--- title: "How to Create a Minecraft Server: Step-by-Step Guide | ZCS" description: "Step-by-step guide to create a Minecraft server with Paper: install Java, configure files, open ports, add plugins and launch safely." url: "https://www.zcraftstudios.com/blog/how-to-create-a-minecraft-server-walkthrough" updated: "2026-10-20T07:16:50.972429+00:00" source: "ZCraft Studios" --- > Site index for AI agents: https://www.zcraftstudios.com/llms.txt (full reference: https://www.zcraftstudios.com/llms-full.txt). Every page is available as Markdown by adding `.md` to its URL or sending `Accept: text/markdown`. 1. [Home](https://www.zcraftstudios.com/) 2. [Blog](https://www.zcraftstudios.com/blog) 3. How to Create a Minecraft Server: Step-by-Step Guide (Paper) [ All posts](https://www.zcraftstudios.com/blog) # How to Create a Minecraft Server: Step-by-Step Guide (Paper) ZCraft StudiosOct 3, 2026Updated Oct 20, 2026 Step-by-step guide to create a Minecraft server with Paper: install Java, configure files, open ports, add plugins and launch safely. ## In this guide - [Three decisions before you download anything](#three-decisions-before-you-download-anything) - [Step 1: Install Java](#step-1-install-java) - [Step 2: Download Paper and make a start script](#step-2-download-paper-and-make-a-start-script) - [Step 3: First run and the EULA](#step-3-first-run-and-the-eula) - [Step 4: The settings in server.properties that matter](#step-4-the-settings-in-serverproperties-that-matter) - [Step 5: Let other people connect](#step-5-let-other-people-connect) - [Step 6: Keep it running](#step-6-keep-it-running) - [Step 7: Install a few plugins, not thirty](#step-7-install-a-few-plugins-not-thirty) - [Back up before you invite anyone](#back-up-before-you-invite-anyone) - [When it doesn't work](#when-it-doesnt-work) - [Official documentation and links](#official-documentation-and-links) - [What to test before inviting friends](#what-to-test-before-inviting-friends) - [Starting with a managed hosting panel](#starting-with-a-managed-hosting-panel) ## How to Create a Minecraft Server (Java Edition, Paper) Setting up the server takes about twenty minutes. The parts that eat an evening are the decisions you make before it and the router settings after it. This guide covers both, and ends with a list of what usually goes wrong, because something usually does. We use Paper throughout. It is a fork of the vanilla server that runs plugins and fixes a long list of performance problems, and it is what most public servers run. ## Three decisions before you download anything **Who is it for?** A server for five friends and a public server are different projects. For friends, turn on the whitelist and a home PC is fine. For strangers, you want a VPS or a managed host, because a home connection exposes your IP address and usually has a weak upload speed. **Where will it run?** - **Your own PC.** Free, and the world is only online while your PC is. You will need to do port forwarding yourself, and gaming on the same machine while the server runs gets annoying quickly. - **A VPS.** Roughly $5 to $20 a month. It's online all the time and you control everything, which also means you handle updates, backups and security. - **A managed Minecraft host.** You pay more per GB of RAM and get a control panel and support. It's the easiest option if you don't want to touch Linux. **How much RAM?** For a handful of friends, 2 to 4 GB. For 10 to 30 players and a dozen plugins, 4 to 8 GB. Buy more only after you have measured a problem. RAM is rarely the first thing to run out. The main game loop runs on a single thread, so the speed of one CPU core matters more than how many cores you have. ## Step 1: Install Java Paper needs a recent Java, and the version depends on the Minecraft version. Check the requirement on the [Paper downloads page](https://papermc.io/downloads/paper) for the version you pick. Minecraft 1.21 needs Java 21, and newer releases can need newer. Run this to see what you have: ``` java -version ``` If it's too old, install the current Temurin build from Adoptium, or on Linux a headless Java package from your distro if it carries the right version. ## Step 2: Download Paper and make a start script Download the jar for your Minecraft version from papermc.io, put it in an empty folder, and rename it `paper.jar`. Then create a start script in the same folder. Windows, `start.bat`: ``` java -Xms4G -Xmx4G -jar paper.jar --nogui pause ``` Linux or macOS, `start.sh` (run `chmod +x start.sh` once): ``` #!/bin/bash java -Xms4G -Xmx4G -jar paper.jar --nogui ``` Set `-Xms` and `-Xmx` to the same number, and keep it below your total RAM. The operating system and Java itself need memory outside the heap. On a 4 GB machine, 3 GB is a sensible `-Xmx`. ## Step 3: First run and the EULA Run the script. It generates files and stops almost immediately, which is expected. Open `eula.txt`, read the [Minecraft EULA](https://aka.ms/MinecraftEULA), and change `eula=false` to `eula=true`. Run the script again. This time it builds the world and stays up. When the console shows `Done`, the server is running. ## Step 4: The settings in server.properties that matter Stop the server (type `stop` in the console) before editing `server.properties`. Most of the file you can ignore. These you shouldn't: - **`online-mode=true`** is the default and you should keep it. Setting it to false lets anyone join under any username, including yours. The only normal reason to turn it off is running behind a proxy that handles authentication. - **`view-distance=10`** controls how many chunks are sent to each player, and it's the biggest lever on memory and network use. On modest hardware, 6 to 8 feels almost identical to players. - **`simulation-distance=10`** controls how far from a player mobs move and crops grow. Dropping it to 4 to 6 cuts load noticeably. - **`max-players=20`** should be a number your CPU can actually carry, not the number you hope for. - **`white-list=true`** and **`enforce-whitelist=true`** for a friends-only server. Add people with `whitelist add name` in the console. - **`motd`** is the line shown in the server list. ## Step 5: Let other people connect Players on your own network can join with your machine's local IP. For anyone on the internet, you need three things: 1. **Reserve a fixed local IP** for the server machine in your router, so the forwarding rule doesn't break when the address changes. 2. **Forward TCP port 25565** in the router to that local IP. 3. **Allow the port through the firewall.** On Linux with ufw, `sudo ufw allow 25565/tcp`. On Windows, allow Java through Windows Defender Firewall. Then give players your public IP address. A domain pointing at that IP is nicer, and an A record is all it needs while you use the default port. One catch trips up many people. Lots of home ISPs put customers behind carrier-grade NAT (CGNAT), and port forwarding cannot work behind it. To check, compare the WAN IP shown in your router's status page with what a "what is my IP" site reports. If they differ, you are behind CGNAT. Your choices are to ask the ISP for a public IP, rent a VPS, or use a tunnel service. ## Step 6: Keep it running On a VPS, closing your SSH session kills the server unless you run it somewhere persistent. The simplest way is `screen`: ``` screen -S mc ./start.sh ``` Press `Ctrl+A` then `D` to detach and leave it running, and `screen -r mc` to come back. For something sturdier that restarts after a crash or reboot, write a systemd service instead. ## Step 7: Install a few plugins, not thirty Stop the server, drop `.jar` files into the `plugins` folder, and start it again. Check the console for load errors. A sensible first set: - **LuckPerms** for ranks and permissions - **EssentialsX** for homes, `/tpa`, kits and basic commands - **CoreProtect** for logging block changes and rolling back griefing - **WorldGuard and WorldEdit** if you need a protected spawn or want to build quickly Every plugin is one more thing to update and one more thing that can conflict. Add them as you hit a real need. ## Back up before you invite anyone Stop the server and copy the whole folder somewhere else. That's the entire first backup strategy, and it will save you the first time a plugin corrupts a world. ## When it doesn't work - **Friends get "connection timed out" but you can join.** Port forwarding, the firewall, or CGNAT. Work through step 5 in that order. - **It works with `localhost` but not on your LAN.** A firewall on the server machine is blocking the port. - **"Outdated client" or "outdated server".** Version mismatch. Players must run the same version as the server, unless you add a compatibility plugin like ViaVersion. - **`Failed to bind to port`.** Something already uses 25565, often a second copy of the server you forgot was running. - **`UnsupportedClassVersionError` on startup.** Your Java is older than the Paper jar needs. Install the newer Java. - **`OutOfMemoryError`.** `-Xmx` is too low for the world and plugins, or a plugin is leaking memory. - **"Can't keep up! Is the server overloaded?"** The server is taking more than 50 ms per tick. Lower `view-distance` and `simulation-distance` first, then profile with the spark plugin to find what is eating the time. Once the server is stable, the next jobs are permissions, backups on a schedule, and performance tuning, in roughly that order. ## Official documentation and links - [Paper getting started](https://docs.papermc.io/paper/getting-started/) - [Building a New Player Onboarding Flow](https://www.zcraftstudios.com/blog/new-player-onboarding-tutorial-setup) ## What to test before inviting friends A server that launches is not necessarily ready for players. Connect with a normal, non-OP account and verify joining, spawn safety, permissions, chat, world saving and rejoining after a restart. Keep a downloaded backup before opening access. If you're installing plugins, use the [essential plugin checklist](https://www.zcraftstudios.com/blog/minecraft-plugin-essentials). If you're changing a running server rather than starting from scratch, use a [staging copy](https://www.zcraftstudios.com/blog/minecraft-server-staging-environment-guide) before editing production. ### Related troubleshooting - [Understanding Minecraft server files and folders](https://www.zcraftstudios.com/blog/minecraft-server-files-folders-explained): Server files explained. ## Starting with a managed hosting panel If your host gives you a panel instead of shell access, see [Your First Minecraft Server on a Hosting Panel](https://www.zcraftstudios.com/blog/minecraft-hosting-panel-first-server-checklist) for initial setup, access controls and backup testing. ## Continue reading - [How to Start a Minecraft Server: Quick Start for Beginners](https://www.zcraftstudios.com/blog/start-minecraft-server) - [A Minecraft Server Backup Script You Can Actually Set Up Today](https://www.zcraftstudios.com/blog/minecraft-server-backup-script-guide) - [Essential Minecraft Server Plugins: What You Actually Need](https://www.zcraftstudios.com/blog/minecraft-plugin-essentials) - [Paper Anti-Xray Settings: Engine Modes and Testing](https://www.zcraftstudios.com/blog/paper-anti-xray-settings-guide) [ Previous guide LuckPerms Setup Guide: Ranks, Prefixes, Tracks and Debugging](https://www.zcraftstudios.com/blog/luckperms-ranks-setup-guide)[ Next guide EssentialsX Commands Every Admin Should Know](https://www.zcraftstudios.com/blog/essentialsx-commands-cheat-sheet)