AstroworldPlugins and mods
How to add a resource pack to your Minecraft server
A server resource pack is downloaded by each player when they join, so everybody sees the same textures, sounds or custom items without installing anything by hand. The server only hands out a link; the pack itself comes from wherever you host it.
What you need
- The pack as a
.zip, withpack.mcmetaright at the top of the zip. - A direct download link that starts with
https://and downloads the zip straight away, without a page in between. - The SHA-1 of the zip: a code of 40 letters and numbers that lets the game check the download.
Get a direct download link
The link has to give the zip itself. Test it in a private browser window: if the file downloads at once, it works. If a web page opens first, the game cannot use it.
- Share links from cloud storage usually open a preview page. Many services offer a direct download form of the link; their help pages explain how.
- Uploading the pack to your server's Files does not work: those files are not a public web address, so players cannot download from there.
Get the SHA-1 of the pack
The SHA-1 is a fingerprint of the file. With it, the game knows whether it already has this version of your pack, and it refuses a damaged download.
- Windows: open Command Prompt in the folder with the zip and type
certutil -hashfile pack.zip SHA1. - Mac: open Terminal in that folder and type
shasum pack.zip. - Linux: type
sha1sum pack.zip.
Copy the 40 letters and numbers. When you change the pack, the SHA-1 changes too, so make a new one for every new version.
Fill in the resource pack settings
- Open Settings, go to Server settings and search for
resource pack. - Paste the link in Resource pack URL. It must start with
https://. - Paste the code in Resource pack SHA-1.
- Optional: write a short line in Resource pack prompt. Players see it when they are asked to accept the pack.
- Optional: switch on Force resource pack. Players who decline the pack cannot play.
- Save and restart the server.
In server.properties these are resource-pack, resource-pack-sha1, resource-pack-prompt and require-resource-pack, if you would rather edit the file in Files.
When the resource pack does not load
| What happens | Why | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Players are never asked | The link setting is empty, or the server was not restarted | Check Resource pack URL and restart. |
| The download fails | The link opens a web page, or the host blocks the download | Test the link in a private window; it must download the zip at once. |
| The pack is refused after downloading | The SHA-1 does not match the zip | Make the SHA-1 again from the exact zip you uploaded. |
| Players still see the old pack | The pack changed but the link and SHA-1 did not | Upload the new zip, make its SHA-1 and update both settings. A new file name for each version helps. |
| Textures look wrong or are missing | The pack was made for another Minecraft version | Use a version of the pack made for your server's version. |
On a crossplay server, Bedrock players do not get the Java pack. Bedrock uses its own pack format.
Questions
Can players refuse the resource pack?
Yes, unless Force resource pack is on. Then declining means they cannot play on the server.
Do players download the pack every time they join?
No. The game keeps the pack and only downloads it again when the SHA-1 changes.
How big can a server resource pack be?
Keep it as small as you can. Every player downloads the whole pack on their first join, and a large pack makes that first join slow.
Can I use more than one resource pack?
The setting takes one pack. Combine them into one zip, or use a plugin on Paper or Purpur that sends several.
Checked against the Settings tab of our control panel, September 2026. Written by the Cheapest Minecraft Hosting team, updated .