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Install and manage plugins

Plugins add features to a server: permissions, homes, economy, protection and much more. The Plugins page lets you find and install them from SpigotMC without leaving the panel. Players do not need to install anything on their side.

The Plugins page appears in the MINECRAFT sidebar group when your server runs software that supports plugins, such as Paper or Purpur. If your server runs Fabric, Forge or NeoForge, you will see Mods instead; see Mods.

Install a plugin​

  1. Open Plugins in the MINECRAFT group.
  2. On the Browse tab, look through the list, pick a category from All categories, or type a name in the search box and click Search.
  3. Click View to read about a plugin, or Install to add it.
  4. Restart the server from the Console so the plugin loads.

Each card shows the plugin name, a short description, how many downloads it has and its rating.

See and manage what is installed​

Open the Installed tab. The number next to it shows how many plugins you have.

  • If a plugin shows Update available, click Update. Stop the server first, then update, then start it again.
  • Click Delete to remove a plugin. Restart afterwards.
tip

Restart the server instead of using /reload. Reloading can leave plugins in a broken state and cause memory problems.

Install a plugin manually​

If a plugin is not listed on the page (or you have a file from another website), upload it yourself:

  1. Download the plugin as a .jar file. Check that it supports your server software and Minecraft version.
  2. Open Files and go into the plugins folder.
  3. Click Upload and choose the .jar file. You can also use SFTP; the connection details are in the SFTP box at the top of the Files page.
  4. Restart the server.

Some plugins ask you to edit a configuration file after the first start. You will find it in a folder with the plugin's name inside plugins. Click a file in Files to edit it in the browser.

These are well-known choices that many servers use. Search for them by name, and always read the description first.

PluginWhat it does
LuckPermsPermissions: control what each group of players can do.
EssentialsXEveryday commands: homes, warps, teleport requests, kits.
VaultA bridge that lets permission, chat and economy plugins work together.
ViaVersion and ViaBackwardsLet players on newer or older game versions join.
PlaceholderAPIShows live information from other plugins in chat, scoreboards and more.
Multiverse-CoreRun several worlds on one server.
ChunkyPre-generates the world to reduce lag. See Optimization.
sparkA profiler to find what is making the server lag.

Common problems​

  • The plugin does not appear in the game. You probably did not restart. Restart and check the console for errors.
  • Errors about a missing dependency. Some plugins need another plugin (for example Vault or ProtocolLib). Install the one the error names.
  • The plugin broke after a version change. The plugin must support your Minecraft version. Update it, or see Versions to move to a version it supports.
  • The server will not start after installing something. Delete the last plugin you added, or restore a recent backup from Backups.

Let FenixAI help​

FenixAI can read your console, explain plugin errors in plain English and propose installing or removing a plugin. It only makes a change when you press Apply.