The Tool Desk
Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →To install a behavior pack on a Minecraft Bedrock Dedicated Server, stop the server, extract the .mcpack or .mcaddon, copy the complete behavior-pack folder into the server’s behavior_packs/ location, and register the pack in the active world’s world_behavior_packs.json. The UUID and version must come from that pack’s manifest.json; copying an archive or folder alone does not activate it.
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This file-based procedure is different from importing an add-on in the Minecraft client or attaching one to a Realm. It applies to a self-hosted Bedrock Dedicated Server on Windows or Ubuntu Linux, the environments Microsoft documents as supported. The current server setup reference is Microsoft’s Bedrock Dedicated Server guide.
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How do I install a behavior pack on a Bedrock server?
A dedicated server needs three things before a behavior pack can run:
- The extracted pack folder must be in the correct behavior-pack directory.
- The active world must list the pack’s UUID and version in
world_behavior_packs.json. - The server must be restarted and the pack tested in that world.
The active world is determined by the level-name value in server.properties. If that value is SurvivalWorld, the world directory you edit is the directory named SurvivalWorld, not whichever world folder happens to be open in your file manager.
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Behavior packs contain gameplay data, including entities, recipes, and rules. Resource packs contain client-facing assets such as textures, models, sounds, and user-interface files. An add-on can contain one or both. Minecraft’s explanation of the two Add-On categories is available in Minecraft Help.
What you need before changing the server
An official Bedrock Dedicated Server installation
Download the Bedrock Dedicated Server ZIP from Microsoft, extract it into an empty directory, and start it once. The first launch creates the server’s normal folders and configuration files. Use Windows or Ubuntu Linux if you need to stay within Microsoft’s documented support scope; Microsoft states that Ubuntu is the only officially supported Linux distribution for Bedrock Dedicated Server.
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The pack archive
Obtain the add-on file from its publisher and keep the original download as a backup. A .mcpack or .mcaddon is an import/archive format, not the directory that the dedicated server reads directly. You must extract it first.
Enough access to edit server files
You need permission to stop the server, copy directories, edit JSON, and read the server console. Managed hosting can expose these controls through a panel, while self-hosting gives you direct access to the filesystem.
Back up the world and stop the server
Do not replace pack files while the world is running. A running process can keep old files open or save over changes when it shuts down.
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- Copy the entire active world directory to a separate backup location.
- Also copy any existing
world_behavior_packs.json,world_resource_packs.json, and pack directories you may need to restore. - Record the current server version and the value of
level-nameinserver.properties.
A backup lets you remove a broken pack without losing the world or the activation list that worked before the change.
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Where do I put a .mcpack or .mcaddon on a Bedrock Dedicated Server?
Extract the archive without adding an extra folder level
Open the archive and identify the behavior-pack folder. Its top level must contain manifest.json. The server should see a path like this:
behavior_packs/ExamplePack/manifest.jsonIt should not see an additional wrapper such as behavior_packs/ExamplePack/ExamplePack/manifest.json. That extra nesting is one of the most common reasons a pack appears to be installed but is ignored.
Keep the complete folder intact, including all JSON files, functions, scripts, and subdirectories shipped with the pack. Do not rename the folder to the UUID; the folder name is for organization, while the UUID in manifest.json identifies the pack.
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Separate behavior and resource content
If the archive contains both halves of an add-on, place the behavior folder under behavior_packs/ and the resource folder under resource_packs/. Do not put a resource pack in the behavior directory or combine both folders into one directory. A behavior-only add-on does not need a resource counterpart, but an add-on that supplies custom textures or models may require both to look or function as intended.
Choose shared or world-only installation
Microsoft’s server documentation distinguishes the two directory levels. Use the top-level directories when the pack should be available to multiple worlds. Use the matching directory inside one world when it should apply only there.
| Scope | Behavior-pack location | Availability |
|---|---|---|
| Shared across the server | behavior_packs/PackFolder/ |
Available to any world on that server after that world registers it. |
| One world only | <world-folder>/behavior_packs/PackFolder/ |
Available only while that specific world is running. |
Microsoft describes the shared location this way: “behavior packs shared across all worlds on the server should be placed here.” It also notes that packs installed in a world folder are available only when that world is running. These locations control where the files are available; the world activation JSON still determines whether the selected world loads the pack.
Recommended choice
- Choose the top-level directory if several worlds should use the same pack and you want one maintained copy.
- Choose the world directory if you are testing the pack, running different versions in different worlds, or want to isolate its effects.
Read manifest.json for the pack identity
Open the extracted pack’s manifest.json in a text editor. Find the header UUID and the version array. The header UUID is the value used as pack_id; the version array is the value used as version.
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For example, a manifest may contain a header similar to this:
{
"format_version": 2,
"header": {
"name": "Example Pack",
"uuid": "11111111-2222-3333-4444-555555555555",
"version": [1, 0, 0]
}
}Use the actual UUID and version from your file. Do not copy the folder name, a module UUID, or a UUID from a web page. If a pack has multiple modules, the header UUID remains the pack identity for the world activation file.
Register the behavior pack for the active world
Copying the folder makes its files available, but registration tells the selected world to load it. In the active world directory—the one named by level-name—create or edit world_behavior_packs.json.
- Open the active world folder.
- Create
world_behavior_packs.jsonif it does not exist. - Make the file a JSON array.
- Add an object containing the pack’s manifest UUID as
pack_idand its exact manifest version asversion. - Save it as plain UTF-8 JSON, preserving any existing entries.
A minimal activation file has this shape:
[
{
"pack_id": "UUID-FROM-MANIFEST",
"version": [1, 0, 0]
}
]Replace both placeholders with the values in your pack. If the file already contains another pack, add a comma between objects rather than replacing the existing array. A valid example with two entries is:
[
{
"pack_id": "11111111-2222-3333-4444-555555555555",
"version": [1, 0, 0]
},
{
"pack_id": "66666666-7777-8888-9999-000000000000",
"version": [2, 1, 0]
}
]JSON is strict: use double quotes, commas only between items, and square brackets around the list. Do not add comments or a trailing comma.
Install and activate a required resource pack
When the add-on includes resource content, repeat the directory and registration process for that component:
- Copy the complete extracted resource-pack folder, with
manifest.jsondirectly inside it, under the appropriateresource_packs/directory. - Read the resource pack’s own manifest UUID and version.
- In the active world folder, create or edit
world_resource_packs.json. - Add the resource pack’s UUID and version in the same JSON-array format.
Do not reuse the behavior pack’s UUID unless the resource manifest actually contains that UUID. Each pack component has its own manifest identity. If you activate only the behavior half of an add-on that needs custom assets, gameplay may load while textures, models, or sounds remain missing.
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Restart and verify the installation
- Start the server after all files and activation JSON files are saved.
- Watch the console during startup for missing-manifest, invalid-UUID, dependency, or script errors.
- Join the world whose name matches
level-name. - Test one feature that the behavior pack is supposed to add, such as an entity, recipe, rule, or interaction.
- Check that any supplied resource assets appear on the client.
Test in a copy or a recently backed-up world first when the pack changes entities, recipes, terrain, or other persistent data. A successful startup without errors does not prove every feature works; use a known feature as a functional check.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Why is my behavior pack in the folder but not active?
The archive was never extracted
The server does not treat a .mcpack or .mcaddon sitting in behavior_packs/ as an installed pack. Extract it and place the resulting folder there.
The folder is nested too deeply
Open the path you copied and confirm that manifest.json is immediately inside the pack folder. Move the inner folder up one level if you find a duplicate wrapper directory.
You edited the wrong world
Read level-name in server.properties and compare it with the world folder containing world_behavior_packs.json. A correct activation file in an inactive world has no effect on the world you joined.
The activation UUID or version is wrong
Compare pack_id and version character for character with the header values in manifest.json. The directory name is not a substitute for the UUID, and a different version array can prevent the entry from resolving.
The JSON is invalid
Look for single quotes, missing commas, comments, unmatched brackets, or a trailing comma. Restore the backup if you overwrote a working file, then add one entry at a time and restart.
The behavior and resource halves are in the wrong directories
Move gameplay files to behavior_packs/ and client assets to resource_packs/. Register each component in its corresponding world JSON file.
A dependency is missing
Read the console output for dependency errors and inspect the pack manifest for required modules or companion packs. Install and register every required component supplied by the add-on, using each component’s own manifest identity.
How script-enabled behavior packs differ
Some behavior packs include scripts rather than only data files. Microsoft documents server scripting permissions in its Bedrock Dedicated Server scripting guide. The documented configuration includes config/default/permissions.json and per-module UUID directories under config for differentiated permissions.
Before changing permissions, back up the server and the world. Follow the pack’s required module permissions and the instructions for the server/API version you are running. Experimental APIs can change between versions, so a script pack that worked on one server release may require updated permissions or code on another. Treat console script errors as a separate problem from a missing behavior-pack folder.
Updating, disabling, or removing a pack
Update safely
- Stop the server and back up the world and activation JSON.
- Record the new pack version from the replacement manifest.
- Replace the old extracted folder without leaving two copies with confusing names.
- Update the matching
versionarray inworld_behavior_packs.json; update the UUID too if the publisher supplied a new pack identity. - Restart and test the world before allowing normal play.
Do not assume that a filename change is an update. Bedrock resolves the registered UUID and version from the manifest and world activation file.
Disable or remove it
- Stop the server.
- Remove that pack’s object from
world_behavior_packs.json, keeping the remaining array valid. - If it also has a resource component, remove its object from
world_resource_packs.json. - Move the extracted folders out of the server directory or delete them only after confirming your backup is safe.
- Restart and check the world.
Some packs permanently change world data. Removing the files may stop future behavior but cannot necessarily undo blocks, entities, recipes, or other data already saved into the world, which is why a pre-install backup is important.
Self-hosting versus managed Bedrock hosting
Self-hosting gives you direct control over the folders, JSON files, backups, server version, and console. It also makes you responsible for downloads, updates, storage, access control, recovery, and network performance. A managed host can reduce operating work, but its usefulness depends on whether it provides real file access and supports custom behavior and resource packs.
| Decision factor | Self-hosted server | Managed server |
|---|---|---|
| Server files and JSON | Direct filesystem access. | Depends on the host’s panel, SFTP, or file manager. |
| Custom packs | You can copy and register files yourself. | Confirm custom behavior and resource-pack support before subscribing. |
| Backups and restore | You design and verify your own backup routine. | Check retention, download access, and restore controls. |
| Version compatibility | You choose when to update and test. | Confirm which Bedrock releases are available and how quickly updates arrive. |
| Logs and console | Full local console access. | Check whether live logs and script errors are exposed. |
| Latency and player capacity | Limited by your connection and hardware. | Depends on the selected location, plan limits, and network capacity. |
| Recurring cost | No hosting subscription, but you provide hardware, power, storage, and connectivity. | Recurring fee; compare included storage, backups, bandwidth, and support. |
Whichever model you use, the installation logic remains the same: extract the pack, place the correct folder, register the manifest identity for the target world, and verify the console and an in-game feature.
Quick Recap
Final installation checklist
- The server was started once after extraction so its folders exist.
- The server is stopped and the world is backed up.
- The archive was extracted rather than copied as a
.mcpackor.mcaddon. manifest.jsonis directly inside the behavior-pack folder.- The behavior folder is under the intended shared or world-specific
behavior_packs/directory. - The active world matches
level-nameinserver.properties. world_behavior_packs.jsoncontains the manifest header UUID and exact version array.- Any resource-pack half is installed separately and registered in
world_resource_packs.json. - The server restarts without manifest, UUID, dependency, or script errors.
- A feature supplied by the pack works in the selected world.
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