What is an add-on?

An add-on is a set of files that changes Minecraft Bedrock Edition. It can add new items, blocks, mobs, recipes and sounds, or change things that are already in the game. You do not need to modify the game itself: Minecraft reads your files and loads them on top of the normal game.

The best part is that add-ons are made of simple text files and pictures. If you can edit a text file and draw a 16x16 image, you can make an add-on.

Two kinds of packs

Most add-ons are made of two packs that work as a team.

Behavior pack (BP)

The behavior pack controls how things work. It lives on the "server" side of the game, which means it decides the rules:

• how much damage a sword does
• how much hunger a food restores
• what a mob does when it sees a player
• which items a crafting recipe needs
• what drops when a block is broken

Behavior packs are mostly JSON files, plus .mcfunction files for commands and JavaScript files for scripts.

Resource pack (RP)

The resource pack controls how things look and sound. It runs on the "client" side, on each player's device:

• textures (the pictures on items, blocks and mobs)
• 3D models and animations
• sounds and music
• the names you see in game, in every language
• particles and some menus

Why two packs?

Keeping looks and rules apart makes packs flexible. A texture pack is just a resource pack with no behavior pack. A pack that only changes mob behavior can be a behavior pack alone. When you add something brand new, like a custom sword, you usually need both: the BP says it exists and how it works, the RP gives it a texture and a name.

Here is a tiny example. This file in the behavior pack creates a new item:

{
  "format_version": "1.26.30",
  "minecraft:item": {
    "description": {
      "identifier": "demo:ruby",
      "menu_category": {
        "category": "items"
      }
    },
    "components": {
      "minecraft:icon": {
        "textures": {
          "default": "ruby"
        }
      },
      "minecraft:max_stack_size": 64
    }
  }
}

The "ruby" icon name points to a picture registered in the resource pack. Without the resource pack, the item would still exist but would have no texture. You will build this item step by step in Your first custom item.

What can you change?

Add-ons can do a lot. Here are the main things you will learn on this wiki:

Each new thing is built from components. A component is one small feature, like "this item can be eaten" or "this block gives off light". You stack components together like building blocks. The item components reference lists every one with examples.

File types you will meet

When you download an add-on, it usually comes as one of these files:

• .mcpack: a single pack (one behavior pack or one resource pack). It is really a .zip file with a different name.
• .mcaddon: a bundle that holds several packs, usually a BP and its RP together. It is also a renamed .zip.
• .mcworld and .mctemplate: whole worlds and world templates, which can include packs inside them.

When you open one of these files, Minecraft imports it automatically. You will learn how to make them in Export and play.

Works everywhere

Bedrock Edition runs on Windows, Android, iPhone and iPad, Xbox, PlayStation and Nintendo Switch. Add-ons use the same files on every one of them. A pack you make on your phone works on a friend's PC, and one made on a PC works on a phone.

There are a few limits to know about:

• On consoles you cannot import your own files directly. You can still play add-ons there on a Realm or on a server, or from the Marketplace.
• Some features are marked as experimental. They only work if the world has that experiment turned on. Most items, blocks and mobs no longer need any experiments.

Two ways to make an add-on

The hand-made way. You create folders, write JSON in a text editor, draw textures in an image editor, then zip everything up. This wiki teaches you every step, and knowing how the files work is a great skill.

The easy way. GodCraft is a free app for iPhone and Android that makes add-ons without code. You open the Workshop, add objects like items, blocks or mobs, and fill in simple forms. It writes all the JSON, manifests and UUIDs for you and exports a .mcaddon that opens straight in Minecraft.

You can mix both ways. Many creators start in GodCraft to get a working pack fast, then read this wiki to understand what each file does.

What to read next

1. Tools you need: what to install, or how to do it all from your phone.
2. Your first pack: build the folders and manifests.
3. JSON in 5 minutes: the file format every add-on uses.
4. Export and play: get your pack into the game.