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Resource Pack Error

A resource pack fails to load and the game flags pack.mcmeta as invalid. The pack's manifest is either malformed JSON or declares the wrong format number for your Minecraft version.

What does this error mean?
Every pack needs a pack.mcmeta file describing it, including a 'pack_format' number tied to the Minecraft version. If that JSON has a syntax error, is missing, or uses the wrong format number, Minecraft rejects the whole pack. 
Invalid pack.mcmeta
Most Common Causes
  • A JSON syntax error in pack.mcmeta (trailing comma, missing brace, bad quotes).
  • A pack_format number that does not match your Minecraft version.
  • A missing pack.mcmeta entirely.
  • The zip contains a wrapper folder instead of the pack contents at the root.
  • Wrong file encoding (not UTF-8) breaking the JSON parser.
How To Diagnose
  1. Run the file through a JSON validator to catch syntax errors.
  2. Look up the correct pack_format for your Minecraft version.
  3. Open the zip, pack.mcmeta and the assets/ folder must be at the top level.
  4. Confirm the file is saved as UTF-8 without a BOM.
Recommended Fixes
  • Fix the JSON
    Correct the syntax so pack.mcmeta parses cleanly, validators point to the exact line.
  • Set the right pack_format
    Update the number to match your Minecraft version's expected format.
  • Re-zip correctly
    Select the files (not the parent folder) and zip them so contents sit at the root.
  • Recreate pack.mcmeta
    If missing, add a minimal valid pack.mcmeta with the correct format and a description.
Analyze My Log
Frequently Asked Questions

It changes per version. Look up the current table for your exact Minecraft release and use that number.

Paste it into any JSON validator, it will highlight the line with the syntax error.

Often the contents are nested in an extra folder. The mcmeta and assets/ must be at the zip root.