What this mod does
Installing a datapack normally means opening your world save and dropping files into a specific subfolder. Simple Datapacks changes that workflow. It creates a global datapacks folder directly in your main Minecraft root directory.
You put your downloaded packs into that central folder. When you create a new world, those packs show up in your selection list right away. The mod runs on Forge, Fabric, Quilt, and Neoforge.
Folder management and downloads
If you have Cloth Config API installed, the mod can scan your standard downloads folder too. You grab a pack from the web, leave it where your browser saved it, and pick it in the game menu.
You can also point the mod to custom directories. If you want a folder called my_datapacks inside your game directory, you just type that folder name into the settings. You don't need to paste out the entire file path on your computer.
Configuration works through the in-game mod list or directly through configuration files. On Fabric, you need ModMenu to see the settings screen.
Pack control and server rules
The configuration menu gives you two main pack lists. One list holds required datapacks, which load automatically whenever you step into a world. The other list holds optional packs. Optional packs stay turned off until you run the /datapack enable command in the chat.
You can also disable experimental feature packs if you want to clean up your world creation screen. If you prefer to have specific function packages ready from the start, you can flag them as required in the settings.
Dedicated servers handle things directly. Server environments don't offer a graphical settings menu, so the server loads every pack it finds inside the central datapacks folder. Client installation is optional, but the server side is required.
Keeping packs inside world saves
Many global pack tools stop working if you remove the mod later. Here's the thing, simple Datapacks includes a setting to copy active datapacks directly into the world folder.
With this option on, the world keeps its own copy of every pack. If you remove the mod or move your save to another computer, your game still reads the files normally.
