pack.mcmeta and the pack format number for every Minecraft version

The pack.mcmeta file is the smallest part of a resource pack and the one that causes the most confusion. It tells the game two things: which pack format your pack was made for, and what to show as the description. This guide lists the format numbers and explains the version warnings.

A minimal pack.mcmeta

{
  "pack": {
    "pack_format": 46,
    "description": "My first texture pack"
  }
}

The file must be valid JSON. A missing comma or a stray quote is the usual reason a pack does not show up in the menu.

Pack format by Minecraft version

The number rises when Mojang changes how resource packs are read. These are the values used for the versions below.

• 1.8 to 1.8.9: 1
• 1.9 to 1.10.2: 2
• 1.11 to 1.12.2: 3
• 1.13 to 1.14.4: 4
• 1.15 to 1.16.1: 5
• 1.16.2 to 1.16.5: 6
• 1.17 to 1.17.1: 7
• 1.18 to 1.18.2: 8
• 1.19 to 1.19.2: 9
• 1.19.3: 12, 1.19.4: 13
• 1.20 to 1.20.1: 15, 1.20.2: 18
• 1.20.3 to 1.20.4: 22, 1.20.5 to 1.20.6: 32
• 1.21 to 1.21.1: 34, 1.21.2 to 1.21.3: 42
• 1.21.4: 46, 1.21.5: 55, 1.21.6: 63
• 1.21.7 to 1.21.8: 64

What the version warning means

If your pack format is lower or higher than the game expects, the game marks the pack with a warning such as "Made for an older version of Minecraft". Since 1.17 you can still enable the pack. The warning only means the game cannot promise that every file is read the way you meant. For simple texture swaps this is rarely a problem.

Supporting several versions with one pack

From pack format 18 (1.20.2) a pack can declare a range of formats with the supported_formats field, so one zip works in several versions.

{
  "pack": {
    "pack_format": 34,
    "supported_formats": { "min_inclusive": 18, "max_inclusive": 99 },
    "description": "Works in many versions"
  }
}

This only makes the game accept the pack. It does not convert file names. Because the block and item folders were renamed in 1.13, a pack for 1.12 and older and a pack for 1.13 and newer are two different packs, even though they use the same images.

The description

The description is the line under the pack name in the menu. It can hold plain text or JSON text with colors, for example a name in green and a version in gray. Keep it short, because the menu cuts long lines.

Checklist

1. The file is called pack.mcmeta, all lowercase, and sits at the top level of the pack.
2. The JSON is valid. Check it by pasting it into any JSON validator.
3. The pack_format matches the version your players use, or you use the wide range for newer versions.
4. The pack.png icon is square and under a few hundred kilobytes.