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Enable Datapacks for Minecraft
This guide will show you how to download and install a datapack for the client and the server. A datapack is a way to provide further content using Mojang's tools. It's similar to mods except more limited.
A datapack can be installed on both servers and clients. The only difference is that when installed on a server, it will affect every player connected to the server without having to download anything from their client.
Download the Datapack
- If you do not already have a Datapack downloaded, it can be obtained from multiple sites, but an excellent modern source for Datapacks tends to be Modrinth.
Install Client Side
Windows
- On Windows, press
Windows+Rto open the run box. - Inside the box, write
%AppData%, as can be seen in the image. - Note that it can also be written in all caps as
%APPDATA%. - Press ENTER and then navigate to the
.minecraftfolder.
MacOS and Linux
- On MacOS and Linux, the easiest method is to open Minecraft.
- Click on
Options>Texture Packs>Show Pack Folderto open a folder with the resource packs. - From there, you can return to one folder by clicking the top left back arrow or by clicking
minecraftat the bottom of the file explorer window to navigate to the top-level Minecraft folder.
- Alternatively, you can access this folder without opening Minecraft on MacOS by running the following command in a terminal:
open ~/Library/Application\ Support/minecraft/saves. This will contain a folder for every single-player world you have created. - Go into the folder for the world where you want to install the datapack by double-clicking the server name.
- Drag and drop the datapack zip file inside the
datapacksfolder.
Install Server Side
- Inside the server folder will be a world folder containing the world data for the overworld dimension.
- Inside this
worldfolder is adatapacksfolder where you can drag and drop the Datapack zip file. - Note that a datapack in this folder will affect all dimensions, so Datapacks that affect nether and end world generation, for example, must be placed in the overworld’s
datapacksfolder.
Update Datapack
- To update a datapack, download the newer version, stop the server, delete the old Datapack, drag and drop the new one, and restart the server.
- Note that this may cause issues, so a backup before upgrading is heavily recommended.
Performance Notice
- Some datapacks, notably ones that affect world generation, may cause lag if the processor needs to be more powerful, as custom world generation requires more processing power than is usually necessary.
- Of course, this can be mitigated by pre-generating the world and choosing your datapacks wisely. Sometimes, it's better to use mods/plugins than a datapack.
If you require further assistance, you can open a support ticket here.
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