Minecraft Manifest.json Generator and Format Guide

The manifest.json file is the entry point for every Minecraft Bedrock add-on. It tells the game what your pack is, what version it is, and what other packs it depends on. Without a valid manifest, Minecraft will not recognize or load your content.

This article covers the manifest format for behavior packs, resource packs, add-ons, world templates, and skin packs. It includes a reference for both V2 (stable) and V3 (preview) formats, with full code examples and a tool for generating valid manifests.

What is `manifest.json`?

The manifest is a JSON file placed at the root of a pack's folder. Every pack must have exactly one manifest. When Minecraft loads a pack, it reads the manifest to:

Identify the pack by name, UUID, and version
Determine the pack type (behavior, resource, skin, or world template)
Check compatibility with the current engine version
Resolve dependencies on other packs or Script API modules
Enable optional features (capabilities) declared by the pack

A folder with a correctly formatted manifest is considered a minimal valid pack. Additional content can be added after the manifest is in place.

Generating `manifest.json`

The Minecraft Bedrock Manifest Generator produces valid manifest.json files for behavior packs, resource packs, add-ons, world templates, and skin packs.

Features

V2 and V3 format support — toggle between stable V2 and preview V3
Script API dependency picker — select from native engine modules (@minecraft/server, @minecraft/server-ui, etc.) with version lookup from official sources
UUID generation — generate correct UUID v4 strings for pack and module identifiers
SemVer format toggle — switch between array format [1, 0, 0] and string format "1.0.0" per field

Input fields for manifest V3, with support for proxy objects, are also available.
Pack settings builder — create slider, toggle, dropdown, and label settings for V3 manifests

Leading to results like this:
Subpack configuration — configure memory tiers for texture quality levels

Usage

Select the pack type (behavior, resource, add-on, world template, or skin pack)
Choose the manifest version (V2 or V3)
Fill in the header fields and add modules
Configure dependencies, capabilities, and metadata
Copy or download the generated manifest.json

Manifest Format Versions

Two format versions are currently available:

Feature	V2 (Stable)	V3 (Preview)
Status	Stable, widely supported	Preview
Version format	Array `[1, 0, 0]` or string `"1.0.0"`	String `"1.0.0"` or proxy object
Pack settings	Not supported	Slider, toggle, dropdown, label
Subpack memory	`memory_tier`	`memory_performance_tier`
Texture budgets	Not supported	Tier-based budgets
`pack_scope`	Header-level only	Header-level only

V1 is deprecated and only applies to skin packs. This article covers V2 and V3.

Core Properties

`format_version`

Declares the manifest format version.

{
  "format_version": 3
}

`header`

Contains the pack's identity.

{
  "header": {
    "name": "My Pack",
    "description": "A sample behavior pack",
    "uuid": "55b6a7c8-1d2e-4f3a-9b0c-6d7e8f9a0b1c",
    "version": [1, 0, 0],
    "min_engine_version": [1, 20, 0]
  }
}

Property	Type	Description
`name`	String	Display name shown in pack UI
`description`	String	Short description shown under the name
`uuid`	String	Unique identifier for the pack (36-char, base-16, case-insensitive)
`version`	Array or String	Pack version. V2 accepts arrays `[a, b, c]` or strings `"a.b.c"`. V3 accepts strings `"a.b.c"` or proxy objects
`min_engine_version`	Array or String	Minimum Minecraft engine version required
`pack_scope`	String	For resource packs: `"world"`, `"global"`, or `"any"`. Default is `"any"`
`allow_random_seed`	Boolean	Whether the world can use a custom seed
`base_game_version`	String	Target base game version
`platform_locked`	Boolean	Restricts pack to specific platforms
`lock_template_options`	Boolean	Locks template options in world settings
`pack_optimization_version`	Object	Pack optimization settings

`modules`

Declares the contents of the pack. Each module is an entry in the array.

Behavior pack module:

{
  "modules": [
    {
      "type": "data",
      "uuid": "a1b2c3d4-e5f6-7890-ab12-cd34ef567890",
      "version": [1, 0, 0]
    }
  ]
}

Resource pack module:

{
  "modules": [
    {
      "type": "resources",
      "uuid": "b2c3d4e5-f6a7-8901-bc23-de45fa678901",
      "version": [1, 0, 0]
    }
  ]
}

Script module (V2):

{
  "modules": [
    {
      "type": "script",
      "uuid": "c3d4e5f6-a7b8-9012-cd34-ef56ab789012",
      "version": [1, 0, 0],
      "language": "javascript"
    }
  ]
}

Property	Type	Description
`type`	String	`"data"` (behavior), `"resources"` (resource), `"script"` (JavaScript/TypeScript)
`uuid`	String	Unique identifier for the module
`version`	Array, String, or Object	Module version
`description`	String	Module description
`language`	String	For script modules: `"javascript"` or `"typescript"`
`entry`	String	For script modules: path to the entry file (V3)

`dependencies`

Declares packs or modules this pack depends on.

Dependency by UUID:

{
  "dependencies": [
    {
      "uuid": "12345678-1234-1234-1234-123456789abc",
      "version": [1, 0, 0]
    }
  ]
}

Dependency by module name (Script API):

{
  "dependencies": [
    {
      "module_name": "@minecraft/server",
      "version": "1.13.0"
    }
  ]
}

Do not use both uuid and module_name in the same dependency entry. Pick one.

`capabilities`

Declares special engine features the pack requires.

{
  "capabilities": ["chemistry", "script_eval", "raytraced"]
}

Capability	Effect
`chemistry`	Enables chemistry features and blocks
`editorExtension`	Declares the pack as an editor extension module
`script_eval`	Enables `eval()` and `Function()` in script modules
`raytraced`	Enables raytracing in resource packs
`pbr`	Enables Vibrant Visuals in resource packs

`metadata`

Contains optional pack metadata.

{
  "metadata": {
    "authors": ["Jayly"],
    "license": "MIT",
    "url": "https://jaylydev.github.io/manifest-generator",
    "product_type": "addon"
  }
}

Property	Type	Description
`authors`	Array of strings	Pack author names
`license`	String	License identifier
`url`	String	Pack homepage URL
`product_type`	String	`"addon"` indicates the pack is intended for player worlds
`generated_with`	Object	Tracks tools used to generate the manifest

Script API Dependencies

Behavior packs that use JavaScript or TypeScript must declare their Script API module dependencies. Native engine modules like @minecraft/server and @minecraft/server-ui provide access to game APIs.

Required setup:

Add a script module in modules
Add the corresponding module_name dependency

{
  "modules": [
    {
      "type": "script",
      "uuid": "c3d4e5f6-a7b8-9012-cd34-ef56ab789012",
      "version": [1, 0, 0],
      "language": "javascript"
    }
  ],
  "dependencies": [
    {
      "module_name": "@minecraft/server",
      "version": "1.13.0"
    },
    {
      "module_name": "@minecraft/server-ui",
      "version": "2.0.0"
    }
  ]
}

Available native modules and their UUIDs:

Module	UUID
`@minecraft/common`	`77ec12b4-1b2b-4c98-8d34-d1cd63f849d5`
`@minecraft/debug-utilities`	`1796ea86-0daf-4409-99ee-fd6467cf1203`
`@minecraft/server`	`b26a4d4c-afdf-4690-88f8-931846312678`
`@minecraft/server-ui`	`2bd50a27-ab5f-4f40-a596-3641627c635e`
`@minecraft/server-gametest`	`6f4b6893-1bb6-42fd-b458-7fa3d0c89616`
`@minecraft/server-net`	`777b1798-13a6-401c-9cba-0cf17e31a81b`
`@minecraft/server-admin`	`53d7f2bf-bf9c-49c4-ad1f-7c803d947920`
`@minecraft/server-editor`	`1d565354-296d-11ed-a261-0242ac120002`

Subpacks

Subpacks allow players to select between different pack configurations in world settings, such as HD vs SD texture sets. Each subpack maps to a memory tier.

V2 subpacks:

{
  "subpacks": [
    {
      "folder_name": "textures_sd",
      "name": "SD Textures",
      "memory_tier": 1
    },
    {
      "folder_name": "textures_hd",
      "name": "HD Textures",
      "memory_tier": 3
    }
  ]
}

V3 subpacks:

{
  "subpacks": [
    {
      "folder_name": "textures_sd",
      "name": "SD Textures",
      "memory_performance_tier": 1
    },
    {
      "folder_name": "textures_hd",
      "name": "HD Textures",
      "memory_performance_tier": 3
    }
  ]
}

Property	Type	Description
`folder_name`	String	Name of the subpack's source folder
`name`	String	Display name in pack settings
`memory_tier` (V2) / `memory_performance_tier` (V3)	Integer	Minimum memory tier required

Memory Tier Alignment

Each tier increases memory requirements by 256 MB.

Memory Performance Tier	Platform	Memory Range
1	Nintendo Switch	2-4 GB
2	PS4, PS4 Pro, Xbox One, ~60% Mobile	4-5 GB
3	Xbox One X, Xbox Series S	6-8 GB
4	Xbox Series X, PS5	8-12 GB
5	PS5 Pro, ~70% PC	>12 GB

Texture Memory Budgets (V3 Only)

Minecraft Bedrock enforces texture memory budgets measured in texels (1 pixel = 4 bytes). Devices automatically select the highest compatible subpack without exceeding the budget.

Tier	Add-On Budget	Resource Pack Budget	World Budget
1 (Low-end)	150 MB	300 MB	750 MB
2	225 MB	450 MB	1 GB
3	300 MB	600 MB	1.5 GB
4	600 MB	1.2 GB	3 GB
5 (High-end)	800 MB	1.6 GB	4 GB

Manifest V3 Pack Settings

V3 introduces dynamic in-game settings that players can configure. Supported types:

Slider — numeric range with min, max, step
Toggle — boolean checkbox
Dropdown — selection menu with options
Label — display text only

Example pack settings:

{
  "format_version": 3,
  "header": {
    "name": "My Pack",
    "uuid": "55b6a7c8-1d2e-4f3a-9b0c-6d7e8f9a0b1c",
    "version": "1.0.0",
    "min_engine_version": "1.21.0"
  },
  "modules": [
    {
      "type": "data",
      "uuid": "a1b2c3d4-e5f6-7890-ab12-cd34ef567890",
      "version": "1.0.0"
    }
  ],
  "settings": [
    {
      "name": "enable_feature",
      "type": "toggle",
      "default": false,
      "label": "Enable Feature"
    },
    {
      "name": "damage_amount",
      "type": "slider",
      "default": 5,
      "min": 1,
      "max": 100,
      "step": 1,
      "label": "Damage Amount"
    },
    {
      "name": "difficulty",
      "type": "dropdown",
      "options": {
        "easy": "Easy",
        "normal": "Normal",
        "hard": "Hard"
      },
      "default": "normal",
      "label": "Difficulty"
    },
    {
      "name": "info_label",
      "type": "label",
      "text": "Advanced settings below"
    }
  ]
}

Querying Pack Settings In-Game

Use Molang queries to read pack setting values:

query.get_pack_setting('ns:slider_name') — returns slider value
query.is_pack_setting_enabled('ns:toggle_name') — checks toggle state
query.is_pack_setting_selected('ns:dropdown_name', 'dropdown_option_name') — checks dropdown selection

Complete Examples

Minimal Behavior Pack (V2)

{
  "format_version": 2,
  "header": {
    "name": "My Behavior Pack",
    "description": "A minimal behavior pack",
    "uuid": "55b6a7c8-1d2e-4f3a-9b0c-6d7e8f9a0b1c",
    "version": [1, 0, 0],
    "min_engine_version": [1, 20, 0]
  },
  "modules": [
    {
      "type": "data",
      "uuid": "a1b2c3d4-e5f6-7890-ab12-cd34ef567890",
      "version": [1, 0, 0]
    }
  ],
  "metadata": {
    "authors": ["Jayly"]
  }
}

Add-On with Script API (V2)

{
  "format_version": 2,
  "header": {
    "name": "My Add-On",
    "description": "An add-on with Script API",
    "uuid": "55b6a7c8-1d2e-4f3a-9b0c-6d7e8f9a0b1c",
    "version": [1, 0, 0],
    "min_engine_version": [1, 20, 0]
  },
  "modules": [
    {
      "type": "data",
      "uuid": "a1b2c3d4-e5f6-7890-ab12-cd34ef567890",
      "version": [1, 0, 0]
    },
    {
      "type": "script",
      "uuid": "c3d4e5f6-a7b8-9012-cd34-ef56ab789012",
      "version": [1, 0, 0],
      "language": "javascript"
    }
  ],
  "dependencies": [
    {
      "module_name": "@minecraft/server",
      "version": "1.13.0"
    }
  ],
  "capabilities": ["script_eval"],
  "metadata": {
    "authors": ["Jayly"],
    "product_type": "addon"
  }
}

Add-On with V3 Pack Settings

{
  "format_version": 3,
  "header": {
    "name": "My V3 Pack",
    "description": "A pack using manifest V3",
    "uuid": "55b6a7c8-1d2e-4f3a-9b0c-6d7e8f9a0b1c",
    "version": "1.0.0",
    "min_engine_version": "1.21.0"
  },
  "modules": [
    {
      "type": "data",
      "uuid": "a1b2c3d4-e5f6-7890-ab12-cd34ef567890",
      "version": "1.0.0"
    }
  ],
  "subpacks": [
    {
      "folder_name": "subpack_sd",
      "name": "SD",
      "memory_performance_tier": 1
    },
    {
      "folder_name": "subpack_hd",
      "name": "HD",
      "memory_performance_tier": 3
    }
  ],
  "settings": [
    {
      "name": "feature_toggle",
      "type": "toggle",
      "default": true,
      "label": "Enable Feature"
    }
  ],
  "metadata": {
    "authors": ["Jayly"],
    "product_type": "addon"
  }
}