# How to install plugins on your Minecraft server

> Add Paper and Spigot plugins from the panel or by uploading jars, and what to do when one breaks the boot.

Source: https://fadehost.com/docs/install-plugins/

Plugins run on Paper, Purpur and Spigot servers (and on Velocity proxies). They do not need anything on the player's side, which is why most public servers use them instead of mods.

## Install from the panel

1. Open the **Resources** tab and choose **Plugins**.
2. Search. Results are filtered to your Minecraft version.
3. Press **Install**, then restart the server. Some plugins load with `/reload` but a restart is the safe way.

The **Installed** view shows each plugin, its version and whether an update exists.

## Upload a jar

1. Open **Files** and go into `plugins`.
2. **Upload files**: the `.jar`, then restart.

The plugin creates its own folder inside `plugins` on first boot; that is where its config lives. Edit config files in the panel with **Edit**.

## When a plugin needs a database

LuckPerms, CoreProtect, economies and web maps store data better in MySQL than in a file. **More for this server**, **Add a database** creates one on your private network; the first database on an account is free. See [Databases](/docs/databases/).

## When the server stops booting

The console names the plugin in the stack trace, and the crash doctor summarises it. The usual causes: a plugin built for another Minecraft version, a missing dependency plugin (Vault, ProtocolLib), or a config file with a typo. Move the jar out of `plugins` (rename it to `.jar.disabled`) and start again.

## Good to know

- Plugins and mods do not mix. A modded server that also wants plugins needs a hybrid such as Mohist or Arclight, which we do not recommend for stability.
- The Java version is picked for you per Minecraft version; plugins that need a newer Java than the game does are rare.