Addon Installation

From download to a working Bedrock world

Before installing

  • Check the add-on's Minecraft version and whether it needs experiments or a specific world setting.
  • Back up worlds before adding or updating packs.
  • Download from a source you trust and keep the original file until the add-on works.
  • Read the add-on's description for required resource packs, behavior packs, and dependencies.

Package types

  • .mcaddon usually contains a Behavior Pack and a Resource Pack and can import both.
  • .mcpack contains one pack. It may be a Behavior Pack or a Resource Pack.
  • .zip is a normal archive. It must be extracted or renamed only when its contents match the format expected by Minecraft.

Do not rename an arbitrary archive blindly. Open it first and check that manifest.json is near the root of each pack.

Importing a pack

  1. Download the .mcaddon or .mcpack file to your device.
  2. Open the file with Minecraft. Minecraft should display an import message.
  3. Wait for the import to finish, then check Settings > Storage or the pack lists to confirm that it is present.

Importing a pack does not automatically activate it in every existing world. Activation is a separate step.

Activating it in a world

  1. Open the world's settings.
  2. Under Behavior Packs, activate the add-on's Behavior Pack if it has one.
  3. Under Resource Packs, activate its Resource Pack if it has one.
  4. Move packs into the intended priority order and enable any required experiments.
  5. Enter the world and test the add-on's main feature before adding more packs.

For a new world, configure the packs before creating it. For an existing world, make a backup first because some changes cannot be cleanly removed later.

Manual installation

Manual installation is mainly useful for development or when Minecraft cannot import the package. Extract the pack so that its manifest.json is directly inside the pack folder.

  • Behavior Packs belong in com.mojang/development_behavior_packs while developing.
  • Resource Packs belong in com.mojang/development_resource_packs while developing.
  • For normal installed packs, use the corresponding behavior_packs and resource_packs folders when your platform exposes them.

Never place a folder inside another folder with the same name by accident. If Minecraft cannot see the pack, inspect the folder levels first.

When it does not work

  • Confirm that the pack imported and that both pack types were activated.
  • Check the content log for missing dependencies, invalid JSON, or identifier errors.
  • Disable other packs temporarily to find conflicts.
  • Check that the add-on is compatible with the current Minecraft version.
  • For JSON conflicts, use the JSON file merger and then test the merged pack in a backup world.

More background is available in Understand Addons and Addon Conflicts.