Minecraft Server Best Practices

Pick the right server type

Each type has its own setup and best-practice guide:

Plugins and mods don't mix: a Paper server can't run mods, and a modded server can't run Paper plugins. Pick by what your players want to play, then the version your mods or plugins support.

Running a specific game mode (Skyblock, OneBlock, Chunklock, minigames, Prison, Factions, an advanced SMP and more)? See Minecraft game modes.

Backups

• [ ] Automatic backups on a schedule, with a Create Backup task (a schedule with no tasks does nothing). Guide
• [ ] At least one backup slot unlocked, so scheduled backups can rotate.
• [ ] A locked backup before every update of Minecraft, plugins or mods. Guide
• [ ] Your own copy of important milestones: Download them now and then.
• [ ] Test a restore once, so you know it works before you need it.

Versions and updates

• [ ] Pin the Minecraft version on Startup instead of leaving latest, so a reinstall never surprises you. Guide
• [ ] Every server in a network on the same Minecraft version, where possible. ViaVersion bridges versions, but adds overhead and edge-case bugs.
• [ ] Release builds of plugins and mods, not SNAPSHOT, dev or alpha builds.
• [ ] One copy of each plugin/mod. Delete the old jar when you update (watch for name (1).jar duplicates).
• [ ] Matching versions of shared plugins/mods across a network (e.g. the same Geyser, Floodgate, voice chat and Fabric API on every server).
• [ ] Update one thing at a time and restart between each.

Memory

• [ ] Leave headroom. Java uses memory beyond its heap (threads, native code, networking). The start command's -XX:MaxRAMPercentage should be about 75–85 % of the plan: lower on small plans, higher on large ones. 95 % leaves too little, and the server can be killed for going over its limit. Paper's guidance is to keep about 1–1.5 GB of a plan outside Java's heap.
• [ ] Use Paper's recommended G1 flags ("Aikar's flags") on Paper/Purpur with 4 GB or more. They cut lag spikes from garbage collection. Ask us to set them on your plan.
• [ ] Don't over-allocate. A small vanilla or Paper server for friends needs 3–4 GB; Fabric with performance mods about the same; big NeoForge/Forge modpacks 10–12 GB. More than you use doesn't help.

Performance

• [ ] Paper or Purpur for plugin servers; Lithium + FerriteCore for Fabric. Guide
• [ ] simulation-distance 4–6, view-distance 8–10. Guide
• [ ] Pre-generate the world and set a world border. Guide
• [ ] A daily restart with a warning (every 12 hours, or 6–8 on heavy modpacks). Guide
• [ ] spark installed so you can profile lag when it happens. Guide

Security

• [ ] Two-factor authentication on your panel account. Guide
• [ ] online-mode=true on any server players join directly. false is only for back-ends behind a correctly set-up Velocity proxy. Guide
• [ ] Sub-users instead of sharing your password, with only the permissions they need. Guide
• [ ] Few ops. Use LuckPerms for moderators.
• [ ] Plugins only from official pages (Modrinth, Hangar, SpigotMC, CurseForge, GitHub).
• [ ] A whitelist on private servers. Guide
• [ ] enable-rcon=false. The panel console does the same job without opening another port.
• [ ] Grief logging (CoreProtect on Paper, Ledger on Fabric).

Networks (Velocity)

• [ ] Modern forwarding with a secret, and every back-end set to accept only the proxy. Guide
• [ ] Only the proxy port public. Back-end ports shouldn't be reachable from the internet.
• [ ] Geyser once, on the proxy, with Floodgate on the proxy and back-ends. Guide
• [ ] Voice chat on its own UDP port per server, forwarded by the proxy plugin. Guide