Bedrock Wiki
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Beginner's Guide
  • Guide
    • 1. Introduction
      guide
    • 2. Add-Ons Explained
    • 3. Software & Preparation
    • 4. Project Setup
    • 5. Create a Custom Item
    • 6. Create a Custom Entity
    • 7. Blockbench: Modeling, Texturing & Animating
    • 8. Adding a Loot Table, Spawn Rule & Crafting Recipe
  • Extra
    • a. Understanding JSON
    • b. Download Example Packs
    • c. Troubleshooting
      help
    • d. Advanced Manifest
    • e. Format Versions
    • f. Project Setup Android
Animation Controllers
  • Intro to Animation Controllers
    guide
  • Entity Commands
  • AFK Detector
  • Death Commands
  • Molang into Scoreboard
  • Respawn Commands
Blocks
  • General
    • Intro to Blocks
      guide
    • Block Components
    • Block Tags
    • Block States
    • Block Traits
    • Block Permutations
    • Block Events
      Scripts
    • Block Event Migration
      help
    • Blocks as Items
    • Troubleshooting Blocks
      help
  • Visuals
    • Block Culling
    • Block Models
      guide
    • Block Texture Animation
    • Block Texture Variation
    • Block Tinting
  • Tutorials
    • Applying Constant Effects
      Scripts
    • Avoiding State Limit
    • Fake Blocks
    • Ore Loot Tables
      Scripts
    • Precise Interaction
      Scripts
    • Precise Rotation
      Scripts
    • Rotatable Blocks
  • Vanilla Re-Creations
    • Custom Crops
      Scripts
    • Custom Glass
    • Custom Glazed Terracotta
    • Custom Trapdoors
      Scripts
  • Documentation
    • Block Format History
    • Block Shapes
    • Block Sounds
    • Vanilla Block Models
Commands
  • General
    • Intro to Command Blocks
    • Functions
    • Block States
    • Coordinate System
    • NBT Commands
    • Scoreboard Operations
    • Understanding Selectors
  • Commands
    • Damage
    • Execute
    • Playanimation
    • Playsound
  • On Event Systems
    • On Player First Join
    • On Player Join
    • On Player Leave
    • On Player Death
    • On Player Respawn
    • On First World Load
  • Scoreboard Systems
    • Entity Counter
    • Scoreboard Timers
    • Comparing And Retrieving Scores
  • Techniques
    • Execute Logic Gates
    • MBE - Max's Block Entity
    • FMBE - A New Way to Create Display Entities
    • Look Detection
    • Movement Detections
    • Orbital Camera
  • Useful Creations
    • Custom Crafter
    • Multiplayer Position Rearrangement
      function
Concepts
  • contents.json
  • Emojis & Symbols
  • Molang
  • Namespaces
  • Overwriting Assets
  • Raw Text
  • Shaders
  • Sounds
  • Subpacks
  • Text and Localization
  • Texture Atlases
  • textures_list.json
Documentation
  • Shared Constructs
  • Advanced Molang
  • File Types
  • Fog IDs
  • Material Configuration Description
  • Menu Categories
  • Molang Queries
  • Pack Folder Structure
  • Sound Definitions
  • Vanilla Materials
Entities
  • General
    • Intro to Entities BP
      guide
    • Intro to Entities RP
      guide
    • Troubleshooting Entities
      help
    • Entity Events
    • Entity Properties
    • NPC Dialogues
    • Render Controllers
    • Spawn Rules
  • Tutorials
    • Convert Points Between Any Space (World, Entity, Bones)
    • Creating Boats
    • Detecting Other Entities
    • Disabling Team Damage
    • Dummy Entities
    • Entity Attacks
    • Entity Holds Item
    • Entity Movement
    • Entity Timers
    • Flying Entities
    • Introduction to AOE Clouds
    • Invulnerable Entities
    • Look at Entity
    • Sleeping Entities
    • Solid Entities
    • Spawning Tamed Entities
      Scripts
    • Village Mechanic
  • Documentation
    • Dummy Components
    • Non-Mob Runtime Identifiers
    • Projectiles
    • Runtime Identifiers
    • Vanilla Usage Components
    • Vanilla Usage Spawn Rules
Items
  • General
    • Intro to Items
      guide
    • Item Components
    • Item Tags
    • Item Events
      Scripts
    • Item Event Migration
      help
    • Troubleshooting Items
      help
  • Tutorials
    • Custom Armor
    • Custom Food
      Scripts
    • Custom Pottery Sherds
    • Custom Weapons
    • Equipment-Based Commands
    • High Resolution Items
    • Spawning Items
    • Throwable Items
  • Documentation
    • Enchantments
    • Attachables
    • Item Format History
    • Numerical Item IDs
    • Vanilla Item Identifiers
    • Vanilla Usage Components
JSON UI
  • General
    • Intro to JSON UI
      guide
    • Best Practices
      guide
  • Tutorials
    • Adding HUD Elements
    • Aseprite Animations
    • Buttons and Toggles
    • Modifying Server Forms
    • Preserve Title Texts
    • String to Number
  • Documentation
    • JSON UI Documentation
Loot, Recipes & Trading
  • General
    • Trading Behavior
  • Documentation
    • Loot Tables
    • Trade Tables
    • Recipes
    • Item Functions
  • Tutorials
    • Randomized Structure Loot
Meta
  • Add-On Performance
  • Style Guide
  • Useful Links
  • Using Schemas
  • Version Control
  • Q&A
    • Blocks and Items Q&A 2024/08/30
    • Deferred Technical Preview Q&A 2024/02/23
    • GameTest Q&A 2021/08/06
    • Scripting and Editor Q&A 2023/09/22
    • World Generation Q&A 2024/11/15
NBT
  • General
    • .mcstructure
  • Tutorials
    • Experiments in Education Edition
    • Extending Structure Limits
  • NBT in Depth
    • About NBT (Named Binary Tag)
    • NBT Libraries
    • Reading NBT Example
Particles
  • General
    • Intro to Particles
      guide
  • Tutorials
    • Disabling Particles
  • Documentation
    • Vanilla Particles
Scripting
  • General
    • Intro to Scripting
    • What is Script API?
    • API Modules
  • Tutorials
    • Block Placement Prevention
    • GameTests
    • Script Core Features
    • Script Forms
    • Script Requests API
    • Simple Chat Commands
  • Documentation
    • Engine Environment
    • Script Resources
    • Script Watchdog
    • Troubleshooting JavaScript
    • TypeScript
Servers
  • Software
    • Bedrock Server Software
  • Protocols
    • Bedrock Protocol
    • NetherNet Protocol
    • RakNet Protocol
Visuals
  • General
    • Introduction to Entity Visuals
      guide
    • Bedrock Modeling
    • Custom Death Animations
    • Effects in Animations
    • Material Creations
    • Materials
    • Math-Based Animations
    • Skin Packs
  • Tutorials
    • Entity Texture Animation
    • Glowing Entity Texture
    • Hurt Animations
    • Leash Position
    • Player Geometry
    • Remove Entity Shadows
    • Retexturing Spawn Eggs
  • Ideas
    • Structure Presentation
World Generation
  • General
    • Intro to World Generation
      guide
    • Biomes
      guide
    • Feature Types
    • Jigsaw Structures
  • Tutorials
    • Block Conditions for Features
    • Generating Custom Ores
    • Generating Custom Structures
    • Generating Patches
    • Heightmap Noise
  • Documentation
    • Biome Tags

Introduction

guide
Introduction
  • What Are Add-Ons?
  • What Will I Learn?
  • Is the Guide Up-to-Date?
  • Appendix Pages
  • After Finishing the Guide
  • Next

What Are Add-Ons? ​

An add-on is the Minecraft: Bedrock Edition (Android, Chromebook, Console, Windows, iOS) equivalent to Java Edition mods.

In contrast to Java Edition however, Bedrock Edition APIs are officially maintained by Mojang instead of the community and have backwards compatibility, meaning add-ons made for older versions of Minecraft will continue to work in future versions.

In general, you can think of mods as modifying the game, and add-ons as adding onto the game, following the development opportunities provided by Mojang. While directly modifying vanilla content is supported, it can lead to incompatibilities if multiple add-ons modify the same thing and is therefore not recommended.

ALTERNATIVE RESOURCES

Although we're very pleased with this guide, it's not the only option for getting started. Mojang maintains their own getting started guide on the Creator Platform, which you can consider following if you need alternative explanations.

What Will I Learn? ​

This guide is a beginner tutorial, intended to walk you through the first stages of add-on creation. You will create your very own fully-functional Ghost entity, as well as an Ectoplasm item, and some other associated files.

By the end of this guide, you will have created an entire add-on all by yourself, which you can play with and modify!

Is the Guide Up-to-Date? ​

This guide is written for the most recent stable release of Minecraft: Bedrock Edition. Many things won't work in previous versions, and some will be changed in later ones.

We will keep the guide as up-to-date as possible, so no need to worry.

Appendix Pages ​

Alongside the step-by-step guide, we have a few other pages here in this section, which you can browse at your convenience.

  • Understanding JSON
  • Downloading Example Packs
  • Troubleshooting

After Finishing the Guide ​

At the end of the guide section, your first add-on will be done! To further expand your knowledge, consider doing these:

  • Start your own project!

  • Dive into the other aspects of adding onto MCBE (Minecraft: Bedrock Edition), by using the different sections' sub guides listed in the appendix.

    This includes (but is not limited to) blocks, biomes, items, animation controllers, and even scripting with JavaScript.

    Some sections provide more technical in-depth tutorials and documents for each relevant topic.

Next ​

Next: Add-Ons Explained

Contributors

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