How to Install Datapacks on a Minecraft Server
Datapacks change how the game behaves without any plugins or mods. They can add recipes, advancements, loot tables, structures and custom commands, and they work on vanilla, Paper and most other Java servers. This guide covers installing one on a Tabi Cloud server.
Before you start
- Datapacks are for Java Edition. Bedrock uses add-ons instead.
- Each pack targets a specific Minecraft version, so read the download page for the supported version.
- Make a backup first. Some packs alter your world data.
Install a datapack
- Stop the server from the Console tab.
- Open the Files tab and go into your world folder. The default folder is usually named world, but check level-name in server.properties.
- Open the datapacks folder inside it. Create it if it does not exist.
- Upload the pack as a .zip file, or as an unzipped folder. Either works, but the pack must contain a pack.mcmeta file at its top level.
- Start the server, or run /reload from the Console if it is already running.
Check that it loaded
Run /datapack list in the Console. Loaded packs appear under enabled. If yours is under available, enable it with /datapack enable followed by the name shown in the list. Tab completion in-game helps you get the name exactly right.
Common problems
- The pack does not appear at all. The most common cause is a zip with an extra folder inside it, so pack.mcmeta is one level too deep. Re-zip so it sits at the top.
- The pack shows as incompatible. The pack format number in pack.mcmeta does not match your server version. Download the right version of the pack.
- Errors on startup. Read the Console log for the pack name. A missing dependency pack is a frequent cause, so install it too.
- Changes do not apply to existing chunks. Structure and world generation packs only affect newly generated terrain.
Removing a pack
Run /datapack disable, stop the server, then delete the pack from the datapacks folder. Content a pack already placed in the world stays there.
If a pack misbehaves and you cannot work out why, open a ticket on our Discord with the pack name and the Console log.