What Are Bedrock Edition Add-ons?

Add-ons Explained

Add-ons are the official way to customize Minecraft Bedrock Edition. They allow you to change how the game looks, sounds, and behaves without modifying the game's core code. Add-ons work on all Bedrock platforms, including mobile devices, consoles, and Windows, making them the most accessible form of Minecraft customization across the entire player base.

Resource Packs

Resource packs change the visual and audio aspects of the game. They can modify:

• Textures: Change how blocks, items, mobs, and UI elements look.
• Models: Alter the 3D shape of entities and blocks using custom geometry.
• Sounds: Replace or add sound effects and music.
• Animations: Modify mob animations or create new ones.
• Particles: Change particle effects for explosions, potions, and more.
• UI: Customize the game's user interface layout and appearance.

Resource packs are purely cosmetic and do not change gameplay mechanics. They are stored as folders or .mcpack files containing JSON definition files and image/audio assets.

Behavior Packs

Behavior packs modify how the game works. They can change:

• Entity behavior: Modify how mobs act, what they attack, their health, speed, drops, and spawning rules.
• Block properties: Change block hardness, drops, light levels, and other attributes.
• Item behavior: Modify item durability, enchantability, and usage mechanics.
• Recipes: Add, remove, or modify crafting and smelting recipes.
• Loot tables: Control what entities drop when killed and what chests contain.
• Spawn rules: Define where and how frequently mobs spawn in the world.
• Trading: Modify villager trades and wandering trader inventory.
• Features: Change world generation features like ore distribution.

The Scripting API

Starting with recent Bedrock versions, Mojang introduced a JavaScript/TypeScript scripting API that runs inside behavior packs. The scripting API provides programmatic access to game events and allows much more complex logic than JSON definitions alone:

• Listen for and respond to game events (player join, block break, entity death).
• Create custom commands and chat interactions.
• Manipulate entities, blocks, and items dynamically.
• Build custom UI through JSON-based forms.
• Integrate with scoreboard and tag systems.

The scripting API uses the @minecraft/server and @minecraft/server-ui modules. Scripts run in a sandboxed environment and cannot access the file system or network directly, ensuring player safety.

Pack Structure

Every add-on has a manifest.json file that identifies the pack. A basic structure looks like this:

my_addon/
  manifest.json
  pack_icon.png

  # Resource pack contents:
  textures/
  models/
  sounds/
  animation_controllers/

  # Behavior pack contents:
  entities/
  blocks/
  items/
  recipes/
  loot_tables/
  spawn_rules/
  scripts/

Applying Add-ons

Add-ons are applied per-world through the world settings. You can have multiple resource packs and behavior packs active at the same time. The order matters: packs higher in the list take priority when there are conflicts.

On multiplayer servers, behavior packs must be installed on the server. Resource packs can be set as required, forcing players to download them when joining.

Where to Find Add-ons

• Minecraft Marketplace: Curated, paid content from approved creators.
• MCPEDL: Large community site with free add-ons, maps, and texture packs.
• GitHub: Many developers share open-source add-ons on GitHub.
• Bedrock Wiki: Documentation and tutorials for creating your own add-ons.

Differences from Java Mods

Add-ons are more limited than Java mods but have key advantages:

• Add-ons work across all Bedrock platforms (mobile, console, PC). Java mods only work on desktop.
• Add-ons are officially supported by Mojang. Java mods use unofficial modding APIs.
• Add-ons cannot add entirely new game systems, dimensions with custom generation, or deep engine modifications that Java mods can.
• Add-ons use JSON and JavaScript. Java mods use Java code compiled into .jar files.