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Compatible Server Type Plugins ONLY work on servers that support them, such as Paper, Spigot, Bukkit, or Purpur. Plugins will NOT work on a Vanilla Minecraft server (the official version from Mojang).
Make sure your server type is set correctly in the “Server Type” tab in your panel.
Steps to Install a Plugin
  1. Find and Download a Plugin Download your desired plugin file from a trusted source. Plugin files always have a .jar extension.
    • Trusted Sources: SpigotMC, Modrinth, BukkitDev (curseforge).
    • Warning: Avoid downloading from random websites to prevent malware.
  2. Open the File Manager In your Pterodactyl Panel, navigate to your server and click the “File Manager” tab.
  3. Navigate to the plugins Folder Find and open the folder named plugins.
    • If this folder doesn’t exist, your server type is likely incorrect (not Paper/Spigot). You can try creating it manually by clicking “New Folder”.
  4. Upload the Plugin File Inside the plugins folder, click the “Upload” button and select the plugin .jar file you downloaded. Wait for the upload to complete.
  5. Restart the Server Go back to the “Console” page and click “Restart”. The server must be restarted to load the new plugin.
Verification and Configuration
  • Verification:
    • Watch the Console log as the server starts up. You should see a message like [PluginName] enabling....
    • Log in to the game and type the command /plugins or /pl. The active plugin should appear in the list.
  • Configuration:
    • After the server runs once with the plugin, a configuration folder for it will be automatically created inside the plugins folder (e.g., /plugins/EssentialsX/).
    • You can edit the config.yml file within that folder to change the plugin’s settings.