Minecraft Structure Template

Structure Template

Structure storage files (structure templates) store block structures. They back world generation and can be saved by players. Java Edition only.

Storage Locations

• Game data: /data/minecraft/structure/ inside client.jar.
• Player-exported: <save root>/generated/<namespace>/structure/<name>.nbt.
• Data packs: data/<namespace>/structure/.

Lookup order when placing: save root → data pack → built-in. Files are GZip-compressed NBT.

NBT Format

Root tag:

• DataVersion (required) — the data version the file was saved with; if absent, assumed 500 (between 1.9.4 and 1.10).
• blocks (required) — blocks in the structure:
  • pos (required) — [x, y, z] relative to the structure origin (minimum corner).
  • nbt — block entity data (see the block-entity-data-format skill; excludes x/y/z).
  • state (required) — index into the palette selecting the block state.
• entities (required) — entities in the structure, placed with structure generation rules:
  • blockPos (required) — block coordinates relative to the origin; used only to check the entity is inside the structure bounds (entities outside cannot be placed).
  • pos (required) — exact double coordinates relative to the origin.
  • nbt (required) — entity data (see entity data format; UUID ignored, Pos overwritten, Passengers invalid).
• palette (one of palette/palettes required) — palette mapping indices to block states (see the block-state-data skill for the state format).
• palettes — list of palettes; the game picks one randomly when placing. Mutually exclusive with palette; palettes takes priority.
• size (required) — [x, y, z] dimensions.

SNBT Format

The data generator can convert NBT structure templates to a special SNBT form (block-related tags don't follow normal NBT↔SNBT rules; DataVersion, entities, size convert normally). SNBT structure templates currently serve no gameplay purpose — the in-game export methods are all disabled.

• data (required) — the blocks, each with pos, state as <block id>{<property>:<value>,...}, optional nbt (block entity data).
• palette — palette strings in <block id>{<property>:<value>,...} form.
• palettes — a list where each entry's keys are the actual <block id>{...} used by the entries of data under that palette.

Vanilla Structures

All built-in structures live under /data/minecraft/structure/ in client.jar (also mirrored under data/minecraft/structure/ in mc_java_sources). Complete file listings per structure: see those directories or the Minecraft Wiki page "Structure file".

• abandoned_camp — campsite pieces (barrel/chest/special variants) per biome: bamboo_jungle, birch_forest, cherry_grove, dappled_forest, default, flower_forest, old_growth_taiga, snowy_taiga, sparse_jungle, taiga, etc. (campsite_<biome>_<n>.nbt, campsite_default_<type>_<n>.nbt).
• ancient_city — city entrance paths, city center (walls, chambers, barracks, camps, statues, ruins...), and outer walls.
• bastion — blocks/ (air.nbt, gold.nbt), bridge/, hoglin_stable/, housing/, treasure/, units/ — the five bastion piece groups plus connectors, legs, ramparts, starting pieces, and stairs.
• empty.nbt — an empty template used as a default/no-op.
• end_city — End city floors, roofs, towers, bridges, and the ship (ship.nbt).
• fossil — Overworld fossils: skull_1..4 and spine_1..4, each with a _coal variant.
• igloo — bottom.nbt, middle.nbt, top.nbt.
• nether_fossils — Nether fossil pieces fossil_1..14.nbt.
• pillager_outpost — watchtower, cages, tent, logs, targets, base plate, overgrown variant.
• ruined_portal — portal_1..10.nbt plus three giant_portal variants.
• shipwreck — rightsideup/sideways/upsidedown × full/fronthalf/backhalf × normal/degraded, plus with_mast.
• trail_ruins — buildings (group_full/hall/lower/room/upper, large_room, one_room), decor, roads, and tower pieces.
• trial_chambers — chamber pieces (addon, assembly, eruption, pedestal, slanted, spiral, staircases, dispensers, rewards, corridors, intersections, spawners...).
• underwater_ruin — big/brick/cracked/mossy/warm ruin pieces *_1..8.nbt.
• village — common/ (animals: cat variants, cows, horses, pigs, sheep; well_bottom; grass patches) and per-biome houses/: desert, plains, savanna, snowy, taiga (houses, farms, temples, toolsmiths, shepherds...).
• woodland_mansion — 1x1/1x2/2x2 room pieces (1x1_a1..5, 1x2_*, 2x2_*), corridors, carpets, stairs, entrances, etc.

Placement Behavior

Structures are saved/loaded via structure blocks and test instance blocks. Some structures are placed as pieces and post-processed (structure blocks and jigsaw blocks are replaced; some placements are blocked to preserve existing blocks):

• Igloo, Nether fossils, underwater ruins, ruined portals, and shipwrecks modify template contents (positions, blocks) when placed.
• Structures with data-mode structure blocks whose metadata matches are post-processed:
  • End city — Chest<...> → chest below with loot chests/end_city_treasure; Elytra<...> → item frame with elytra; Sentry<...> → Shulker.
  • Igloo — chest → chest below with loot chests/igloo_chest.
  • Underwater ruins — chest → waterlogged chest with chests/underwater_ruin_big (big) or chests/underwater_ruin_small (small); drowned → a Drowned (above sea level replaced with air, else water).
  • Shipwreck — map_chest → chests/shipwreck_map; supply_chest → chests/shipwreck_supply; treasure_chest → chests/shipwreck_treasure.
  • Woodland mansion — Chest<...> → north-facing chest with chests/woodland_mansion; ChestEast/North/South/West → chest facing that direction, re-rotated by the piece; Group of Allays → 1–3 Allays; Mage → Evoker; Warrior → Vindicator.
• For End city, igloo, Nether fossils, underwater ruins, ruined portals, shipwrecks, and woodland mansions, jigsaw blocks are replaced with their final_state.
• All structure-placed structures prevent structure blocks from being placed.
• Templates used via legacy_single_pool_element prevent air placement.
• Templates used via single_pool_element or legacy_single_pool_element expand jigsaws into their pool structures.
• A processor list (processors) can post-process blocks inside the template (see the processor-list skill).