Installing Plugins

Plugins are .jar files that drop into the plugins/ folder.

1. Find plugins on SpigotMC (spigotmc.org/resources), Modrinth (modrinth.com/plugins), or Hangar (hangar.papermc.io).
2. Download the .jar.
3. Upload to plugins/ via the File Manager or SFTP.
4. Restart the server (most plugins do not hot-load).

After installing, the plugin's config appears in plugins/<PluginName>/config.yml. Edit as needed and run /reload confirm (or, better, restart) to apply.

A note on /reload: it works but can cause subtle issues with some plugins. A full restart is always safer.

Essential Plugins

These are the plugins most servers end up running:

• EssentialsX: The Swiss army knife. /home, /sethome, /warp, /kit, economy stub, kicks, mutes
• LuckPerms: The gold-standard permissions plugin. Groups, prefixes, per-world permissions. Pairs with your panel's database feature if you want MySQL-backed permissions
• WorldEdit: Region selection and mass block editing
• WorldGuard: Region protection (claim and protect areas)
• CoreProtect: Block-level logging and rollback. Essential for griefing recovery
• Vault: Economy abstraction layer that many plugins depend on
• ProtocolLib: A dependency required by many plugins; install when a plugin asks for it
• PlaceholderAPI: Powers dynamic placeholders used across many plugins
• GriefPrevention: Automatic land claims and protection
• EssentialsXChat: Better chat formatting and channels
• PlayerVaults: Per-player private storage
• CMI: A comprehensive paid alternative to EssentialsX (do not run both)
• DiscordSRV: Two-way Discord chat bridge

A Sensible Starter Stack

For a fresh survival server, this stack covers most needs:

1. EssentialsX (+ EssentialsXChat)
2. LuckPerms
3. Vault
4. WorldEdit + WorldGuard
5. CoreProtect
6. GriefPrevention
7. DiscordSRV (optional, for a Discord bridge)

Drop them all in plugins/, restart, then configure each in its plugins/<PluginName>/ folder.

Permissions With LuckPerms

LuckPerms is worth setting up early. The basic flow:

1. Install LuckPerms and restart.
2. From the panel Console or in-game as op, create groups: `` /lp creategroup default /lp creategroup vip /lp creategroup admin ``
3. Grant permissions to groups: `` /lp group default permission set essentials.home true /lp group vip permission set essentials.fly true ``
4. Add players to groups: `` /lp user PlayerName parent set vip ``

For larger networks, point LuckPerms at a MySQL database (see the panel's database guide) so permissions sync across multiple servers.

Using a Database With Plugins

Some plugins (LuckPerms, EssentialsX with large player counts, DiscordSRV) can use MySQL. Create a database through the panel Databases tab and paste the credentials into the plugin's config. See How to Create a Database for the full walkthrough.

Common Issues

• Plugin errors after a Minecraft update: Plugins must be updated for each MC version. Check Modrinth/SpigotMC for a compatible build before updating your server version.
• Plugin loads but does nothing: Check plugins/<PluginName>/config.yml for an enabled: false flag or a misconfigured setting. The server console logs config errors on boot.
• "Plugin X depends on Y": Install the dependency (often Vault, ProtocolLib, or PlaceholderAPI).
• Two economy plugins conflict: Run only one economy provider. Vault routes economy calls to a single backing plugin.

What to Read Next

• Performance and Backups for keeping a plugin-heavy server smooth
• Geyser Cross-Play to let Bedrock players join your Java server
• How to Create a Database for MySQL-backed plugins