How to Install Plugins on a Minecraft Server
Plugins add things to the server without players having to install anything: commands, land protection, economy, minigames. You just need the right type of server.
You need Paper (or Purpur)
Bukkit and Spigot plugins work on Paper, which also runs more smoothly than the official server. They don't work on Fabric or Forge: those use mods. On NapNodes servers are delivered with Paper, so there's nothing to change.
Every plugin says which Minecraft versions it supports: check that it includes your server's. One that stopped at 1.21.11 may not load on a 26.x server (what changed in 26.1).
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Installing them
Find it
On NapNodes, in the panel, “Mods & plugins”: it searches Modrinth and CurseForge only among the plugins that work with your version.
Press “Install”
It downloads to the plugins folder, with its dependencies. If you got it from somewhere else (SpigotMC, Hangar), upload it to plugins from “Files”.
Restart
Plugins load at startup. Check the console: if something is missing or it isn't for your version, it says so there.
Configure it
The first time it starts, each plugin creates its own folder inside plugins with its configuration. Edit it from “Files” and restart.
The essentials to get started
LuckPerms (who can do what), EssentialsX (the classic commands: /home, /tpa, /spawn), WorldGuard or GriefPrevention (so nobody wrecks anyone else's stuff) and CoreProtect (see who broke what and undo it; the last two are in the anti-griefing guide). With that, a server for friends or a small community is covered.
Before installing, a backup
A badly configured plugin can damage the world. Make a backup from “Backups” before adding or updating plugins; if something goes wrong, it's restored in a minute.
Frequently asked questions
Do my players have to install the plugins?
No. Plugins only go on the server: players join with regular Minecraft.
Can I use plugins and mods at the same time?
On a regular server, no: Paper uses plugins and Fabric, Forge or NeoForge use mods. Choose based on what you want to play; hybrids and their drawbacks are in mods and plugins together.
Why won't my plugin load?
It's almost always a different Minecraft version or a missing dependency. The panel console tells you which at startup.
Shall we set it up for you?
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Free tool: Why won't my server start?. Paste your Minecraft server's latest.log or crash report and see in plain English what failed and how to fix it.
Keep reading
- How to Install a Modpack on Your Minecraft Server (Cobblemon, RLCraft, All the Mods…)
Choose a modpack, work out the RAM, install it on the server in one click from the panel and get your friends in with the same mods. No fighting with versions.
- How to Install Datapacks on a Minecraft Server (and Check They Load)
Install datapacks on your Minecraft server: where to upload the .zip, how to turn it on with /reload and /datapack list, and what to do if it doesn't load.
- Why Your Minecraft Server Is Lagging and How to Fix It
Server lag or connection lag, memory, world generation, farms and heavy mods: how to tell what's going on and what to do in each case.