Setting Up Resource Packs on Your Minecraft Server
Configure server-side resource packs that players download automatically on join.
How Server Resource Packs Work
You can configure your server to prompt players to download a resource pack when they join. This is useful for custom textures, sounds, or models that enhance your server's experience.
The pack must be hosted on a publicly accessible URL. When a player joins, the server sends the URL and the client downloads the pack. The pack is applied only while on the server - it doesn't replace the player's client resource packs.
Configure it from the Settings tab, under Advanced. Five entries relate to it:
resource-pack - the download URL for the pack. It must be a direct link to the file, not a page that links to it.
resource-pack-sha1 - the SHA1 hash of the .zip. The client uses it to verify the download and to know when a cached copy is still current.
require-resource-pack (default false) - if on, a player who declines the pack is disconnected. Use it when the pack is essential, for example custom item models.
resource-pack-prompt - the message shown in the accept dialog.
resource-pack-id - the pack's identifier, used by clients that track packs by id.
These are written into server.properties, which Minecraft reads at startup, so restart the server after saving.
Resource packs work on all five server types. They are a Mojang feature and need no plugin or mod.
Hosting the Pack
The resource pack URL must be publicly accessible and serve the file directly (not redirect to a download page). Options:
Cloud storage: Upload to a service that provides direct links (e.g., GitHub releases, Dropbox with ?dl=1, Google Drive with direct link generators).
Your own web server: Host the pack on a web server you control. This gives you full control over the URL and bandwidth.
Avoid services that require authentication or have download caps - players won't be able to download the pack.
Keep the pack size reasonable. Packs over 50MB will take a long time for players to download on join. Use compression and remove unused assets.
Generating the SHA1 Hash
The resource-pack-sha1 setting requires the SHA1 hash of the pack .zip file. The server uses this to verify the download.
On Windows: certutil -hashfile pack.zip SHA1
On Linux: sha1sum pack.zip
Paste the hash (lower case, no spaces) into the resource-pack-sha1 field in Settings. If you update the pack, update the hash too.
If the hash is wrong or missing, players may see a "resource pack mismatch" error or be prompted to download repeatedly.
Player Experience
When a player joins the server, they see a prompt: "Server resource pack: Do you want to download and install this resource pack?"
With require-resource-pack on, clicking "No" disconnects them. With it off they can decline and play without the pack, though anything that depends on it will not look right.
The pack is cached by the client. On subsequent joins, if the hash matches, the client uses the cached version without re-downloading.
If you update the pack, change the URL or hash to force a re-download.