A beginner’s guide to Paper plugins

Plugins are the easiest way to turn a plain Minecraft server into your own. They add homes and teleports, land claims so nobody can grief your builds, permission ranks, economies, mini-games — and players do not have to install anything. They join with ordinary Minecraft. This guide takes you from a Vanilla server to a working plugin setup.

Step 1: switch the server to Paper

Plugins need a plugin-capable server. Paper is the standard choice; Purpur is Paper with extra settings, and runs every Paper plugin.

1. Stop the server.
2. Open the Software tab, choose Paper and your Minecraft version.
3. Save, then Start the server once. Paper creates its plugins folder on that first boot.

Your existing Vanilla world carries over. Paper stores the Nether and the End in their own folders, world_nether and world_the_end, and moves them there itself on the first start — that is expected.

Step 2: install a plugin

There are two ways in:

• From the panel. On a Paper or Purpur server, the Mods tab shows plugins instead of mods. Search the CurseForge plugin catalogue, pick a version made for your Minecraft version, and install it.
• Upload a jar. Many plugins are published elsewhere — Hangar, Modrinth, SpigotMC or the author’s own site. Download the .jar, then upload it into the plugins folder from the Files tab.

Either way, restart the server afterwards: plugins load at startup. Avoid the /reload command — it is well known for leaving plugins in a broken half-loaded state. A full restart is always safe.

Step 3: check it loaded

Type plugins into the Console tab (or /plugins in game as an operator). Each installed plugin is listed. A plugin shown in green is running. One in red, or one missing from the list, failed to load — scroll up in the console to the first error mentioning its name. The usual reasons are a plugin built for a different Minecraft version, or a missing dependency (a plugin the first one needs, which the error names).

Step 4: configure it

Most plugins create their own folder under plugins/ on first start, with a config.yml inside. Open it from the Files tab to change settings, save, and restart the server. The file is YAML, which is strict about indentation: use spaces, never tabs, and keep each setting lined up with its neighbours. A single misaligned line is the most common reason a plugin ignores your changes or refuses to load.

A starter set

These are long-established, widely used plugins that cover what most small servers want. Install only what you need — every plugin costs a little memory and startup time.

• LuckPerms — permissions and ranks. Decides who can use which command. Almost every other plugin plugs into it.
• EssentialsX — the everyday commands: /home, /spawn, /tpa teleport requests, warps, kits and more.
• CoreProtect — logs every block placed and broken, and can roll back griefing with one command. Worth having on any server strangers can join.
• GriefPrevention — lets players claim land with a golden shovel so nobody else can build or break inside it.
• WorldEdit — fast building and terraforming for operators: copy, paste, fill and replace huge areas at once.
• Vault — not a feature on its own; many economy and shop plugins require it to talk to each other.

Giving yourself permissions

Many plugin commands need permission. The quickest start is making yourself an operator: type op YourName in the Console tab. Operators can use everything. Once you have LuckPerms, give other players exactly the permissions they need, instead of making everyone an operator.

Plugins and memory

A free server has 3 GB of RAM, which is plenty for Paper with a sensible set of plugins and a group of friends. Plugins that generate new worlds, render live web maps, or store large databases are the heavy ones. If the server starts to lag after adding something, that is the first plugin to remove — see Why is my Minecraft server lagging?.

When a plugin breaks the server

If the server will not start after adding a plugin, delete that plugin’s jar from the plugins folder in the Files tab — the folder of settings next to it can stay — and start again. Why won’t my Minecraft server start? covers reading the error properly.