Starting a Paper server for the first time

Before you start

You need the server address and port, which the panel shows at the top of your server’s page, and a Minecraft: Java Edition client on the same version as the server. Versions from 26.1 onward need Java 25 on the server side; the panel picks the right Java image for the version you choose.

1. Pick software and version

In the panel, open your server and go to the software settings. Choose Paper and the Minecraft version you want. Paper runs vanilla worlds and adds plugin support and better performance, so it is the right default for most people.

Changing the version later is a reinstall, which re-runs the installer and replaces the server files it manages, including the jar. Take a backup first: your world is not what it is aiming at, but the installer is the one operation here that rewrites files, so have a copy before you run it.

2. Start it once and accept the EULA

Press Start. The first start downloads the server jar and writes a file called eula.txt. Mojang requires you to accept the Minecraft EULA before the server will run. Open eula.txt in the file manager, change eula=false to eula=true, save, and start again. If the panel already shows the EULA as accepted, you can skip this step.

Read the EULA if you plan to charge players for anything; it limits what you may sell.

3. Set the basics in server.properties

Open server.properties in the file manager. The settings most people change on day one:

motd=A Hexane world
max-players=20
view-distance=10
simulation-distance=10
online-mode=true
white-list=true
difficulty=normal

• online-mode=true keeps the server checking accounts with Mojang. Leave it on; turning it off lets anyone log in as anyone.
• white-list=true means only names you add can join. Add players with whitelist add <name> in the console.
• view-distance and simulation-distance are the biggest performance levers. Ten is the default; eight is a sensible starting point on a busy 4 GB server.

Save the file and restart the server for the changes to apply.

4. Make yourself an operator

Type your Minecraft name into the console:

op YourName

Operators can run commands in game. Give it only to people you trust with the server.

5. Connect

In the Minecraft client, choose Multiplayer, Add Server, and enter the address and port from your account page in the form address:port. If you own a domain, an SRV record lets players use a plain name without the port; the Minecraft wiki explains the record format.

If it does not start

Read the last screen of the console. The three most common first-start problems are: the EULA not accepted (step 2), a plugin built for a different version (remove it from plugins/ and start again), and a level-name that points at a world folder that does not exist.