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Next Steps

Now that you have your server up and running, there are a few things you should do to ensure that your server is running smoothly.

Configuration​

One of the first things you should do is ensure your server is configured to your specifications. Paper is highly configurable, and you can change many settings to suit your needs. We outline where you can find these settings in the Configuration guide.

Plugins​

One of the main reasons to use Paper is to take advantage of the many plugins which make use of our expansive API. We have our own plugin repository, Hangar, where you can find many plugins to use on your server. We also have a guide on how to install plugins here.

Hangar

Security​

Whitelisting​

If you want to restrict who can join your server, you can use the whitelist feature. This allows you to specify who can join your server, and stops anyone else from joining. You can use the whitelist from the server console, or by editing the whitelist.json file in your server directory.

Permissions​

Permissions are a way to control what players can and cannot do on your server. You can use permissions to restrict who can use certain commands, or who can access certain areas of your server. It is common for plugins to use permissions to control who can use their features. You can use permission plugins such as LuckPerms to manage the permissions which players will be granted.

Backups​

It's important to keep backups of your server. If something goes wrong, you can restore your server to a previous state. We cover how to do this in the Updating guide.

Optimization​

Out of the box, Paper is optimized for performance. However, there are many things you can do to further optimize your server. One of the most common things to do is to make sure that you are running the correct startup flags for your server. We have a tool that allows you to automatically generate a startup script with the correct flags for your server. You can find this tool here. Beyond this, a guide such as this one will help you to further optimize your server.

Making your server public​

If you want to make your server public, you will need to port forward your server. This allows people from outside your network to connect to your server. There is a guide made by NordVPN which explains what port forwarding is and how to do it for your Paper server.

Troubleshooting​

If you encounter any issues with your server, you can follow our Troubleshooting guide to help you diagnose and fix the issue. If you are unable to fix the issue, you can come and ask for help in our Discord server!