How to add a server resource pack in Minecraft
Make players download your resource pack when they join: set resource-pack, resource-pack-sha1 and require-resource-pack in server.properties.
Updated · 2 min read
To send a resource pack to everyone who joins, host the pack's .zip at a direct download URL and put that URL in resource-pack in server.properties. Add the SHA-1 hash so clients update correctly, and optionally require the pack.
1. Host the pack
The server does not send the pack itself; it tells each player's game where to download it. The URL must:
- download the
.zipfile directly, with no web page, login or "click to download" step, - be reachable from the public internet.
Services that give you a direct link work well. With Dropbox, change the end of a share link to dl=1. Google Drive links usually do not work because they show a confirmation page instead of the file.
The pack zip must have pack.mcmeta at the top level of the zip, not inside a subfolder.
2. Get the SHA-1 hash
The hash lets players' games check the file and re-download it when it changes. Run one of these on the zip:
# macOS
shasum -a 1 pack.zip
# Linux
sha1sum pack.zip
# Windows (Command Prompt)
certutil -hashfile pack.zip SHA1
You get a 40-character hex string. Use it in lowercase with no spaces.
3. Edit server.properties
resource-pack=https://example.com/packs/server-pack.zip
resource-pack-sha1=3f786850e387550fdab836ed7e6dc881de23001b
require-resource-pack=false
resource-pack-prompt=
| Key | What it does |
|---|---|
resource-pack | Direct download URL of the zip |
resource-pack-sha1 | SHA-1 of the zip, so clients can verify and cache it |
require-resource-pack | If true, players who decline the pack are disconnected |
resource-pack-prompt | Custom message shown on the download prompt, written as a JSON text component |
Newer versions also support resource-pack-id, a UUID that identifies the pack. It is optional; leave it blank if you are unsure.
Save and restart the server. After the server saves its config you may see the URL written as https\://example.com/.... That backslash is normal escaping and does not break anything.
Updating the pack
Every time you change the zip, upload the new file and update resource-pack-sha1 to the new hash, then restart. If the hash is wrong, players get a failed download or keep using an old cached version. Changing the file name in the URL for each version also helps avoid stale caches.
Players do not get the pack?
- Each player's server entry has a Server Resource Packs option in the multiplayer list (Enabled, Disabled or Prompt). If they set it to Disabled, they will not get it unless you require it.
- Open the URL in a private browser window. If it does not immediately download a zip, the link is not direct.
- Check that the pack format matches the server's Minecraft version.
- A wrong hash causes the download to fail. Recalculate it.
Data packs are different
Resource packs change textures, sounds and models on the client. Data packs change recipes, loot and world generation on the server and go into the world's datapacks folder instead.