks folder:
world/datapacks/
world is the name of your active world, set by level-name in server.properties. If you renamed the world, the folder follows that name.
A datapack in that folder can be either:
- A .zip file, exactly as you downloaded it. This is the normal way and the one to prefer
- A folder, the same contents unpacked
Either way, the top level must hold a file called pack.mcmeta next to a data folder. If you open the zip and see another folder with pack.mcmeta inside it, the pack is nested one level too deep and Minecraft will not find it.
The easy way: the Datapacks tab
The panel can search and install datapacks from Modrinth and CurseForge for you.
- Open the game panel and select your Minecraft server
- Go to the Datapacks tab
- Search for a pack by name. The Source menu narrows the results to Modrinth or CurseForge, or leave it on All sources
- Click a pack. The install dialog lists its versions and marks which ones are made for your server's Minecraft version
- Pick a version and click Install datapack
The panel downloads the pack and puts it straight into your active world's datapacks folder. If you pick a version that is not listed for your Minecraft version, the panel warns you first, because such a pack will most likely fail to load.
- Apply it: if the server is running, type
reloadin the Console tab. If it is stopped, it loads the next time the server starts
The panel's console accepts the command with or without a leading slash. On Paper or Spigot, use minecraft:reload instead: plain reload there is the Bukkit command, which also reloads every plugin and can break them.
Seeing and removing installed packs
Switch the tab from Browse to Installed to see the datapacks in your active world. Each one has a Remove button. After removing a pack, run reload or restart so the world stops using it.
The Installed list shows .zip packs, including ones you uploaded yourself. Packs you uploaded as unpacked folders do not appear in it, but they still work. Manage those from the Files tab.
The manual way: upload through Files
Use this for packs from other sites, or ones you made yourself.
- Go to the Files tab
- Open your world folder (usually
world), then thedatapacksfolder inside it - Click Upload, choose Upload files and select the pack's
.zipfile - Type
reload(minecraft:reloadon Paper or Spigot) in the Console tab, or restart the server
Upload the zip as it is. The file manager can unpack archives, but there is no need to: a zip loads just as well and is easier to remove later. If you do unpack one, check that pack.mcmeta ends up directly inside the pack's own folder.
For large packs or many files at once, SFTP is often more comfortable than the browser.
Checking that it loaded
In the Console tab, run:
datapack list
The server lists the enabled and available packs. Packs you added yourself appear with a file/ prefix, for example file/MyPack.zip. Any error while loading a pack also shows up in the console right after reload, which is the first place to look if something is missing.
Newly added packs are switched on automatically when the world reloads. To turn one off or on by hand, use its full name in quotes:
datapack disable "file/MyPack.zip"
datapack enable "file/MyPack.zip"
A pack you disabled stays disabled until you enable it again, even after a restart.
Adding a datapack to an existing world
Most datapacks, such as recipe, loot, crafting and gameplay tweaks, work fine on a world you have been playing for months. Add them, reload, done.
World generation packs are different. Packs that change terrain, biomes, structures or dimensions only affect chunks that have not been generated yet. Your existing land stays as it was, and the new generation appears as players explore further out. Some of these packs also need a full restart instead of reload before they take effect, so restart the server after installing one. If you want the whole world built by the pack, start a fresh world with the pack in place.
Take a backup before adding a world generation pack to a world you care about. Removing one later can leave odd borders where old and new terrain meet.
Troubleshooting
The pack does not show in datapack list. It is in the wrong folder (check that it is inside the active world's datapacks folder, not the server root) or pack.mcmeta is nested one folder too deep.
The pack is listed but does nothing. It may be disabled. Enable it with datapack enable. Also check that it matches your Minecraft version, as a pack made for another version often loads without working.
The server fails to start after adding a pack. A world generation pack for the wrong version can stop the world from loading. Remove it through Files and start again.
There is no datapacks folder. The world has not been generated yet. Start the server once, then look again.
The Datapacks tab says the pack is too large or cannot be installed. Pick a different version, or download the pack and upload it manually.
Frequently asked questions
Do players need the datapack too? No. Datapacks run on the server only. Resource packs are a different thing and are sent to players separately.
Do datapacks work with plugins or mods? Yes. Paper, Fabric and Forge all load datapacks alongside plugins or mods.
Do I need to stop the server to install one?
No. reload is enough for most packs. World generation packs need a restart.
Do datapacks cost performance? Small ones hardly at all. Packs that run many functions every tick can, so add them one at a time and keep an eye on the server if things feel slow.
Need a hand? Open a ticket from the support page with your server name and the pack you are installing. Not running a server yet? See our Minecraft server hosting plans.
