How to Install EssentialsX on a Minecraft Server

Q: Why can’t players use /home or /spawn?

Most EssentialsX commands are OP-only by default. Give the default group essentials.home, essentials.sethome and essentials.spawn with LuckPerms; /spawn also needs the Spawn module.

To install EssentialsX, download the main EssentialsX jar (plus any modules you want, such as Chat or Spawn) from essentialsx.net, drop them in the plugins folder of a Paper or Spigot server together with Vault, and restart. EssentialsX then adds /home, /spawn, /tpa, /warp, kits and an economy, and you choose who can use each command with a permissions plugin.

EssentialsX is the plugin most survival and community servers install first. If you have never added a plugin, read how to install plugins on a Paper server before this guide. EssentialsX is a Bukkit plugin: it needs CraftBukkit, Spigot or Paper (Purpur works too, since it is based on Paper) and does not run on Fabric or Forge.

Which EssentialsX jars you need

EssentialsX is split into several jars. According to the official module breakdown, only the core jar is required; the rest are optional add-ons that all depend on it.

Jar	What it adds	Install it if
EssentialsX (core)	Most commands: homes, teleports, warps, kits, signs, economy, moderation	Always. The other modules need it.
EssentialsX Chat	Chat format, colors, prefixes and suffixes per group	You want ranks like [VIP] in chat (needs Vault and LuckPerms)
EssentialsX Spawn	`/spawn`, `/setspawn` and spawn on first join or death	Almost every server
EssentialsX AntiBuild	Permissions for who can build, break or use items	You want visitors who can’t build (it does not protect regions)
EssentialsX Discord	Bridge between Minecraft chat and a Discord channel	Your community lives on Discord
EssentialsX Protect, GeoIP, XMPP	World protections, player location lookup, XMPP chat bridge	Only if you need them

The install guide also asks for Vault, a separate plugin from its SpigotMC page, so EssentialsX can talk to your permissions plugin. Without it, prefixes, suffixes and group features don’t work. Vault is also what lets other plugins, such as shops, use the EssentialsX economy.

How to install EssentialsX, step by step

Run Paper or Spigot. If your server is vanilla, switch in Version first (see how to install Paper) and start it once so the plugins folder exists.
Make a backup. In the panel, Backups → Create backup. EssentialsX is safe, but it is good practice before adding plugins to a world people play on.
Add the jars. On TheGameHosting, open Plugins (Plugin Installer), search “EssentialsX” and install it. To pick modules yourself, download them from the EssentialsX downloads page and upload them in Files to /plugins, or by sFTP. If you downloaded a zip, unzip it first: only .jar files go in plugins.
Add Vault and LuckPerms. Put Vault in plugins too. If you don’t have a permissions plugin yet, follow how to install LuckPerms.
Restart the server. Use Restart in the panel. On start, EssentialsX creates plugins/Essentials/ with its config.yml and data files.
Check it loaded. In Console, run essentials version (or ess version). It replies with the EssentialsX version. You can also run plugins and look for the jars in green.

Heads-up: all EssentialsX jars must be from the same version. Mixing a new core with an old Chat or Spawn jar is a classic cause of errors on start.

Let players use the commands

Most EssentialsX commands default to OP only, so regular players get “You do not have permission” until you grant nodes. Each command has a node with the pattern essentials.<command>. Give the basic set to the default group in the Console:

Code

lp group default permission set essentials.home true
lp group default permission set essentials.sethome true
lp group default permission set essentials.spawn true
lp group default permission set essentials.tpa true
lp group default permission set essentials.tpaccept true
lp group default permission set essentials.warp true
lp group default permission set essentials.balance true
lp group default permission set essentials.pay true

For ranks like VIP and mod, inheritance and testing a player, see how to give permissions to players.

Basic config.yml settings

Open Files → plugins/Essentials/config.yml. It is long and commented; these are the settings most servers change first. After saving, run essentials reload in the Console or restart.

Setting	Default	What it does
`teleport-cooldown`	0	Seconds a player must wait between `/home`, `/tp` and similar
`teleport-delay`	0	Seconds before the teleport happens; moving or taking damage cancels it
`sethome-multiple`	default 3, vip 5, staff 10	How many homes each home rank allows (players need `essentials.sethome.multiple`)
`starting-balance`	0	Money new players start with
`currency-symbol`	`$`	Symbol shown with balances
`spawn-on-join`	false	Send every player to spawn when they join (Spawn module)
`locale`	commented out	Language of EssentialsX messages, e.g. `en`

Once Spawn is installed, stand where you want new players to appear and run /setspawn. Create warps with /setwarp shop and players reach them with /warp shop. EssentialsX also has tempban, which pairs well with the vanilla commands in how to ban a player.

If EssentialsX doesn’t work

The plugin is red in plugins: the server is not Paper or Spigot, the jars don’t match in version, or the module was installed without the core.
Players can’t use /home: they are missing essentials.home and essentials.sethome.
No prefixes in chat: EssentialsX Chat, Vault and LuckPerms all need to be installed, and the group needs a prefix.
/spawn does nothing: the Spawn module is missing, or you never ran /setspawn.

Run EssentialsX on TheGameHosting

On TheGameHosting you switch to Paper in Version, add EssentialsX and LuckPerms from Plugins, edit config.yml in Files and reload from Console, without installing anything on your PC. Backups keeps a copy before each change, the server stays online 24/7 for homes and warps to work at any hour, and it runs in Dallas or Amsterdam with DDoS protection and unlimited slots.

See the Minecraft server hosting page or pick a size on plans and pricing, from $1.90 USD/month. Use the code FULL2026 for 15% off for life.

FAQ

How do I install the EssentialsX plugin?

Put the EssentialsX core jar, the modules you want and Vault in the plugins folder of a Paper or Spigot server, then restart. On TheGameHosting you can also install it from Plugins in the panel.

Does EssentialsX need Vault?

The official install guide asks for it. Without Vault, prefixes, suffixes and group features don’t work, and other plugins can’t use the EssentialsX economy.

Does EssentialsX work on Fabric or Forge?

No. EssentialsX needs CraftBukkit, Spigot or Paper. On Fabric or Forge you need mods instead.

Why can’t players use /home or /spawn?

Most EssentialsX commands are OP-only by default. Give the default group essentials.home, essentials.sethome and essentials.spawn with LuckPerms; /spawn also needs the Spawn module.

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Written by TheGameHosting Team, the people who run our servers in Dallas and Amsterdam and answer your tickets.

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