How to Add a Resource Pack to a Minecraft Server

To add a resource pack to a Minecraft Java server, host the pack's .zip somewhere that gives a direct download link, then put that link in resource-pack= in server.properties, the zip's SHA-1 hash in resource-pack-sha1=, and restart. Players are offered the pack when they join. Set require-resource-pack=true to make it mandatory. The zip must have pack.mcmeta at its top level, stay under 250 MB, and the hash must change every time you update the pack.

What you are working with

The server does not store or send the pack itself. It gives players the link, and their game downloads the zip from wherever you host it. The Minecraft Wiki's server.properties page lists the full rules, including the 250 MiB size limit.

What goes where

On your PC, packs live in .minecraft/resourcepacks/. Test the pack there first: if it works in single player on the server's version, it will work from the server.

The trap: the link and the hash

Two details break most server resource packs.

The link must be a direct download. Paste it into a browser: it must start downloading the zip straight away, with no page, button or preview. A normal share link from a cloud drive opens a web page, so the game downloads HTML and fails. Some services have a direct form, for example a Dropbox link with dl=0 changed to dl=1. A GitHub release asset link works. If in doubt, use a host made for Minecraft packs that gives you a direct URL.

The hash must match the exact file, and change when the file changes. Clients cache server packs. If you upload a new version to the same URL and leave resource-pack-sha1 alone, players keep seeing the old one, or the check fails and the download is rejected. Every time the zip changes, compute a new SHA-1 and update the line.

Get the hash on your PC:

# Windows PowerShell
(Get-FileHash .\MyPack.zip -Algorithm SHA1).Hash.ToLower()

# Windows Command Prompt
certutil -hashfile MyPack.zip SHA1

# macOS
shasum -a 1 MyPack.zip

# Linux
sha1sum MyPack.zip

The result is 40 characters. Use it in lowercase.

Before you start

• Check the pack's Minecraft version. Pack formats change between releases, and an old pack shows as incompatible or loses textures.
• Check the zip layout. Open it: you should see pack.mcmeta and assets right away, not a folder holding them.
• Keep it under 250 MB. Smaller packs also join faster for everyone.

Step 1: Upload the pack somewhere public

Host the zip where anyone can download it without logging in. Copy the direct link and test it in a private browser window.

Step 2: Compute the SHA-1

Run one of the commands above on the same zip you uploaded. Not a copy you edited afterwards, the exact file.

Step 3: Edit server.properties

Stop the server and set:

resource-pack=https://example.com/packs/MyPack.zip
resource-pack-sha1=3f786850e387550fdab836ed7e6dc881de23001b
require-resource-pack=true
resource-pack-prompt=This server uses a custom pack for its builds.

When the server rewrites the file it may escape colons as https\://. That is normal and still works.

Step 4: Start and join

Start the server and join. You should get the prompt, then a short download. Check that the new textures show in game.

Updating the pack later

1. Upload the new zip, either to a new URL or over the old one.
2. Compute the new SHA-1 and replace resource-pack-sha1, plus resource-pack if the URL changed.
3. Restart the server. Players get the new version next time they join.

Common problems

• "Failed to download resource pack": the link opens a web page instead of the zip, needs a login, or the file is over 250 MB.
• Players still see the old textures: you updated the zip but not resource-pack-sha1, so clients use their cached copy.
• Pack downloads but nothing changes: pack.mcmeta is inside an extra folder in the zip, or the pack is for another Minecraft version.
• A player is never asked: in their server list, Edit the server and set Server Resource Packs to Prompt or Enabled. With it on Disabled and require-resource-pack=true, they are disconnected.
• Bedrock players through Geyser do not get it: Java resource packs do not work on Bedrock. Bedrock needs its own pack format.
• Settings did nothing: server.properties was edited while the server ran and got overwritten. Stop, edit, start.

Resource packs on GamezServers

On a Minecraft server from GamezServers, open server.properties in the file manager to set the link and hash, with a one click Backup before you change anything. The pack itself needs a public direct download link, since players download it from there, not from the server. If your pack also comes with a datapack, see how to add a datapack to a Minecraft server.

FAQ

Can I make players use my resource pack?

Yes. Set require-resource-pack=true and anyone who declines is disconnected. Add resource-pack-prompt to explain why.

Can I upload the resource pack to the server folder?

The vanilla server cannot send it from there. Players download from the URL in resource-pack, so the zip needs a public direct link.

Do I need resource-pack-sha1?

It is optional but strongly recommended. Without it, players can be stuck with an old cached version after you update the pack.

How big can a server resource pack be?

Up to 250 MB. Smaller packs download faster for every player who joins.