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How to Install Plugins on a Paper Minecraft Server

Switch your Minecraft server to Paper, upload plugins, set up permissions with LuckPerms, and fix plugins that don't load — step by step.

How to Install Plugins on a Paper Minecraft Server

Plugins add homes, warps, economy, land protection, ranks and hundreds of other features to Minecraft — and, unlike mods, players don't have to install anything. Plugins run on Paper, a faster version of the Minecraft server. On Lobby Maker you switch to Paper with one setting and install plugins by uploading a file.

Make a backup first (Backups tab). Changing the server type reinstalls the server files.

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1. Switch the server to Paper

1. Open your server in the panel (My game servers → Server Panel) and go to the Startup tab. 2. Look at Server Type. If it already says Paper, skip to step 2. 3. Choose Paper and confirm with Yes, change type. The server reinstalls itself — this takes a minute or two. 4. Under Minecraft Version pick the version you want (or leave latest), and check that Docker Image has the right Java: Java 21 for 1.20.5 and newer, Java 17 for 1.18 – 1.20.4. 5. Start the server on the Console tab.

Your world stays: Paper reads the same world as the vanilla server. If you are switching from a Forge modpack, though, blocks and items from the mods will disappear — start a new world or keep the backup.

After the first start, a plugins folder appears on the Files tab.

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2. Download plugins

A plugin is a single .jar file. Good places to get them:

  • Hangar (hangar.papermc.io) — the official Paper plugin site.
  • Modrinth (modrinth.com/plugins) — filter by Paper and your Minecraft version.
  • SpigotMC (spigotmc.org/resources) — the largest catalogue; Spigot and Bukkit plugins work on Paper.

Always check that the plugin supports your Minecraft version. Forge and Fabric mods don't work on Paper — only plugins.

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3. Upload and load them

1. Go to the Files tab and open the plugins folder. 2. Click Upload and choose the .jar files. 3. Restart the server on the Console tab — Paper loads plugins only at start. 4. Type plugins in the console. You get the list of installed plugins: green ones are working, red ones failed to load.

Don't use the reload command to load new plugins. It breaks many plugins and leaks memory — always do a full restart.

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4. Configure a plugin

On the first start, most plugins create their own folder with a config file — for example plugins/Essentials/config.yml. Open it on the Files tab, change the values, click Save Content and restart the server. Many plugins also have their own reload command (the plugin's page names it), which applies changes without a restart.

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5. Give players permissions with LuckPerms

Most plugins give their commands only to OPs. To let normal players use them — or to create ranks like VIP — install LuckPerms and grant permissions. Type these in the Console tab:

lp group default permission set essentials.home true
lp group default permission set essentials.sethome true
lp creategroup vip
lp group vip permission set essentials.fly true
lp user PlayerName parent add vip
lp user PlayerName info
  • The default group contains every player.
  • The permission names are listed on each plugin's page (for example essentials.home).
  • lp editor opens a web editor where you can set everything with clicks instead of commands.

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The plugins most servers start with

  • EssentialsX — homes, spawn, warps, kits, messages and basic economy.
  • LuckPerms — permissions and ranks.
  • Vault — connects economy and permission plugins; many plugins need it.
  • WorldEdit — building big structures in seconds.
  • WorldGuard — protected regions, like a spawn that can't be griefed. Needs WorldEdit.
  • CoreProtect — logs who broke or placed what, and rolls back griefing.
  • Chunky — pre-generates the world so exploring doesn't lag the server.

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Common problems

The plugin is red in the `plugins` list, or missing. The last lines of the console at start say why. Most often the plugin needs another plugin (an UnknownDependencyException, e.g. WorldGuard without WorldEdit) or is made for a different Minecraft version.

There is no `plugins` folder. The server isn't on Paper yet (check Server Type on the Startup tab), or it hasn't been started since the switch.

The server doesn't start after switching Minecraft version. The Java version doesn't match — change Docker Image on the Startup tab.

Players get "You don't have permission". Grant the permission with LuckPerms (step 5), or make yourself an operator with op YourName in the console.

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Frequently asked questions

Do players need to install the plugins? No. Plugins run only on the server; players join with the normal Minecraft Java client of the same version.

Can I use mods and plugins together? Not on Paper — mods need a Forge or Fabric server. For mods, install a CurseForge modpack instead (we have a separate guide for that).

Will a Minecraft update break my plugins? It can. Before changing Minecraft Version, check that your plugins support the new version, and make a backup.

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Don't have a server yet? Rent a Minecraft server on Lobby Maker — it is ready in about a minute, and Paper is one setting away.