Mojang Minecraft Version Manifest Scraper

Mojang Minecraft Version Manifest Scraper

Scrape Minecraft version manifest data directly from Mojang's official API. Get every release, snapshot, and beta version ID, type, timestamp, and download URL in one flat dataset. No API key or registration needed. Export to JSON, CSV, Excel, or XML.

Mojang publishes the complete Minecraft version history through a public API, but fetching it manually means parsing a large JSON file and paginating results. This scraper reads the official version_manifest_v2.json endpoint and returns each version entry as a structured row, filtered by the count you need. Use it to track new snapshots, monitor release timelines, or build your own version archive without writing a single line of code.

Who uses it	What they scrape Mojang for
Game server administrators	Monitor new Minecraft releases and snapshots to schedule server updates.
Mod and plugin developers	Fetch version metadata URLs to check compatibility and download game jars.
Data analysts and historians	Build a complete timeline of Minecraft version releases for analysis.
Launcher developers	Populate version lists and download endpoints for custom Minecraft launchers.

What it does

This Actor collects every version entry from the Mojang Minecraft version manifest API and returns each one as a flat row with its ID, type, release time, SHA1 hash, compliance level, and the detailed version metadata URL.

• 📊 Fixed flat schema: every version row includes ID, type (release, snapshot, beta, alpha), release time, SHA1, compliance level, and the version-specific JSON URL.
• 🔢 Configurable count: set exactly how many versions to return, from a single latest entry up to the full history of thousands.
• ⏱ Timestamp fields: each version carries both a raw time string and a formatted releaseTime for easy sorting and filtering.

Results export to CSV, JSON, Excel, or XML, or straight from the API.

What you can do with Mojang data

🕹 Automate launcher version lists.

A custom launcher developer runs the scraper weekly to pull the latest release and snapshot IDs, then feeds the metadata URLs into their download pipeline.

📅 Track snapshot releases.

A server admin sets maxItems to 10 and runs the Actor daily, filtering for type snapshot to spot new experimental builds before players ask.

🗃 Archive the full version history.

A data hoarder runs the Actor once with a high maxItems count, exporting all Mojang versions to CSV for a local reference dataset.

🔗 Collect version-specific JSON endpoints.

A mod developer scrapes the manifest to gather every version's detail URL, then chains additional requests to fetch asset indexes and download links.

Why choose this scraper

	What you get
Version ID	The unique version string, e.g. 1.21.4 or 25w03a.
Type	Classifies each version as release, snapshot, beta, or alpha.
Release time	Timestamp when Mojang published the version, parsed into a standard date field.
Version metadata URL	Direct link to the detailed JSON describing that specific version's assets and download.

What a Mojang record looks like

Every record returns as one flat JSON row. Here is a real one from a run:

{
 "versionId": "26.4-snapshot-1",
 "versionType": "snapshot",
 "versionUrl": "https://piston-meta.mojang.com/v1/packages/38de33cff6c65a518a24aa4b8198f7e3673ebd08/26.4-snapshot-1.json",
 "versionTime": "2026-09-22T13:45:27+00:00",
 "versionReleaseTime": "2026-09-22T13:38:53+00:00",
 "versionSha1": "38de33cff6c65a518a24aa4b8198f7e3673ebd08",
 "complianceLevel": 1,
 "latestRelease": "26.3",
 "latestSnapshot": "26.4-snapshot-1",
 "scrapedAt": "2026-09-29T01:29:10.998Z"
}

Every value above comes from a real run. A field a record does not have comes back as null.

Configure the run

Drive the Actor with a single maxItems count. The scraper reads the manifest endpoint, orders results by version index, and stops once the requested number of rows is collected. The Input tab lists every parameter.

A first run with the defaults:

{
 "maxItems": 10
}

A larger pull:

{
 "maxItems": 200
}

Free users

Free-plan runs return up to 10 results as a preview. Upgrade your Apify plan to collect up to 1,000,000 results per run.

Run it

1. Create a free Apify account with $5 in credit.
2. Open the Mojang Minecraft Version Manifest Scraper.
3. Set your inputs and any filters, then click Start.
4. Export the results as CSV, Excel, JSON, or XML from the Dataset tab.

Run it programmatically through the Apify API (run-sync-get-dataset-items) or the ApifyClient for JavaScript and Python.

Use with AI agents (MCP)

Give an AI agent live access to Mojang through the Model Context Protocol. Add the Actor to Claude, Cursor, or any MCP client:

$claude mcp add --transport http apify "https://mcp.apify.com?tools=acquistion-automation/minecraft-version-manifest-scraper"

Then prompt it in plain language to run the scraper and read back the results.

Troubleshooting

Why am I getting only 10 items?

Free Apify accounts are limited to 10 results per run as a preview. Upgrade to a paid plan and adjust the maxItems input to retrieve more versions.

The run failed with an error.

Check that the Mojang endpoint is reachable. The API is public and stable, but occasional downtime can cause failures. Retry the run after a few minutes.

The version time fields look inconsistent.

Mojang provides both a raw ISO time string and a formatted releaseTime. Use the releaseTime field for sorting, as it is normalized across all version types.

I need version download links but I only see metadata URLs.

Each version's metadata URL returns a JSON document containing download links. The manifest scraper gives you that URL. Run a separate request to fetch the actual download links from that endpoint.

FAQ

Question	Answer
Is this the official Mojang version manifest?	Yes. The Actor reads directly from the public piston-meta.mojang.com endpoint that Mojang maintains for Minecraft launchers and tooling.
Do I need a Mojang account or API key?	No. The version manifest endpoint is public and requires no authentication. You can use this Actor with a free Apify account within the preview items limit.
What does the version metadata URL point to?	Each version entry contains a URL that returns a detailed JSON document for that specific version, including asset indexes, download links, and libraries.
How many versions are in the full manifest?	The manifest contains thousands of entries covering every release, snapshot, beta, and alpha version. You control how many are returned with the maxItems setting.
What export formats are supported?	You can export your results to JSON, CSV, Excel, or XML directly from the Apify dataset.
Can I get only release versions without snapshots?	The Actor returns every version type by default, but you can filter the dataset after the run using type equals release in a spreadsheet or downstream code.
Does this scraper download the actual game files?	No. It fetches the manifest metadata only. The version-specific URLs point to the JSON that contains download links, which you can request separately.
How often does the manifest update?	Mojang updates the manifest immediately when a new version or snapshot is released. You can schedule the Actor to run frequently and detect changes.

Related actors

Browse the full Acquisition Automation collection for more scrapers.

🆘 Need help? Open an issue in the Issues tab of this Actor with your run ID, your input, and what you expected.

Pricing

This Actor uses pay-per-result pricing: $0.004 per result collected. You are billed only for the results you receive, so a run that returns nothing costs nothing.

⚠️ Disclaimer. This Actor is unofficial and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Mojang Studios. It collects only publicly available data. You are responsible for using the collected data in compliance with the source's terms of service and applicable data-protection laws, including GDPR, CCPA, and PIPL. Do not use it to collect personal data unlawfully.