# Adding plugins Plugins are a way to extend the functionality of your Paper/Purpur server whilst still allowing any player to connect, regardless of what mods they may have installed. ## Method 1: Using the Plugin Manager (Recommended) The easiest and fastest way to install plugins is directly through our built-in Plugin Manager on the panel. This automatically handles finding, downloading, placing, and removing the plugin files for you. ### Accessing the Plugin Manager 1. Go to the [MineKeep Dashboard](https://minekeep.net/servers) and select the cog icon next to the start button of your server to open the server management page. 2. In the navigation menu, click on the **Plugins** tab. This will open the Plugin Manager.
Navigating to the Plugins tab
### Browsing and Installing Plugins When you open the Plugin Manager, you will see two main sections: **Browse** and **Installed**. 1. Ensure you are on the **Browse** section. 2. Use the **filter options** to choose which platform you want to search through: Modrinth, Hangar, or SpigotMC. 3. Type the name of the plugin into the **search bar** to find what you are looking for. 4. Once you have located the correct plugin, click the button to install it directly to your server.
The Browse tab in the Plugin Manager
### Managing Installed Plugins If you want to view the plugins you already have or remove one you no longer need, navigate to the **Installed** section of the popup. Here, you will see a list of all your currently installed plugins, complete with their icon and version number. To remove a plugin, simply click the **Uninstall** button next to it.
The Installed tab in the Plugin Manager
*Note: After installing or uninstalling plugins, you will need to restart your server to apply the changes!* *** ## Method 2: Manual Installation If a specific plugin isn't available on the Plugin Manager, or if you are uploading a custom or premium plugin, you can still install it manually. ### Step 1: Finding and downloading plugins Before you install a plugin manually, you first need to download the `.jar` file. We recommend the use of either [SpigotMC](https://www.spigotmc.org/resources/), [Hangar](https://hangar.papermc.io/) or [Modrinth](https://modrinth.com/plugins) for downloading plugins. Below are guides on how to download a plugin from each platform: {% tabs %} {% tab title="SpigotMC" %} To download a plugin from [SpigotMC](https://www.spigotmc.org/resources/), you first need to find a plugin you want to install. This can be done in two ways - You can select a plugin from the [resources page](https://www.spigotmc.org/resources/), or you can search for a plugin by name. **Choosing a plugin from the resources page** Selecting a plugin from the resources page is as easy as going onto the resources page and then clicking on the name of the desired plugin. **Searching for a specific plugin** Searching for a specific plugin is slightly more difficult. To do this, first go onto the [resources page](https://www.spigotmc.org/resources/), and then select the search bar in the top right of the screen. It should look something like this:
Once you have this, you can type the name of the plugin you want into the search bar, and after making sure "Search titles only" and "Search resources only" are selected, press the search button. This will then show you a list of all resources with a same or similar name, in which you can select the one that you are looking for. **Downloading the selected plugin** Now that you have selected the plugin you want to download, you should be on the plugin's resource page, which will look something like this:
From this page, you can click the blue button that says "Download Now". In some cases, this button may take you to an external site, in which there may be an additional step required to download the plugin. Some plugins may be a premium resource, which is where you have to pay to download and use the plugin. If this is the case, you may have to create a SpigotMC account and follow the steps to purchase the plugin before downloading it. You should now have a .jar file downloaded to your device, which is the plugin file. You can now continue on to the rest of the tutorial below. {% endtab %} {% tab title="Hangar" %} To download a plugin from [Hangar](https://hangar.papermc.io/), you first need to find a plugin you want to install. This can be done in two ways - You can select a plugin from the [home page](https://hangar.papermc.io/), or you can search for a plugin. **Choosing a plugin from the home page** Selecting a plugin from the home page is as easy as going to the [Hangar Website](https://hangar.papermc.io/) and then clicking on the desired plugin. **Searching for a specific plugin** You can search for a desired plugin on Hangar via the search bar found on the home page. This search bar is pointed out below:
From here, you can enter the name of the plugin you wish to download, and hangar will then display plugins with the same or similar name, which you can then select the correct item. **Downloading the selected plugin** Now that you have selected the plugin you want to download, you should be on the plugin's resource page, which will look something like this:
From this page, you can click the blue button that says "Download". In some cases, this button may take you to an external site, in which there may be an additional step required to download the plugin. You should now have a .jar file downloaded to your device, which is the plugin file. You can now continue on to the rest of the tutorial below. {% endtab %} {% tab title="Modrinth" %} To download a plugin from [Modrinth](https://modrinth.com/plugins), you first need to find a plugin you want to install. This can be done in two ways - You can select a plugin from the [plugins page](https://modrinth.com/plugins), or you can search for a plugin. **Choosing a plugin from the plugins page** Selecting a plugin from the home page is as easy as going to the [Modrinth plugins page](https://modrinth.com/plugins) and then clicking on the desired plugin. **Searching for a specific plugin** You can search for a desired plugin on Modrinth via the search bar found on the plugins page. This search bar is pointed out below:
From here, you can enter the name of the plugin you wish to download, and Modrinth will then display plugins with the same or similar name, which you can then select the correct item. **Downloading the selected plugin** Now that you have selected the plugin you want to download, you should be on the plugin's resource page, which will look something like this:
From this page, you can click the green button that says "Download". Clicking this will display a popup like this one:
From here, you can open the select game version option and choose the version of your server, and when it asks you to select a platform, choose paper. If paper is not an option, you may be given the option to use spigot or bukkit, which may also work. After selecting these options, you will be shown another green button with the text "Download" written on it. Press this to download the plugin's .jar file onto your device. You should now have a .jar file downloaded to your device, which is the plugin file. You can now continue on to the rest of the tutorial below. {% endtab %} {% endtabs %} ### Step 2: Uploading to your server Now that you have the plugin file you want to add to your server, go to the [MineKeep Dashboard](https://minekeep.net/servers) and select the cog icon next to the name of your server. This will bring you to the management page for your server. It should look something like this:
From here, you can click on the button that says "Files". This will bring you to the file manager for your server. It should look something like this:
If you do not see the "plugins" folder, you can create one by clicking the Create a folder button highlighted below:
Now that you have a "plugins" folder, select the folder by clicking it, and then click the upload button (the button to the right of the Create a folder button). This will bring up an upload dialog that allows you to either select a file, or drag a file on to it. From here, you can select the main area of the dialog, which will open a file selection window. Use this to navigate to the .jar file you previously downloaded, then select it. This will upload the plugin to your MineKeep server. Once uploaded, restart your server to apply the changes. *** ## Verifying your plugins Regardless of which method you used to install your plugins, you can easily check if they are working properly! Once your server has started, type `/plugins` in-game or in the console. * **Green text:** Congratulations, you have successfully installed the plugin on your MineKeep server! * **Red text:** This most likely means that either the plugin requires another dependent plugin to work, or that it requires initial configuration. To troubleshoot a red plugin, go back to the plugin's download page and check for any mentions of "requirements" or "dependencies" in the description. You can also look for a support link to ask the plugin's developer or community for help.