How to install plugins on a Minecraft server
Plugins add features to a server without changing the game for players, who join with the normal client. They work on Paper and its relatives (Spigot, Purpur), not on the plain vanilla server and not on Fabric, which uses mods instead. If you are not sure which you have, read Paper, Vanilla, Purpur or Fabric.
Install a plugin in five steps
- Find the right file. Download the jar for your Minecraft version from the plugin's own page, Modrinth, Hangar or SpigotMC. Check the version list on the page.
- Back up first. A new plugin can change your world data. See how to back up a world.
- Put the jar in the
pluginsfolder of your server. Do not unzip it. - Restart the server. Plugins load when the server starts.
/reloadis discouraged because it can leave plugins in a broken state. - Check that it loaded. Run
/plugins. Working plugins are green, broken ones red. If one is red, read the start-up log for the reason.
The plugin creates its own folder inside plugins with a configuration file, usually config.yml. Edit it, then restart or use the plugin's own reload command.
Where to download safely
- Use the author's official page, Modrinth, Hangar or SpigotMC. Plugins from random links, Discord messages or "cracked" collections can contain code that gives someone control of your server.
- Prefer plugins with recent updates and some history of downloads and reviews.
- Never run a jar you do not trust on a machine that holds your own files.
When a plugin will not load
| What the log says | What it usually means |
|---|---|
Unsupported API version |
The plugin was built for a different Minecraft version. Get the right build. |
UnsupportedClassVersionError |
The plugin needs a newer Java than you have. See the Java version checker. |
Could not load ... NoClassDefFoundError |
A plugin it depends on is missing. Install the dependency named in the plugin's page. |
Ambiguous plugin name |
Two jars with the same plugin. Remove the older one. |
Removing a plugin
Stop the server, delete the jar from plugins, and start again. The plugin's folder with its settings stays behind, which is useful if you reinstall it, and you can delete it if you do not want it.
Updating a plugin
Stop the server, replace the old jar with the new one (do not leave both), and start it. Read the plugin's update notes first, because some updates change their configuration.
On Saryno
Open your server, go to the Plugins tab, and install from Modrinth or Hangar by name, or upload your own jar. The server restarts the game for you, and the tab shows which plugins are loaded, even while the server is asleep. A set of common ones are one-click add-ons.