Recipe types

Minecraft Bedrock has seven kinds of recipe. Each one is a JSON file in the behavior pack, and each one has a type that decides which fields it needs and which station can use it. This page is a quick reference for all seven, with a Ruby example for each.

New to recipes? Read Crafting and furnace recipes first. It explains patterns, keys, item tags, the recipe book (unlock) and priority step by step. This page does not repeat those parts.

The files

All recipes go in one folder. The file names are up to you, and you can make subfolders to keep things tidy.

BP/
  recipes/
    ruby_block.json
    ruby_from_block.json
    smelt_raw_ruby.json
    brew_ruby_strength.json
    brew_ruby_splash.json
    ruby_sword_upgrade.json

The seven types at a glance

Every type shares the same outer shape:

{
  "format_version": "1.20.10",
  "minecraft:recipe_shaped": {
    "description": {
      "identifier": "wiki:ruby_block"
    },
    "tags": ["crafting_table"]
  }
}

• The key under the root (here minecraft:recipe_shaped) is the type.
• description.identifier is the recipe's own ID. It must be unique, and it is not the item ID.
• tags lists the stations that accept it. See The tags field below.

Shaped

Items must sit in a pattern.

{
  "format_version": "1.20.10",
  "minecraft:recipe_shaped": {
    "description": {
      "identifier": "wiki:ruby_block"
    },
    "tags": ["crafting_table"],
    "pattern": [
      "RRR",
      "RRR",
      "RRR"
    ],
    "key": {
      "R": { "item": "wiki:ruby" }
    },
    "unlock": [{ "item": "wiki:ruby" }],
    "result": { "item": "wiki:ruby_block" }
  }
}

result can also be a list. The first item goes to the output slot, and the others are given back too. Vanilla cake does this: you get the cake and your three empty buckets back.

"result": [
  { "item": "wiki:ruby_cake" },
  { "item": "minecraft:bucket", "count": 3 }
]

Shapeless

Only the ingredients count, not where they go.

{
  "format_version": "1.20.10",
  "minecraft:recipe_shapeless": {
    "description": {
      "identifier": "wiki:ruby_from_block"
    },
    "tags": ["crafting_table"],
    "ingredients": [
      { "item": "wiki:ruby_block" }
    ],
    "unlock": [{ "item": "wiki:ruby_block" }],
    "result": { "item": "wiki:ruby", "count": 9 }
  }
}

Stonecutter recipes are shapeless too

The stonecutter has no type of its own. It uses shapeless recipes with one ingredient and the stonecutter tag:

{
  "format_version": "1.20.10",
  "minecraft:recipe_shapeless": {
    "description": {
      "identifier": "wiki:ruby_bricks_stonecutting"
    },
    "tags": ["stonecutter"],
    "ingredients": [{ "item": "wiki:ruby_block" }],
    "unlock": [{ "item": "wiki:ruby_block" }],
    "result": { "item": "wiki:ruby_bricks", "count": 1 }
  }
}

Each choice in the stonecutter menu is a separate recipe file. Vanilla has hundreds of these.

Furnace

One item goes in, another comes out. It has no result: it uses input and output instead.

{
  "format_version": "1.20.10",
  "minecraft:recipe_furnace": {
    "description": {
      "identifier": "wiki:smelt_raw_ruby"
    },
    "tags": ["furnace", "blast_furnace"],
    "input": "wiki:raw_ruby",
    "output": "wiki:ruby"
  }
}

The fuel is not part of the recipe. Any normal fuel works.

Brewing mix

A brewing mix turns one potion effect into another. The bottle stays the same kind: a potion stays a potion, a splash potion stays a splash potion.

{
  "format_version": "1.20.10",
  "minecraft:recipe_brewing_mix": {
    "description": {
      "identifier": "wiki:brew_ruby_strength"
    },
    "tags": ["brewing_stand"],
    "input": "minecraft:potion_type:awkward",
    "reagent": "wiki:ruby",
    "output": "minecraft:potion_type:strength"
  }
}

Here, a ruby turns an Awkward Potion into a Potion of Strength, just like blaze powder does.

Potion names are lower case, with _ between words. Some useful ones: water, awkward, mundane, thick, strength, swiftness, healing, regeneration, fire_resistance, slow_falling, water_breathing, invisibility and leaping. Night vision is written nightvision. Longer versions start with long_ (long_strength) and stronger ones with strong_ (strong_strength).

Brewing container

A brewing container recipe changes the bottle, and keeps the effect. Vanilla uses it for gunpowder (potion to splash potion) and dragon's breath (splash potion to lingering potion).

{
  "format_version": "1.20.10",
  "minecraft:recipe_brewing_container": {
    "description": {
      "identifier": "wiki:brew_ruby_splash"
    },
    "tags": ["brewing_stand"],
    "input": "minecraft:potion",
    "reagent": "wiki:ruby_dust",
    "output": "minecraft:splash_potion"
  }
}

Smithing transform

Upgrades one item into another at the smithing table. The enchantments, name and damage of the old item carry over to the new one. Vanilla uses it to turn diamond gear into netherite.

{
  "format_version": "1.20.10",
  "minecraft:recipe_smithing_transform": {
    "description": {
      "identifier": "wiki:ruby_sword_upgrade"
    },
    "tags": ["smithing_table"],
    "template": "wiki:ruby_upgrade_template",
    "base": "minecraft:diamond_sword",
    "addition": "wiki:ruby",
    "result": "wiki:ruby_sword"
  }
}

"minecraft:tags": {
  "tags": ["minecraft:transform_templates"]
}

Only one of each template and material is used up, even if the stack is bigger.

Smithing trim

Adds a trim pattern to armor. It has no result: the armor comes back with the trim on it. Here is what one looks like:

{
  "format_version": "1.20.10",
  "minecraft:recipe_smithing_trim": {
    "description": {
      "identifier": "wiki:ruby_armor_trim"
    },
    "tags": ["smithing_table"],
    "template": { "tag": "minecraft:trim_templates" },
    "base": { "tag": "minecraft:trimmable_armors" },
    "addition": { "tag": "minecraft:trim_materials" }
  }
}

Each field takes an item, or an item tag like above. This is the same shape as the single trim recipe vanilla uses: because it only uses tags, it covers every template, armor and material at once.

The tags field

tags is a list of the stations that can use a recipe. Each type only makes sense with certain tags:

A few rules:

• List every station you want. A furnace recipe tagged only furnace does not work in a smoker.
• Mix freely within a type. Food usually lists furnace, smoker, campfire and soul_campfire together.
• Ignore deprecated. Some vanilla files use this tag to keep old recipes around without showing them. Your recipes do not need it.

More about each station, and the 2x2 inventory grid, is in Crafting and furnace recipes.

When something goes wrong

More help is in Troubleshooting. Need items to use in your recipes? Start with Your first custom item.