Lessons | Learn About MC Servers

Permissions

LuckPerms — Complete Command Reference

LuckPerms is the industry-standard permission plugin for Minecraft. Every serious server uses it. This guide covers every command you'll ever need.

Quick Start

First install: drop the LuckPerms jar in your plugins folder, restart the server. That's it. The plugin works out of the box with sensible defaults.

Creating & Managing Groups

Command	What It Does
`/lp creategroup <name>`	Create a new permission group (e.g. Member, Mod, Admin)
`/lp deletegroup <name>`	Permanently delete a group
`/lp listgroups`	List all existing groups on the server
`/lp group <group> info`	View all info about a group — permissions, parents, meta
`/lp group <group> setdisplayname <name>`	Set a display name shown in tab/list (supports color codes)
`/lp group <group> setweight <number>`	Higher weight = higher priority when a player has multiple groups

Setting Permissions

Command	What It Does
`/lp group <group> permission set <node> true`	Grant a permission to a group
`/lp group <group> permission set <node> false`	Explicitly deny a permission (overrides parent groups)
`/lp group <group> permission unset <node>`	Remove a permission entry
`/lp group <group> permission clear`	Remove ALL permissions from a group (use carefully)
`/lp group <group> permission info`	List all permissions a group has
`/lp user <player> permission set <node> true`	Grant a permission directly to a specific player (overrides group)
`/lp user <player> permission info`	See all permissions a specific player has (includes inherited)

Parent Groups (Group Inheritance)

Command	What It Does
`/lp group <child> parent add <parent>`	Make child group inherit all permissions from parent group
`/lp group <child> parent remove <parent>`	Remove inheritance link
`/lp group <child> parent info`	Show all parent groups this group inherits from

Example: /lp group Mod parent add Member — Mods inherit all Member permissions automatically.

Adding Players to Groups

Command	What It Does
`/lp user <player> parent add <group>`	Add a player to a group (they inherit all its permissions)
`/lp user <player> parent remove <group>`	Remove a player from a group
`/lp user <player> parent set <group>`	Set a player's ONLY group (removes all others)
`/lp user <player> parent info`	List all groups a player belongs to
`/lp user <player> promote <track>`	Promote player to next group on a track
`/lp user <player> demote <track>`	Demote player to previous group on a track

Temporary Permissions & Groups

Command	What It Does
`/lp user <player> parent add <group> <duration>`	Add to a group temporarily (e.g. 7d, 24h, 30m)
`/lp user <player> permission set <node> true <duration>`	Grant a permission for a limited time
`/lp user <player> permission expirecheck`	Check when a temp permission expires

Duration format: 30m (30 minutes), 2h (2 hours), 7d (7 days), 1mo (1 month).

Tracks (Promotion Ladders)

Command	What It Does
`/lp createtrack <name>`	Create a new promotion track
`/lp track <track> append <group>`	Add a group to the end of the track
`/lp track <track> insert <group> <position>`	Insert a group at a specific position (1 = first)
`/lp track <track> remove <group>`	Remove a group from the track
`/lp track <track> info`	Show the full track order

Example — create a staff track: /lp createtrack staff, then /lp track staff append Helper, /lp track staff append Mod, /lp track staff append Admin. Then promote with /lp user PlayerName promote staff.

Contextual Permissions

Permissions can be scoped to specific worlds, servers, or times. This is incredibly powerful:

Command	What It Does
`/lp group <g> permission set <node> true server=<name>`	Permission only applies on a specific proxy server
`/lp group <g> permission set <node> true world=<name>`	Permission only applies in a specific world
`/lp user <p> permission set <node> true server=<s> world=<w>`	Combine contexts for precise control

Example: give fly only in the hub world: /lp group Member permission set essentials.fly true world=hub

Meta & Prefixes/Suffixes

Command	What It Does
`/lp group <g> meta setprefix <value>`	Set prefix shown before player name (supports & color codes)
`/lp group <g> meta setsuffix <value>`	Set suffix after player name
`/lp group <g> meta add <key> <value>`	Add custom metadata (used by other plugins)
`/lp group <g> meta remove <key>`	Remove metadata entry
`/lp group <g> meta info`	View all metadata for a group

Color code example: &a[Member]&r shows a green [Member] prefix. Use /lp group Member meta setprefix "&8[&aMember&8]&r "

Verification & Debugging

Command	What It Does
`/lp user <player> checkpermission <node>`	Check why a player has or doesn't have a permission — shows the source group
`/lp verbose on`	Toggle permission check logging — see every permission check in real-time in console
`/lp verbose record <player>`	Record all permission checks for a player, then replay with `/lp verbose replay`
`/lp search <query>`	Search all groups and users for a permission node
`/lp sync`	Force-sync permissions across all servers (if using a messaging service)
`/lp info`	View LuckPerms version, storage type, and server info
`/lp reload`	Reload config files without restarting the server

Useful Permission Nodes for Common Plugins

Plugin	Node	Effect
EssentialsX	`essentials.fly`	Allow /fly
EssentialsX	`essentials.gamemode`	Allow /gamemode
EssentialsX	`essentials.ban`	Allow /ban
EssentialsX	`essentials.kick`	Allow /kick
EssentialsX	`essentials.warp`	Allow using warps
CoreProtect	`coreprotect.inspect`	Allow /co inspect
CoreProtect	`coreprotect.rollback`	Allow /co rollback
WorldEdit	`worldedit.*`	All WorldEdit commands
WorldGuard	`worldguard.region.define`	Create regions
GriefPrevention	`griefprevention.claim`	Allow claiming land
Vault	`vault.*`	Economy/admin commands

Best Practices

Never use OP — use LuckPerms instead. OP bypasses everything and can't be tracked.
Create a group hierarchy: Member → Mod → Admin → Owner. Each group inherits from the one below.
Use contexts for multi-world servers — give fly only in the hub, not in survival.
Test with /lp verbose before rolling out big permission changes.
Backup your LuckPerms folder — it contains all your permission data.

Integration

Discord Integration with DiscordSRV

DiscordSRV bridges your Minecraft server and Discord server. Chat sync, status updates, console alerts, and more.

Installation

Download DiscordSRV from SpigotMC and put it in your plugins folder
Restart the server — a config folder is created at plugins/DiscordSRV/config.yml
Create a Discord bot at discord.com/developers/applications
Copy the bot token and paste it into config.yml under BotToken: "your-token-here"
Invite the bot to your Discord server with the generated invite link
Run /discordsrv reload on your Minecraft server
Run /discordsrv link to link your Minecraft account to Discord

Setting Up Channels

In config.yml, find the DiscordChannels section. Set Discord channel IDs for each function:

DiscordChannels:
  GlobalChat: "123456789012345678"  # main chat sync channel
  StaffChannel: "123456789012345679" # staff alerts
  ConsoleChannel: "123456789012345680" # console output

To get a channel ID, enable Developer Mode in Discord settings (Advanced → Developer Mode), then right-click a channel → Copy ID.

Key Features & Commands

Command	What It Does
`/discordsrv link`	Link your Minecraft account to Discord
`/discordsrv unlink`	Unlink your accounts
`/discordsrv reload`	Reload config without restart
`/discordsrv status`	Check if DiscordSRV is connected to Discord
`/discordsrv broadcast <msg>`	Send a message to the linked Discord channel from in-game
`/discordsrv toggledeathmessages`	Toggle death message sync for yourself

Useful Config Tweaks

# config.yml — recommended settings
UseModernEmbed: true
UseEmbeddedMessages: false
DiscordChatEventFilterLink: true
DiscordChatEventFilterInvite: true
ConsoleChannelIncludeRcon: false
EnableAutoLink: false

UseModernEmbed — prettier embed messages in Discord
DiscordChatEventFilterLink — blocks discord invite links in chat
EnableAutoLink — set to true if you want players with the same Discord/MC email to auto-link

Alert Configuration

Set up specific events to post to your staff channel:

DiscordChannelEvent: StaffChannel
- player_join
- player_leave
- server_start
- server_stop
- watchdog_command
- ban
- kick

Linking Commands (Advanced)

You can run Minecraft commands from Discord using /console <command> if the bot has admin. Great for checking server status, running backups, or whitelisting players from your phone.

Development

Making a Discord Bot for Your Server

A custom Discord bot can do way more than DiscordSRV — verification, suggestions, moderation, server status, custom commands, and anything else you can code.

1. Create the Bot on Discord's Developer Portal

Go to discord.com/developers/applications and click New Application
Give it a name (this is the app name, not the bot's username)
Go to the Bot tab on the left sidebar, click Add Bot → Confirm
Under the Token section, click Reset Token / Copy — this is your bot token, keep it secret
Toggle SERVER MEMBERS INTENT and MESSAGE CONTENT INTENT on (most bots need these)

2. Invite the Bot to Your Server

In the OAuth2 → URL Generator tab:

Select bot under Scopes
Select permissions your bot needs — at minimum: Send Messages, Read Message History, Embed Links, Use Slash Commands
For moderation bots also add: Kick Members, Ban Members, Manage Messages
Copy the generated URL and open it in your browser — select your server and authorize

3. Bot Project Structure (Node.js / discord.js)

Basic setup with discord.js (most popular library):

# 1. Create a new folder and init
mkdir my-discord-bot
cd my-discord-bot
npm init -y
npm install discord.js dotenv

# 2. Create .env file (KEEP THIS SECRET)
echo "DISCORD_TOKEN=your-bot-token-here
CLIENT_ID=your-bot-client-id" > .env

// index.js — minimal working bot
const { Client, GatewayIntentBits } = require('discord.js');
require('dotenv').config();

const client = new Client({
  intents: [
    GatewayIntentBits.Guilds,
    GatewayIntentBits.GuildMessages,
    GatewayIntentBits.MessageContent
  ]
});

client.on('ready', () => {
  console.log(`Logged in as ${client.user.tag}!`);
});

client.on('messageCreate', (message) => {
  if (message.content === '!ping') {
    message.reply('Pong!');
  }
});

client.login(process.env.DISCORD_TOKEN);

4. Configuration Best Practices

Never hardcode tokens or server IDs. Use environment variables or a config file:

# .env — keep this in .gitignore!
DISCORD_TOKEN=your-bot-token
CLIENT_ID=123456789012345678
GUILD_ID=your-server-id
LOG_CHANNEL_ID=123456789012345678
ROLE_MEMBER_ID=123456789012345678

// config.js
require('dotenv').config();

module.exports = {
  token: process.env.DISCORD_TOKEN,
  clientId: process.env.CLIENT_ID,
  guildId: process.env.GUILD_ID,
  logChannel: process.env.LOG_CHANNEL_ID,
  memberRole: process.env.ROLE_MEMBER_ID
};

⚠️ Add .env to your .gitignore so you never commit your bot token to GitHub.

5. Common MC Server Bot Features

Feature	How
Server Status	Ping your MC server IP using `minecraft-status` npm package or the mcsrvstat.us API
Verification	Generate a code, have player run `/verify <code>` in-game, assign Discord role on success
Suggestions	Post submitted suggestions to a channel with embed and upvote/downvote reactions
Moderation Logs	Use Discord audit logs + bot events to log kicks/bans/message deletes to a private channel
Custom Commands	Slash commands like `/rules`, `/server-ip`, `/apply` — useful for FAQ-style info
Whitelist via Discord	Button-click whitelisting — user clicks a button, bot sends a command to MC server via RCON

6. Slash Commands (Modern Way)

Slash commands are the modern standard. Register them with Discord's API:

// deploy-commands.js — run once to register slash commands
const { REST, Routes } = require('discord.js');
require('dotenv').config();

const commands = [
  {
    name: 'ping',
    description: 'Replies with Pong!',
  },
  {
    name: 'status',
    description: 'Check if the Minecraft server is online',
  },
];

const rest = new REST().setToken(process.env.DISCORD_TOKEN);

(async () => {
  await rest.put(
    Routes.applicationCommands(process.env.CLIENT_ID),
    { body: commands }
  );
  console.log('Commands registered!');
})();

7. Hosting Your Bot

Free: Replit or Railway (free tier with always-on or cron pings)
Cheap: A $5 VPS from Linode, DigitalOcean, or Hetzner — run the bot with pm2 so it auto-restarts
Same server: Run the bot on your MC server machine with a screen session or PM2

# Run with PM2 (auto-restart on crash + reboots)
npm install pm2 -g
pm2 start index.js --name discord-bot
pm2 save
pm2 startup

8. Security Tips

Never share your bot token — anyone with it can control your bot
Use environment variables (never hardcode tokens in source files)
Limit bot permissions — only give what it actually needs
Validate command inputs to prevent injection attacks
If your bot token leaks, regenerate it immediately in the Developer Portal

Optimization

Performance Optimization

Making your server run buttery smooth — from JVM flags to chunk loading. Every trick in the book.

1. Choose the Right Server Software

Not all Minecraft server JARs are equal:

Paper — the standard. Best performance for most servers, huge API support
Purpur — Paper fork with even more config options and features
Airplane — optimized for large servers (50+ players)
Fabric + Lithium — for modded servers, Lithium optimizes game mechanics

Don't use: Vanilla (no optimization), CraftBukkit (outdated), Spigot (Paper is strictly better).

2. JVM Flags (the big one)

These JVM arguments control how Java manages memory. Bad flags = lag. Good flags = smooth server:

java -Xms4G -Xmx4G \
     -XX:+UseG1GC \
     -XX:+ParallelRefProcEnabled \
     -XX:MaxGCPauseMillis=200 \
     -XX:+UnlockExperimentalVMOptions \
     -XX:+DisableExplicitGC \
     -XX:+AlwaysPreTouch \
     -XX:G1HeapWastePercent=5 \
     -XX:G1MixedGCCountTarget=4 \
     -XX:G1MixedGCLiveThresholdPercent=90 \
     -XX:G1RSetUpdatingPauseTimePercent=5 \
     -XX:SurvivorRatio=32 \
     -XX:+PerfDisableSharedMem \
     -XX:MaxTenuringThreshold=1 \
     -Daikars.flags=true \
     -jar server.jar --nogui

Explanation of key flags:

-Xms4G -Xmx4G — allocate 4GB initial and max (set these EQUAL, never different)
UseG1GC — Garbage-First collector, best for Minecraft (replaces CMS)
MaxGCPauseMillis=200 — target max 200ms for garbage collection pauses
AlwaysPreTouch — allocate memory at startup instead of as needed (more consistent performance)
DisableExplicitGC — prevents plugins from triggering full GC cycles (those freeze the server)
MaxTenuringThreshold=1 — moves objects out of survivor space faster, reduces GC overhead

Memory rule of thumb: For 1-10 players, 2GB is fine. 10-30 players: 4GB. 30-80 players: 6-8GB. Never allocate more than 12GB without switching to ZGC.

3. The Spark Profiler

Spark is the #1 tool for diagnosing lag. Install it, and when your server lags, run these:

Command	What It Does
`/spark profiler start`	Start recording CPU usage. Run this for 30-60 seconds during lag
`/spark profiler stop`	Stop and get a link to a detailed flamegraph showing exactly what code is using CPU
`/spark health`	Quick health report — CPU, memory, TPS, and disk usage
`/spark tps`	Show TPS (ticks per second) history — 20.0 is perfect, below 18 is lagging
`/spark gc`	Show garbage collection stats — frequency and duration of GC pauses
`/spark heap`	Show memory usage breakdown by plugin/feature
`/spark view`	Open the web viewer for an active profiler session

4. Server Properties Tweaks

In server.properties, these settings have the biggest impact on performance:

Setting	Recommended	Why
`view-distance`	6-8	Lower = fewer chunks loaded = less CPU/RAM usage. Default 10 is heavy.
`simulation-distance`	4-6	How far entities and redstone work. Lower = huge performance gain.
`max-tick-time`	-1	Disable the watchdog crash timer. It force-kills the server if a tick takes too long.
`network-compression-threshold`	256	Compresses network packets above this size. 256 is a good balance.
`max-players`	-1	Don't limit by server.properties — use a plugin instead for better control.

5. Paper.yml Optimizations

# paper.yml — performance settings
chunk-loading:
  autoconcurrent-save: true
  max-chunk-loads-per-tick: 500
entities:
  spawning:
    disable-mob-spawner-spawn-egg-transformation: true
  despawn-ranges:
    soft: 32
    hard: 48
collisions:
  max-entity-collisions: 1
tick-rates:
  container-update: 1
  grass-spread: 2
  mob-spawner: 2
spigot-config:
  mob-spawner-tick-rate: 2
  merge-radius:
    item: 3.5
    exp: 4.0

6. Lag Prevention Checklist

Limit redstone — flying machines and clock circuits are the #1 cause of tick lag. Use WorldGuard to disable redstone in some areas.
Pre-generate the world — generate chunks before players explore them. Use Chunky plugin: /chunky radius 500, then /chunky start
Limit hoppers — hoppers check for items 8 times per second. Hundreds of hoppers = lag. Use hopper-amount: 1 in paper.yml
Control mob farms — entity-activation-range in paper.yml makes mobs inactive when players are far away
Use a proxy — BungeeCord/Velocity offloads player connections to a separate process

Essentials

EssentialsX Command Reference

EssentialsX is the swiss-army knife of Minecraft server plugins. Every command you need for moderation, economy, teleportation, and player utilities.

Teleportation

Command	What It Does
`/home`	Teleport to your home
`/sethome`	Set your home location
`/delhome <name>`	Delete a named home
`/tpa <player>`	Request to teleport to a player
`/tpahere <player>`	Request a player teleport to you
`/tpaccept`	Accept a teleport request
`/tpdeny`	Deny a teleport request
`/warp <name>`	Teleport to a warp point
`/setwarp <name>`	Create a warp point (admin)
`/delwarp <name>`	Delete a warp (admin)
`/back`	Teleport to your last location (death or teleport)
`/spawn`	Teleport to the spawn point
`/setspawn`	Set the server spawn point

Economy

Command	What It Does
`/bal`	Check your balance
`/pay <player> <amount>`	Pay another player
`/eco give <player> <amount>`	Give money to a player (admin)
`/eco take <player> <amount>`	Take money from a player (admin)
`/eco set <player> <amount>`	Set a player's balance (admin)
`/baltop`	Show the server's richest players

Moderation

Command	What It Does
`/kick <player> [reason]`	Kick a player from the server
`/ban <player> [reason]`	Ban a player permanently
`/tempban <player> <duration> [reason]`	Temporarily ban a player
`/unban <player>`	Unban a player
`/mute <player> [duration]`	Mute a player in chat
`/unmute <player>`	Unmute a player
`/warn <player> [reason]`	Warn a player (stored in their record)
`/clearinventory <player>`	Clear a player's inventory
`/invsee <player>`	View and edit a player's inventory
`/socialspy`	Toggle seeing all private messages

Player Utilities

Command	What It Does
`/msg <player> <message>`	Send a private message
`/r <message>`	Reply to the last player who messaged you
`/afk`	Toggle away-from-key status
`/fly`	Toggle flight mode (requires permission)
`/god`	Toggle god mode (requires permission)
`/hat`	Put the item in your hand on your head
`/top`	Teleport to the highest block at your position
`/seen <player>`	Check when a player was last online
`/list`	List all online players

Kits

Command	What It Does
`/kit <name>`	Claim a kit (if you have permission)
`/kit create <name> <delay>`	Create a new kit with your current inventory (delay in seconds)
`/kit remove <name>`	Delete a kit
`/kit list`	List all available kits

Example: stand with the items you want in your inventory, run /kit create starter 86400 — creates a starter kit with 24-hour cooldown.

World Management

Spawn Configuration

A well-designed spawn area sets the tone for your entire server. Here's how to build and protect it.

Setting the Spawn Point

Walk to where you want the spawn to be
Run /setspawn (EssentialsX) — this sets the exact teleport point
Run /spawn to test it

Multi-World Setup with Multiverse-Core

Command	What It Does
`/mv create <name> normal`	Create a new overworld world
`/mv create <name> nether`	Create a new nether world
`/mv create <name> end`	Create a new end world
`/mv tp <world>`	Teleport to a world
`/mv list`	List all worlds
`/mv setspawn`	Set spawn for a specific world
`/mv import <name> normal`	Import an existing world folder

Example: /mv create creative normal — creates a creative world. Players can switch with /mv tp creative.

Protecting Spawn with WorldGuard

Command	What It Does
`/region define spawn`	Create a region named "spawn" (use WorldEdit wand to select area first)
`/region flag spawn pvp deny`	Disable PvP in spawn
`/region flag spawn mob-spawning deny`	No mobs in spawn
`/region flag spawn fire-spread deny`	No fire spreading
`/region flag spawn explosion deny`	No explosions (creeper/TNT)
`/region flag spawn build deny`	Only allowed players can build
`/region flag spawn use deny`	Block all interactions (doors, buttons, etc.) for non-members
`/region addmember spawn <group>`	Allow a group to bypass spawn restrictions

Recommended Spawn Setup

Use WorldEdit to build your spawn structure — it's way faster than building by hand
Set up warps with EssentialsX for key locations: /setwarp survival, /setwarp creative
Create information NPCs with Citizens plugin — right-click for rules, guides, or server links
Add a spawn shop with ChestShop or ShopGUI+ so players can buy starter gear
Set a server icon — put a 64x64 PNG named server-icon.png in the server root folder

Security

Security & Anti-Grief Setup

Protect your server against griefers, hackers, and general chaos. These plugins and configurations will save you countless headaches.

CoreProtect — Block Logging & Rollback

CoreProtect logs every single block change on your server. When someone griefs, you can undo everything they did in seconds.

Command	What It Does
`/co inspect`	Toggle inspection mode — click any block to see its history
`/co rollback t:2h r:10 p:PlayerName`	Rollback everything a player did in the last 2 hours within 10 blocks
`/co rollback t:24h a:+TNT_EXPLOSION`	Restore all TNT explosion damage from the last 24 hours
`/co lookup u:PlayerName a:block-break`	View every block a player has broken
`/co lookup u:PlayerName a:inventory`	View all chest/furnace transactions by a player
`/co lookup t:7d r:100`	See all activity within 100 blocks in the last 7 days
`/co restore t:48h u:PlayerName`	RESTORE (undo a rollback) — reverse a rollback if you made a mistake

Time format: t:30m = 30 minutes, t:2h = 2 hours, t:1d = 1 day, t:7d = 7 days. Action prefixes: a:+block-break = what was broken, a:-block-place = what was placed.

Anti-Cheat Setup (Grim)

Grim is the best free anti-cheat. It detects kill aura, fly, speed, scaffold, and dozens of other hacks with near-zero false positives.

Command	What It Does
`/grim alerts`	Toggle receiving violation alerts
`/grim profile <player>`	View a player's detailed violation profile
`/grim verbose`	Show all checks being tested in real-time
`/grim reload`	Reload config

WorldGuard — Region Protection

Command	What It Does
`/region define <name>`	Create a region (select area with WorldEdit wand first)
`/region flag <region> <flag> <value>`	Set a region flag (pvp, mob-spawning, build, etc.)
`/region addmember <region> <player>`	Add a player as region member
`/region addowner <region> <player>`	Add a region owner (can edit flags)
`/region remove <name>`	Delete a region
`/region list`	List all regions
`/region info <name>`	View region details

Example: /region flag spawn pvp deny — disables PvP in the spawn region.

WorldGuard Flag Reference

Flag	Values	What It Controls
`pvp`	allow / deny	Can players fight each other?
`mob-spawning`	allow / deny	Can mobs spawn naturally?
`explosion`	allow / deny	Can TNT/creepers explode?
`fire-spread`	allow / deny	Can fire spread?
`build`	allow / deny	Can non-members build?
`use`	allow / deny	Can non-members use doors/buttons/levers?
`sleep`	allow / deny	Can players sleep in beds?
`enderpearl`	allow / deny	Can ender pearls be thrown?
`vehicle-destroy`	allow / deny	Can vehicles (boats/minecarts) be destroyed?
`greeting`	text	Message shown when entering the region
`farewell`	text	Message shown when leaving the region

NoCheatPlus (Alternative Anti-Cheat)

Command	What It Does
`/ncp`	Main NoCheatPlus info command
`/ncp reload`	Reload NCP config
`/ncp player <player>`	Check a player's violation levels

Anti-Grief Checklist

CoreProtect — installed and logging to a database (use MySQL for cross-server logging)
WorldGuard — spawn protected, key areas flagged
GriefPrevention or Lands — let players claim and protect their own builds
Anti-cheat — Grim or NoCheatPlus running with default config (tune as needed)
LuckPerms — no OP on any player. Use permission groups with clear hierarchies
DiscordSRV — staff alerts for bans, kicks, and suspicious activity
Automated backups — hourly world backups stored off-server. Test restores monthly
Log inspection — review CoreProtect and server logs weekly for patterns

Lessons & Reference Guides

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