Plugins and mods
The Plugins tool (Mods on Fabric and NeoForge servers) installs and updates what a server can load. The tool follows the server software; see server software for what each one searches.
Install a plugin
- Open the server and choose Plugins.
- Search by name. Results from Modrinth and Hangar appear together, each naming its source.
- Choose Install. SpawnLoft takes a plugins snapshot first, downloads the file, and verifies its checksum.
- Restart the server. Installs take effect at the next start.
| Behavior | Detail |
|---|---|
| Compatibility | Results are filtered or checked against the server's Minecraft version. On modded servers, search shows the loader's whole ecosystem, and a mismatched build installs with the author's version claim stated. |
| Verification | Modrinth and Hangar downloads are checksum-verified (sha256 for Hangar). |
| Hangar external downloads | Projects that host their downloads elsewhere, including premium plugins, are linked to rather than installed. |
| Snapshot | A plugins-scope snapshot is taken before every install and update. |
Update plugins
Check for updates compares each plugin SpawnLoft installed against its source: by file hash for Modrinth, and by version name for Hangar. Update one plugin, or update everything found behind a single snapshot and restart.
To restore the previous version, restore that snapshot from the Backups tool. See Backups.
What SpawnLoft manages
SpawnLoft records provenance for what it installs, in the plugins folder. The panel manages only those plugins.
| Plugin | In the panel | Offered updates | Hash sent to a service |
|---|---|---|---|
| Installed by SpawnLoft | Listed and managed | Yes | Yes, to check for updates |
| Added by hand (custom, premium, self-built) | Listed, unmanaged | No | Never |
spawnloft plugins <name> lists the full inventory with a source column that separates the two.
Enable and disable
Disable renames the jar in place, so a disabled plugin keeps its position and its configuration folder. Enable renames it back. From a terminal: spawnloft plugins <name> disable <plugin>.
Change plugin settings
SpawnLoft does not edit plugin configuration in the panel. Edit the files in the server's plugins/<Plugin>/ folder with an editor, or ask an AI assistant to change them: it reads the file, changes the lines it means to, and snapshots the file first. Passwords and tokens in those files are hidden from the assistant and cannot be changed through it.
Plugins that need a database
Create a database from Settings → Create a database, then copy its connection details into the plugin's own configuration. SpawnLoft never writes them for you. See Databases.
When a plugin fails
The console strip under the server's name names known causes: a missing dependency, two plugins claiming the same name, a missing Java. See Troubleshooting.