Minecraft:Version.json

version.json is embedded within Minecraft:client.jar in Minecraft:.minecraft/versions/<version> and Minecraft:server.jar since Minecraft:18w47b. It offers some basic information about the version's attributes.

The Template:Cmd command also presents the same information on the Minecraft:server side, and the Template:Keys Minecraft:debug hotkey on the client side.

JSON format

This is the JSON format for version.json.

• Template:Nbt The root object.
  • Template:Nbt: The version's unique identifier. May sometimes display the build hash as well, separated from the name by a slash.
  • Template:Nbt: The version's user-friendly name. Usually identical to Template:Cd.
  • Template:Nbt: The Minecraft:data version of this version.
  • Template:Nbt: Identifies which branch the version is from, the default value is "main" and other values are used when a version isn't from the main branch. "deep_dark_preview" was used for Deep Dark Experimental Snapshot 1 and "april<YYYY>" is used for April Fools' Day joke versions released in 2022 or after. This is also used as a secondary way from the data version (world_version) to check for incompatibility.
  • Template:Nbt: The Minecraft:protocol version of this version.
  • Template:Nbt: The resource and data Minecraft:pack formats of this version.
    • Template:Nbt: The major resource pack format number of this version.
    • Template:Nbt: The minor resource pack format number of this version.
    • Template:Nbt: The major data pack format number of this version.
    • Template:Nbt: The minor data pack format number of this version. Commonly 0
  • Template:Nbt: The release time of this version in ISO 8601 format.
  • Template:Nbt: Unused in the server. Identifies which Java runtime package the game expects to use
  • Template:Nbt: The Java version used to compile the jar this is packaged with
  • Template:Nbt: Whether this version is a release version (Template:Cd) or a development version (Template:Cd).
  • Template:Nbt: Unknown use.