How to Install Add-Ons and Behavior Packs on a Bedrock Server

Bedrock servers don't run Java mods or plugins. They run add-ons, distributed as .mcaddon or .mcpack files containing a behavior pack (server logic) and/or resource pack (visuals). You upload the pack files and then tell your world to use them by referencing their IDs. There's no automated "click to install" flow for Bedrock add-ons yet, so a bit of manual setup is normal.

Symptoms

• Add-on files uploaded but nothing changes in-game
• World crashes or won't load after adding multiple add-ons
• Marketplace-purchased content won't upload or install
• Shaders installed on the server have no visible effect for players

Why this happens

Bedrock's add-on system is more manual than Java's. Packs must live in the correct root-level folders, and the world itself needs its pack list files updated with each add-on's ID. If either step is skipped, the game silently ignores the pack. Marketplace purchases are usually locked to Realms or your client account, not downloadable as installable files, so they can't be dropped onto a self-hosted server. Shaders are a client-side rendering feature only, the server has no role in applying them. And because add-on authors rarely test against every other add-on, running several at once is a common cause of world corruption; incompatible add-ons can leave a world unloadable.

How to fix it

1. Get your add-on as a .mcaddon or .mcpack file from a Bedrock-compatible source (CurseForge's Bedrock section or similar): confirm it lists support for your server's current Minecraft version.
2. Take a backup from Backups before installing anything new.
3. Open Files and upload the pack to the root-level behavior pack and/or resource pack folders (not into the worlds folder).
4. Open the world_behaviour_packs and world_resource_packs files inside your world folder and add the pack's ID (found in its manifest) so the world actually loads it.
5. Click Restart to apply the changes, then join and confirm the add-on is active.
6. Add only one or two add-ons at a time and test before installing more: this is how you catch a conflicting add-on before it corrupts your world.

If a world stops loading right after installing an add-on, don't keep adding more on top, restore your last backup first, then reintroduce add-ons one at a time to find the culprit.

Still stuck?

If you've matched pack IDs correctly and restarted but the add-on still won't load, or your world has already gone unresponsive, open a support ticket with the add-on name and version, some Bedrock add-on setups need manual folder/manifest work our team can do directly. For crossplay-specific add-on issues, see Java. Bedrock Crossplay with Geyser and Floodgate, and if you need to move settings or a fresh world in first, check How to Upload Your Own World and How to Change Your Bedrock Server Settings.