How to install plugins on a Minecraft server with Paper

To install a plugin on a Paper server, download a compatible .jar from a trusted source, upload it to the root plugins/ directory, restart the server, and run plugins in the console. A plugin shown in red failed to enable and needs troubleshooting.

Before you install anything

Confirm that the server actually runs Paper or another Bukkit-compatible implementation. A Forge, Fabric, or NeoForge server loads mods through a different system. Renaming a mod to .jar does not turn it into a plugin.

Then make a backup. A plugin executes code with access to the server account and may change worlds, player data, or configuration as soon as it starts.

Use trusted sources such as PaperMC Hangar, Modrinth, the author's official repository, or a well-established project page. Paper explicitly warns that plugins have unrestricted access to the server process and machine permissions.

Install through a web panel

1. Stop the server if you are also changing versions or replacing files.
2. Open the file manager and enter plugins/.
3. Upload the plugin JAR directly into that folder, not a subfolder.
4. If the download is a ZIP, extract it locally and find the JAR intended for Paper or Bukkit.
5. Start or restart the server.
6. Run plugins in the live console.

In gummysnacks, the same operation is available through full file management. The console is an interactive WebSocket connection, so the verification command and its output appear live rather than through a polled log view.

Install with SFTP

Connect using the SFTP host, port, username, and password provided by your host. SFTP is not plain FTP. Upload the JAR in binary form to plugins/, then restart from the panel.

gummysnacks issues per-server SFTP credentials jailed to that server's directory. A node-level credential can also expose all servers owned on the same node. SFTP authentication is verified by the node, so file access does not depend on the cloud panel staying online.

Read the startup log

The current log is normally logs/latest.log. Search near startup for the plugin name and the first exception associated with it. The final stack trace line is often less useful than the first explicit cause.

Missing dependency

An UnknownDependencyException names another plugin the new plugin requires. Download the compatible version of that dependency from its official source, install it, and restart.

Invalid plugin description

An InvalidDescriptionException can mean the file is a mod rather than a plugin, the download is incomplete, or the artifact is for another platform. Download it again and confirm the project supports your Paper and Minecraft versions.

Duplicate or ambiguous plugin

Do not leave old and new versions of the same plugin together in plugins/. Paper may reject the ambiguous name or load an unintended file. Keep one active version.

Unsupported Java or Minecraft version

Read the plugin's release notes. A build for a newer Minecraft version may require APIs missing from your server, while an old build may depend on removed behavior.

Updating plugins safely

Paper documents an update/ folder inside plugins/. Files placed there can replace installed plugin versions on restart. This avoids editing live JARs while the server runs. Still take a backup and watch startup after every update.

Never enable blind automatic updates for an important server. A technically successful download can still introduce a configuration migration or incompatibility that requires operator judgment.

Sources and review

Reviewed July 15, 2026 against PaperMC's official adding plugins guide, updating guide, and Hangar repository.