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Setup & mods · Tutorial

How to install a Minecraft map (Java and Bedrock)

Unzip a Java map into the saves folder with level.dat on top, or open a .mcworld file on Bedrock. Plus the version check that saves old adventure maps.

Beginner 2 min read Updated Tested on Java 26.3
On this page · 6
  1. Pick a map for your edition and version
  2. Find your saves folder
  3. Extract the map into saves
  4. Open the map in Singleplayer
  5. Install a map on Bedrock Edition
  6. Play the map on your server

What you need

all free · links go to our pages
Oneblock (Wilderness Bound!)map ✓ 26.3 Voidblock - Skyblockmap ✓ 26.3 Diversity 2map

On Java Edition, extract the map's ZIP file and move the world folder into your saves folder, so that the file level.dat sits directly inside it. Then open Singleplayer and play it, in the version the map was made for. On Bedrock Edition, open the .mcworld file: Minecraft imports the world by itself.

Pick a map for your edition and version

A Java map comes as a .zip file holding a world folder; a Bedrock map is a .mcworld file. The Minecraft maps catalog lists Java maps with the Minecraft versions each one supports, and its download buttons lead to the official CurseForge page: files are never re-hosted.

Check the version before you download. Adventure, parkour and puzzle maps rely on commands and blocks that change between versions. Diversity 2, for example, was made for 1.8.8: play it in that version, not in 26.3.

Find your saves folder

The quickest way: in the game, open Singleplayer, select any world, click Edit, then Open World Folder. The folder one level up is saves. You can also type its path:

Systemsaves folder
Windows%appdata%\.minecraft\saves
macOS~/Library/Application Support/minecraft/saves
Linux~/.minecraft/saves

A launcher such as Prism or the CurseForge app keeps one saves folder per instance, inside that instance's folder.

Extract the map into saves

  1. Extract the ZIP file: right-click and Extract All on Windows, double-click on macOS.
  2. Move the extracted world folder into saves.
  3. Open that folder. You must see level.dat right away. If you only see one more folder, move that inner folder into saves instead.

Do not drop the ZIP file itself into saves: Java Edition only reads world folders.

Open the map in Singleplayer

Start the game in the right version, open Singleplayer and select the map, then click Play Selected World.

  • A map made for an older version may show "Create a backup before upgrading this world?". Click Create Backup and Load.
  • A map made for a newer version shows "Downgrading a world is not supported". Close it and start the newer version instead.

If the map's page asks for a resource pack, install it as shown in how to install a texture pack.

Install a map on Bedrock Edition

  • Windows: double-click the .mcworld file. Minecraft opens, shows "Import started..." and then "Successfully imported" with the world's name.
  • Android and iOS: open the downloaded .mcworld file and choose Minecraft to open it.
  • Xbox, PlayStation and Switch: maps come from the Marketplace only.

The world then appears on the Worlds tab. If the import fails with "Not a valid zip archive", the download is broken: download it again.

Play the map on your server

  1. Stop the server.
  2. Copy the map folder next to the server's .jar file.
  3. In server.properties, set level-name to the name of that folder.
  4. Start the server with the same Minecraft version as the map.

Setting up the server itself is covered in how to run a Java server.

FAQ

Why does my map not show up in Singleplayer?

The folder in saves most likely holds another folder. Open it: level.dat must be right there. If you see a single folder instead, move that inner folder into saves.

Can I play a Java map on Bedrock Edition?

No. Java maps are .zip worlds and Bedrock maps are .mcworld files; the two world formats are different, and the game cannot convert one into the other.

Do I need to unzip the map?

On Java Edition, yes: the game only reads world folders, not ZIP files. On Bedrock Edition, no: you open the .mcworld file as it is.

Can I change the game mode of an adventure map?

You can, but most adventure and parkour maps rely on Adventure mode and on their own rules. Follow the instructions on the map's page.