How do I install a plugin?
Short answerOpen the Plugins tab in your panel, search the plugin catalogue and press "Install". The panel picks the file that fits your server type and Minecraft version, puts it in the plugins folder and it loads after a restart.
Install a plugin
Open your panel and go to the Plugins tab.
Scroll to the plugin catalogue and search for the plugin by name or by what it does.
Press "Install". The plugin is checked against your server type first and lands in the plugins folder ready to run.
Restart the server. The plugin creates its settings folder on the first start.
Messages on the Plugins tab
| What it says | What it means and what to do |
|---|---|
This server type cannot run plugins. | The server runs Vanilla or a mod loader. Plugins need Paper or Purpur; change the type under Settings, Server software, after a backup. |
The plugin JAR is deleted and the plugin stops working after the next restart. | What happens when you press Remove. The plugin keeps running until the restart; its settings folder stays unless you ticked the box. |
Create and finish a safety backup before changing executable files. | Shown when a plugin file would be added or replaced outside the catalogue. Make a backup on the Backups tab first, then do it again. |
Why there is no install from a link
On purpose. A catalogue of checked plugins means nothing can be talked into fetching a random file from the internet onto your server. Everything in it is matched to your version before it is installed.
Removing a plugin
Press "Remove" next to it in the installed list. The plugin stops after the next restart. Its settings folder is kept unless you tick the box, so installing it again later picks up where you left off.
Plugins that need a database
Some plugins keep their data in MySQL instead of in a file, such as CoreProtect for block logging, LuckPerms for ranks and most economy plugins. Create a database on the Databases tab and paste the host, user and password it shows into the plugin's config file, then restart.
Setting a plugin up
After the first start, the plugin's settings are in its own folder under plugins on the Files tab, usually as config.yml. Edit it there, save, and restart or use the plugin's own reload command. The AI Copilot can write a config for you from a description and shows the change before it is applied.
Too many plugins
Every plugin runs inside the same server tick. A handful of well made plugins cost little; dozens, or one badly written one, can drop the tick rate for everyone. When the server gets slower after adding plugins, remove the last one and compare with the tps command.
Questions people also ask
Do my players need to install anything?
No. Plugins run only on the server. That is the difference with mods, which every player needs in their own game as well.
I do not see a Plugins tab.
Your server runs a mod loader or Vanilla. Plugins need plugin software such as Paper, which you can switch to under Settings, Server software.
Does a plugin work on both Paper and Purpur?
Almost always. Purpur is built on Paper and runs the same plugins. The catalogue checks each plugin against your type before it installs.
Where do I see which plugins are running?
The installed list on the Plugins tab, or the plugins command in the Console, which also shows in red any plugin that failed to load.