--- title: "How to install plugins on a Paper or Purpur server" url: https://help.endercloud.in/docs/how-to-install-plugins-on-a-paper-or-purpur-server category: "Minecraft Hosting › Plugins, Mods & Modpacks" type: Guide tags: ["minecraft", "paper", "plugins", "sftp"] keywords: "install plugin, add plugin, plugin manager, browse plugins, manage plugins, plugins folder, jar, spigot, spigotmc, bukkit, hangar, modrinth, curseforge, uninstall plugin, remove plugin, plugin not loading, plugin not showing, reload, how to install plugins, plugin install, plugins tab, paper plugins, purpur plugins, upload plugin jar, update plugin, plugin not working, pluign, plugin kaise dale" difficulty: beginner time: "5 minutes" updated: 2026-11-14 source: Endercloud Knowledge Base (official) --- # How to install plugins on a Paper or Purpur server > Plugins tab → Browse Plugins → pick a platform (Modrinth, CurseForge, Hangar or SpigotMC) → search → Install → restart. Or upload any plugin .jar to the plugins folder in Files. The quickest way to add a plugin is the **Plugins** tab in the Game Panel: search on **Browse Plugins**, click **Install** and restart your server. If a plugin is not listed, you can upload its `.jar` to the `plugins` folder yourself. ## Check this first: will the plugin work? - **Server software:** plugins need Paper or a server from the same family, such as Purpur, Pufferfish or Spigot. Folia only runs plugins that say they support Folia. Vanilla, Fabric, Forge and NeoForge can't load plugins; they use mods (see [How to install mods](/docs/how-to-install-mods)). - **Minecraft version:** the plugin must support your server's version. The **Versions** tab shows what you run (for example "Paper · 26.3"). - **Proxies:** Velocity and BungeeCord use their own plugins. A Paper plugin will not load on a proxy, and the other way round. Not on Paper yet? Switch in the **Versions** tab: [How to change your Minecraft version or server software](/docs/how-to-change-minecraft-version-or-server-software). ## Method 1: Install from the Plugins tab 1. Open your server at [panel.endercloud.in](https://panel.endercloud.in) and click **Plugins** (under MANAGEMENT). 2. Stay on **Browse Plugins**. Choose a **Platform**: **Modrinth**, **CurseForge**, **Hangar** or **SpigotMC**. If you can't find a plugin on one, try another. 3. Set the filters: **Plugin Loader** (for example Paper or Purpur, or Velocity for a proxy) and **Version** (your Minecraft version). **Sort by** Relevance, Downloads, Followers, Newest or Updated. 4. Type the plugin name in **Search**. Each result shows downloads, followers, author and a short description. 5. Click **Details** to read more, or **Install** to add it. 6. Click **Restart** so the server loads the plugin, then open **Console** and watch for errors. ## See, update or remove installed plugins Open the **Manage Plugins** tab to see what is installed, including plugins you uploaded yourself. You can uninstall a plugin from there too; restart afterwards. To update a plugin, install the newer version from **Browse Plugins** or upload the new `.jar`, and make sure only one copy is left in the `plugins` folder. ## Method 2: Upload the .jar yourself For premium plugins, custom builds, or anything not found in the Plugins tab: 1. Download the plugin `.jar` from its official page (Hangar, Modrinth, SpigotMC or the developer's GitHub). Avoid "free premium plugin" sites; those files often contain malware. 2. Open **Files** and go into the `plugins` folder. 3. Click **Upload** → **Upload Files** and pick the `.jar`. Have a direct link? **Upload from URL** saves downloading it first. 4. Restart the server. Many files at once? Use SFTP: [How to connect to your server with SFTP](/docs/how-to-connect-to-your-server-with-sftp). > **Tip:** > Some plugins need other plugins, for example Vault or ProtocolLib. The plugin page lists these. Install them too, or the plugin will not enable. ## Check that the plugin loaded Type `plugins` in the **Console** (or `/plugins` in game as an operator). Working plugins are green. A plugin in red, or missing, failed to load; scroll up in the console to find the error. > **Warning:** > **Always restart, never /reload.** Many plugins break, lose data or leak memory when reloaded. A full restart is the safe way. Paper already includes the **spark** profiler, so you don't need to install it. See [Find lag with spark](/docs/find-lag-with-spark-profiler). ## Removing a plugin by hand 1. Stop the server. 2. In **Files → plugins**, delete the plugin's `.jar`. 3. Its settings folder stays behind. Delete it too if you never want the plugin's data again. 4. Start the server. ## Frequently asked questions **Q: Do Spigot plugins work on Paper and Purpur?** Yes, in almost every case. Paper is built on Spigot and Purpur on Paper, so Spigot and Paper plugins normally run on both. **Q: The plugin installed but it is not in /plugins** Usually the plugin doesn't support your Minecraft version, a dependency is missing, or your server isn't running plugin software. The console shows the reason during startup. **Q: Can I add plugins to a Bedrock server?** Not these ones. Paper plugins are for Java servers. To let Bedrock players join a Java server with plugins, use Geyser: [Geyser and Floodgate crossplay](/docs/geyser-and-floodgate-java-bedrock-crossplay). Still stuck? [Open a ticket](https://billing.endercloud.in/tickets/create) and include the console error.