How to install plugins on your Minecraft server

Plugins run on Paper, Purpur and Spigot servers (and on Velocity proxies). They do not need anything on the player’s side, which is why most public servers use them instead of mods.

Install from the panel

1. Open the Resources tab and choose Plugins.
2. Search. Results are filtered to your Minecraft version.
3. Press Install, then restart the server. Some plugins load with /reload but a restart is the safe way.

The Installed view shows each plugin, its version and whether an update exists.

Upload a jar

1. Open Files and go into plugins.
2. Upload files: the .jar, then restart.

The plugin creates its own folder inside plugins on first boot; that is where its config lives. Edit config files in the panel with Edit.

When a plugin needs a database

LuckPerms, CoreProtect, economies and web maps store data better in MySQL than in a file. More for this server, Add a database creates one on your private network; the first database on an account is free. See Databases.

When the server stops booting

The console names the plugin in the stack trace, and the crash doctor summarises it. The usual causes: a plugin built for another Minecraft version, a missing dependency plugin (Vault, ProtocolLib), or a config file with a typo. Move the jar out of plugins (rename it to .jar.disabled) and start again.

Good to know

• Plugins and mods do not mix. A modded server that also wants plugins needs a hybrid such as Mohist or Arclight, which we do not recommend for stability.
• The Java version is picked for you per Minecraft version; plugins that need a newer Java than the game does are rare.