Skip to main content
This guide will help you start using Minecraft Creator Tools to validate and create Minecraft Bedrock add-ons.

​
Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure you have:
1

Install Node.js

Download and install the latest LTS version from nodejs.org
2

Verify Installation

Confirm Node.js and npm are installed:
node --version
npm --version

​
Your First Command

The easiest way to get started is using npx to run Minecraft Creator Tools without installation: 
npx mct
This displays help information and available commands: 
┌─────┐
│ ▄ ▄ │ Minecraft Creator Tools (preview) command line
│ ┏▀┓ │ See https://mctools.dev/ for more info.
└─────┘

​
Validate an Existing Project

One of the most powerful features is project validation. Let’s validate an add-on:
1

Navigate to Your Project

Open a terminal and navigate to your Minecraft add-on folder:
cd /path/to/your/minecraft-addon
2

Run Validation

Validate your project and display results in the terminal:
npx mct validate -i . -show
  • -i . specifies the current directory as input
  • -show displays results in the terminal instead of creating report files
3

Review Results

The validator will analyze your project and report:
  • Schema validation errors
  • Missing or incorrect file references
  • Best practice violations
  • Compatibility issues

​
Validation Examples

# Validate current folder, show results in terminal
npx mct validate -i . -show

​
Validation Suites

Choose different validation levels based on your needs:
SuiteDescription
mainDefault suite - runs most validation tests
addonStrict validation for marketplace add-ons
allComprehensive validation with all available tests
currentplatformPlatform-specific validation

​
Create a New Project

Create a new Minecraft project with an interactive wizard:
1

Run Create Command

Start the interactive project creator:
npx mct create
2

Answer Prompts

The wizard will ask you:
  • Project name
  • Project template (behavior pack, resource pack, world, etc.)
  • Creator name
  • Project description
3

Project Generated

Your new project will be created with:
  • Proper folder structure
  • Manifest files with unique UUIDs
  • Basic template files
  • Configuration ready for development

​
Non-Interactive Creation

You can also provide all parameters upfront: 
npx mct create "My Awesome Addon" "addon" "YourName" "A cool new addon"

​
View Project Information

Display detailed information about a project: 
npx mct info -i ./my-addon
This shows:
  • Project type and structure
  • Pack manifests and metadata
  • Dependencies and references
  • File counts and statistics

​
Common Workflows

1

Initial Validation

npx mct validate -i ./my-addon -show
2

Review Issues

Check reported errors and warnings in the output
3

Make Fixes

Edit your files to resolve issues
4

Re-validate

npx mct validate -i ./my-addon -show

​
Understanding Output

​
Validation Results

When you run validation with -show, you’ll see output organized by:

Errors

Critical issues that will prevent your add-on from working

Warnings

Potential issues or best practice violations

Info

Informational messages about your project

Success

Validation passed with no issues

​
File Output

Without -show, validation creates report files in the output folder: 
out/
├── validation-report.json    # Machine-readable results
├── validation-report.html    # Human-readable report
└── project-info.json         # Project metadata

​
Helpful Options

Input Folder

-i, --input-folder <path>
Specify the project folder to process

Output Folder

-o, --output-folder <path>
Where to write reports (default: out)

Display Only

-show, --display-only
Show results in terminal, don’t create files

Verbose Logging

-lv, --log-verbose
Display detailed logging information

​
Tips for Success

Start with validation: Before making changes to an existing project, run validation to establish a baseline.
Use -show during development: Get immediate feedback without creating report files.
Always validate before packaging: Ensure your add-on passes validation before distributing to avoid issues for users.

​
Next Steps

Now that you’re familiar with the basics:

CLI Reference

Explore all available commands and options

Validation Guide

Deep dive into validation suites and fixing errors

Project Structure

Learn about Minecraft add-on project organization

Web App

Try the web-based version for visual editing

​
Getting Help

Command Help

Get help for any command:
npx mct --help
npx mct validate --help

Report Issues

Found a bug? Report it on GitHub

Documentation

Official Microsoft documentation

License

View the MIT license

Build docs developers (and LLMs) love

Get started for freeTalk to us