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How to Install Datapacks on a Minecraft Server (Folder, Reload, Load Order)

Last checked: 7 October 2026

To install a datapack on a Minecraft: Java Edition server, put its .zip (or folder) in the datapacks folder inside your world folder: world/datapacks on a default server, not the server’s root folder. Then type /reload (on Paper, /minecraft:reload) or restart, and check it with /datapack list enabled. The pack needs pack.mcmeta at its top level and must be made for your server’s Minecraft version; a version mismatch is the usual reason a datapack is not working. When two packs change the same file, the one loaded last wins, and /datapack enable with first, last, before or after sets that order.

1. Where the datapacks folder is

On a server, data packs go in a folder named datapacks inside the world folder, not in the server’s root folder. The world folder is named by level-name in server.properties, which is world by default, so the path is usually world/datapacks/. If datapacks does not exist yet, create it.

In single-player the same folder is .minecraft/saves/<world>/datapacks, and you can also add packs when you make a world, with the Data Packs button in the More tab of the Create New World screen.

2. What a datapack looks like

A data pack is a .zip file or a folder with a pack.mcmeta file at its top level. Leave a downloaded zip zipped. The usual mistake is a zip with one folder inside it and pack.mcmeta a level down: the game does not see that as a pack. Open the zip; if all you see is a single folder, zip that folder’s contents instead.

pack.mcmeta holds the pack’s description and the game versions it supports. Since Java Edition 1.21.9 (snapshot 25w31a) that is written as min_format and max_format; older packs use pack_format.

3. How to add one to your server

  1. Back up the world. Some packs change the world as soon as they load.
  2. Copy the pack in. Put the .zip (or folder) in world/datapacks/, with the server stopped or while it runs.
  3. Load it. Start the server, or if it was running, type /reload in the console or as an operator. On Paper or Spigot, type /minecraft:reload, because plain /reload there is the plugin reload command.
  4. Check it. Run /datapack list enabled. Your pack shows as file/<its file or folder name>. If it appears under /datapack list available but not as enabled, run /datapack enable "file/<name>".

/reload reloads tags, loot tables, recipes, advancements, item modifiers, predicates, functions and structure templates. Anything else in a pack, such as world generation, needs a restart. If a pack has invalid data, /reload keeps the old data and does not apply the change.

4. Load order

When two packs contain the same file, the pack loaded last wins: its file overrides the earlier one. Tags are the exception: tag files from every pack merge, unless a tag sets "replace": true.

Set the order with /datapack enable (permission level 2):

  • /datapack enable "file/a.zip" last loads it after all others: highest priority.
  • /datapack enable "file/a.zip" first loads it before all others: lowest priority.
  • /datapack enable "file/a.zip" before "file/b.zip" (or after) places it next to another pack.
  • /datapack disable "file/a.zip" turns it off without deleting it.

To move a pack that is already on, disable it, then enable it again in the position you want.

5. Version mismatch: the usual reason it is not working

Each Minecraft version reads one data pack format. Java Edition 26.3 uses data pack format 121.0; 26.1 and 26.2 use 101.1. A pack whose format is higher than the game supports shows as incompatible, and an older one gets a warning. If a pack does nothing, check that its download page lists your server’s exact version and get that build. The guide to “Outdated server” and “Outdated client” shows how to find the server’s version.

Other causes, in order:

  • The pack is in the server root or another world’s folder. Check level-name.
  • pack.mcmeta is not at the top of the zip.
  • You did not reload or restart, or the content needs a restart, not /reload.
  • On Paper, plain /reload reloaded plugins instead of data packs.
  • Two packs change the same file, and the other one loads later.
  • The server log names an error in the pack. Read it after a reload.

6. How hosts handle datapacks

  • Aternos. Its help center (archived copy of 8 December 2023) says data packs can be uploaded directly to the datapacks folder of your world.
  • Minehut. Its help center (archived copy of 5 June 2026) says to start the server, open the File Manager tab, use Upload and unzip the files there; to remove a pack, delete its files.
  • Realms (Java). Mods and plugins cannot be installed, and worlds cannot use experimental settings. A world slot can be replaced with one of your own local worlds, so add the pack in single-player and upload that world.
  • Self-hosting. You have the folder, the console and every command above.

7. Datapacks on Shulkerboxes

On Shulkerboxes the owner adds data packs on the website, in the Data packs card of the server’s Settings. There is no file manager and no list of packs to pick from: you add the pack’s own .zip.

  • Add or remove. Add data pack takes a .zip of up to 32 MiB and 20,000 files, up to 32 packs per server; Remove takes one off. Both work with the server running or stopped.
  • No restart. Adding or removing never restarts the server or disconnects anyone. A running server reloads its data packs in place, with a short pause; a stopped one loads them when it starts.
  • Some packs wait. Packs that add enchantments or similar content load only at startup, so they read “Turns on at next start”. A large pack added while people are playing reads “Turns on when no one is playing”.
  • Version. Packs must be made for Minecraft 26.3. Each one is checked when you add it, and a pack for another version is refused with that reason.
  • Not accepted. Packs that change world generation, show dialogs, run /reload or /dialog, or hide other packs’ files.
  • Order. The card has no load-order control, and operators cannot use /datapack in game.
  • Uploaded worlds. Packs that came inside a world you uploaded are listed under “From your uploaded world”; to remove them, upload the world again without them.
  • If one fails. A pack that stops the server starting is left out, the server starts without it, and the card shows Minecraft’s message beside it.
  • Download. Your world download includes your packs.

Where Shulkerboxes fits (and doesn't)

Shulkerboxes is free Minecraft: Java Edition hosting for a friend group, with no ads, no credit card and no port forwarding. A server wakes up when a friend joins and is ready in about a minute, and the owner adds data packs from the server’s Settings without a restart. It is invite-only with a waitlist and open in the US, Spain, Germany, Mexico and Brazil. It is free because gameplay is recorded and de-identified into AI training datasets, and chat is recorded only if you opt in (full explanation). Servers run Paper with built-in homes and /tpa, and your saved world is yours to download. Modpacks and custom plugins are not supported, and Bedrock players cannot join, so if your group needs those, pick a host that supports them.

Have an invite code? Enter it on the home page. No invite yet? Join the waitlist and we will save you a spot.

FAQ

Why isn't my datapack working?

Usually the pack was made for another Minecraft version: its pack.mcmeta format must cover your server's version (data pack format 121.0 for Java Edition 26.3). Next, check it is in world/datapacks rather than the server root, that pack.mcmeta is at the top of the zip and not inside an extra folder, and that you ran /reload or restarted. Then run /datapack list enabled and read the server log for errors.

Do players need to install the datapack?

No. A data pack sits in the world's datapacks folder on the server, and players join as usual. A pack that also ships a resource pack for textures or sounds is a separate download; resource packs are their own system.

Do datapacks work on Paper?

Yes. Paper reads the same world/datapacks folder. To reload data packs on Paper, type /minecraft:reload: Paper's own /reload is the plugin reload command, which Paper's documentation lists as deprecated for removal.

What is the difference between a datapack, a mod and a plugin?

A data pack is a folder or zip of files the game already knows how to read, such as recipes, loot tables, advancements, tags and functions, so it runs on a plain server with no loader. A mod is code that needs a mod loader. A plugin is code for Bukkit-based servers such as Paper.

Can I use datapacks on Realms?

Realms has no plugin or mod support, but a Realm's world slot can be replaced with one of your own local worlds. Add the pack to a single-player world, check it works, then upload that world. Realms worlds cannot use experimental settings.

How do I remove a datapack?

Run /datapack disable "file/<pack name>", then delete the pack from world/datapacks so it does not load at the next start. Removing a pack does not take back blocks, items or structures it already put in the world, so back up first.

Does a datapack change chunks that already exist?

A pack that changes world generation affects terrain as it is generated; back up your world and test on a copy first.

Sources

Written by the Shulkerboxes team.