Preparing your first Minecraft server

Choose the server software around the gameplay you want. A vanilla server, a plugin server and a modded server have different requirements. Match the game version, Java runtime and plugin or mod platform before configuring the server.

Create a separate server directory, keep backups outside it and follow the software’s installation instructions. Review the Minecraft EULA before accepting it. Configure access, the world name and basic gameplay settings before inviting players.

Test locally with a small number of players and add extensions gradually. Keep the server log when diagnosing startup errors. Before each update, save a known working copy of the server configuration and world.