How to add datapacks to your Minecraft server

Datapacks change recipes, loot, advancements and even world generation using only vanilla Minecraft. They work on vanilla, Paper and Fabric servers, and players don't install anything.

How toOctober 16, 2026

Where datapacks go

Datapacks belong to a world, not the server: they live in world/datapacks/. The folder name follows level-name in server.properties, which is world unless you changed it.

Add a datapack

Download the datapack for your Minecraft version, for example from Modrinth or Planet Minecraft. It's usually a .zip; keep it zipped.
In the panel's Files, open world, then datapacks (make the folder if it isn't there).
Upload the .zip into it. A datapack can also be an unzipped folder, as long as pack.mcmeta sits directly inside it.
Restart the server, or run reload in the console.
Run datapack list in the console to check it's enabled. If it's listed as available but not enabled, run datapack enable "file/name.zip".

Datapacks that change world generation

Terrain and structure datapacks (new biomes, bigger mountains, extra structures) only affect chunks generated after they're added. Explored areas stay as they were. To see them everywhere, add the datapack and then start a fresh world: put it in world/datapacks/ right after a Reset world in Settings, before anyone explores.

Common problems

It doesn't show in /datapack list: the zip has an extra folder layer. pack.mcmeta must be at the top of the zip, not inside another folder.
"Pack made for an older/newer version": get the version of the datapack made for your Minecraft version.
Recipes or functions don't work: a typo in a JSON file stops it loading. The console shows the file at startup.

Questions

Do datapacks work on Paper?

Yes. Paper runs vanilla datapacks, alongside plugins.

Do players need the datapack?

No. Datapacks run on the server. Some come with an optional resource pack for textures, which players can accept when they join.

Can I add a datapack to an existing world?

Yes. Recipes, loot and functions work right away; world generation changes only apply to new chunks.