How to Install Dynmap on a Minecraft Server

To install Dynmap, put the Dynmap jar for your platform in plugins (Paper, Spigot) or mods (Fabric, Forge), start the server once, set webserver-port in plugins/dynmap/configuration.txt to a port your server can use, restart, and open http://your-ip:port in a browser. Then run dynmap fullrender world to draw the whole map.

The jar is the easy part. The steps people get stuck on are the version check, the extra port and the first render, so this guide spends most of its time there.

Before you install Dynmap: check your version

Dynmap is a project maintained by volunteers, and new Minecraft versions sometimes arrive before a matching Dynmap build. At the time of writing, the latest release is v3.8 (January 2026); on Modrinth its Fabric and Forge builds list Minecraft up to 1.21.11, and the Spigot/Paper build is published on SpigotMC. Always check the official download page for your exact version before you update the server, or the map will stop working after the update.

Official sources listed by the Dynmap team are SpigotMC, Modrinth, CurseForge (modded) and the GitHub releases page. Avoid reuploads on random sites.

How to install Dynmap step by step

1. Stop the server from the Console tab. The Dynmap wiki warns against /reload; always restart instead.
2. Install Dynmap from the Plugins tab on Paper, or upload the jar in Files to plugins (Paper) or mods (Fabric/Forge).
3. Start the server once. Dynmap creates plugins/dynmap/configuration.txt (or a dynmap folder on modded servers).
4. Get a second port for the web map. On TheGameHosting, check the Network tab for an extra allocation; if none is available, ask us by chat or ticket.
5. Open configuration.txt in Files and change webserver-port: 8123 to the port you got.
6. Restart, look for [dynmap] Web server started on address 0.0.0.0:PORT in the console, and open http://your-server-ip:PORT in your browser.

webserver-port: 8123

Use the same IP as your Minecraft address but the Dynmap port. If your Minecraft address is 203.0.113.10:25600 and Dynmap got 25601, the map is at http://203.0.113.10:25601/. If you host at home instead, you forward that port on your router the same way as the game port; see how to port forward a Minecraft server.

Render the map for the first time

Out of the box, Dynmap only draws tiles as players explore and blocks change. To fill in everything that already exists, start a full render from the console:

dynmap fullrender world
dynmap stats
dynmap pause all
dynmap pause none

A full render of a big world is heavy work and can take hours. Run it when few people are online, or pre-generate and render a limited radius first. If you plan to pre-generate the world anyway, our guide on pre-generating a world with Chunky pairs well with this, and a world border keeps the map from growing forever.

Share the map, or keep it private

Once the map loads, share the link in your Discord so players can plan builds and find each other. If you would rather not show the whole world to anyone with the link, Dynmap includes a web login: its commands page lists /dynmap webregister to register an account for the web interface, and the login options live in configuration.txt. Players who want privacy can use /dynmap hide. By default Dynmap stores map tiles as flat files in its folder, which grow with the world; the README also lists MySQL, SQLite, PostgreSQL and MariaDB as storage options for large servers, and TheGameHosting plans include 2 databases in the Databases tab.

Dynmap not loading? Common fixes

• The page does not open. Check the console for the “Web server started” line. If it is there, the port is not reachable: confirm it is the extra port assigned to your server, not the Minecraft port.
• Error at startup about the port. The port is already in use, often because you set it to the game port. Use a different one.
• The map is blank or patchy. Nothing has been rendered yet. Run dynmap fullrender world and check dynmap stats.
• Lag while rendering. Pause with dynmap pause all during peak hours and resume later. See also our lag fix guide.
• Dynmap stopped after an update. Your new Minecraft version may not have a Dynmap build yet.

Run Dynmap on TheGameHosting

On TheGameHosting you add Dynmap from the Plugins tab, edit configuration.txt in Files, see the server's ports in Network and keep a copy of the world in Backups. Full renders lean on the CPU, and our AMD Ryzen 9950X and 7950X3D processors at up to 5.7 GHz with NVMe storage handle them well. Your server is ready about 60 seconds after payment and keeps the map live 24/7 without your PC.

Servers run on AMD Ryzen 9950X and 7950X3D processors with DDR5 memory and NVMe storage, with DDoS protection included and locations in Dallas and Amsterdam. Plans start at $1.90 a month for 2 GB, with unlimited slots and no setup fee, and support answers 24/7 by chat and tickets. Have a look at our Minecraft server hosting or go straight to plans and pricing, and use the code FULL2026 for 15% off for life.

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