On this page
- Why the old Spigot to Paper tutorials are outdated
- The two-step route: Spigot to Vanilla, then Vanilla to Paper
- Back up before you touch anything
- Swap in the Paper jar (Vanilla to Paper)
- What carries over and what to check afterwards
- Plugins
- Config files
- World folders
- Coming from Fabric or Forge instead
- If you need to leave Paper later
Key takeaways
6- Paper's docs say a direct Spigot or CraftBukkit to Paper move is impossible since 26.1.
- The supported route is two steps: Spigot to Vanilla (Spigot's instructions), then Vanilla to Paper.
- Back up worlds, configs and plugins first: a 26.1 world cannot be downgraded.
- Paper needs Java 25 from 26.1; on a panel the host's Docker image sets it.
- Spigot and Bukkit plugins still run on Paper, but check /plugins and latest.log after the first start.
- Moving from Paper back to Spigot or CraftBukkit is unsupported and can lose data.
This guide is for owners still running Spigot or CraftBukkit who want to run Paper. By the end you will know why old "just drop in the Paper jar" tutorials no longer apply, what to back up, and how to do the Vanilla to Paper step on a VPS or a hosting panel.
Why the old Spigot to Paper tutorials are outdated
For years the move was simple: stop the server, swap the jar, start. Paper's migration page now says that a direct migration from Spigot or CraftBukkit to Paper is fundamentally impossible as of 26.1. The reason given is that those servers modify the Vanilla world directory structure.
Paper rewrote that docs page for 26.1 and removed the old step-by-step Spigot section. It now treats pre-26.1 migration guides as outdated reference only, with no support for outdated versions. So if a tutorial tells you to copy your world and rename a jar, check its date before you follow it.
Paper is the server software we are moving to here. It is a high-performance Minecraft server that aims to fix gameplay and mechanics inconsistencies.
The two-step route: Spigot to Vanilla, then Vanilla to Paper
Paper's docs lay out the only supported route from Spigot or CraftBukkit:
- Migrate your server to Vanilla, following Spigot's own instructions for that.
- Follow the Vanilla to Paper migration.
We could not confirm Spigot's own folder-by-folder steps for turning a 26.1 or later Spigot world into a Vanilla one, so we are not going to guess at them here. Use Spigot's documentation for step one and keep the original server intact while you do it. If you get stuck, Paper's Discord is the place its docs point to for help.
Back up before you touch anything
Stop the server first, then copy everything: the world folders, server configuration files, and the plugin configs and jars. Paper's update guide lists exactly those three groups. Keep the copy somewhere other than the server itself.
If you have never tested a restore, read our guide to server backups, offsite copies and restores before you start.
Swap in the Paper jar (Vanilla to Paper)
Once your server is running as Vanilla, the Paper docs say to stop it, make a full backup, download Paper from the downloads page, replace the Vanilla jar with it, and rename the file to match your start command. Your world storage is converted automatically on the first start.
Paper's downloads page lists available builds. Check it when you are ready to download so you use a build for your Minecraft version.
Stop the server, back up, then replace the jar and start it. Paper needs at least Java 25 from 26.1 onward, so check java -version first.
java -version
# stop the Vanilla server, then back up the whole folder
cp -r /path/to/server /path/to/server-backup
# put the Paper jar in the server folder and name it paper.jar
java -Xms4G -Xmx4G -jar paper.jar --noguiPaper's docs also point to a Startup Script Generator if you want help building the command. The EULA still has to be accepted on first run, so edit eula.txt if the server stops and asks.
- Stop the server from the Console.
- Open the Backups tab and create a backup. Download a copy if you can.
- Open the Startup tab and note the value of
SERVER_JARFILE. The file name varies by host and egg, so use whatever value is shown there. - In the File Manager (or over SFTP), delete the Vanilla jar and upload the Paper jar, named exactly as in
SERVER_JARFILE. Or change the variable to match your file name. - Start the server and watch the Console.
The Java version on a panel is set by the host's Docker image, which you pick on the Startup tab when it offers a choice. If Java 25 is not listed, ask your host.
- Stop the server and make a backup using the options your host provides.
- Upload the Paper jar using your host panel's file tools or its documented file transfer method.
- Select the uploaded jar as the server jar in the panel, then start the server. Check your host's own Multicraft instructions for the relevant controls.
Java is usually controlled by the host, so ask them whether Java 25 is available.
What carries over and what to check afterwards
Plugins
Spigot and Bukkit plugins work on Paper. Paper also has its own plugin loader for Paper-specific plugins, and both kinds can depend on each other. The new loader does not allow cyclic plugin dependencies: if it detects a cycle, the server shuts down. The flag -Dpaper.useLegacyPluginLoading=true restores the old behaviour, but Paper says that may not be supported long term.
Keep plugins in the plugins folder in the server root, not a subfolder. After the first start, run /plugins (each plugin should be green) and read logs/latest.log for errors. Paper lists Hangar, Modrinth, BukkitDev and GitHub as places to get plugins, and reminds you that plugins have full access to the server, so only install from sources you trust. Our guide on updating Paper without breaking plugins covers the check in more detail.
Config files
Paper still reads bukkit.yml, spigot.yml, commands.yml, permissions.yml, help.yml and server.properties, and adds its own files:
config/paper-global.ymlfor global settings.config/paper-world-defaults.ymlas the template for world defaults.world/dimensions/<namespace>/<key>/paper-world.ymlfor per-world settings.
Paper is preparing a config merge so most options now split across the Bukkit, Spigot and Paper files will live together, targeted at the next major release, 26.4. Expect these files to change again.
World folders
Since 26.1, Paper moved world data closer to the Vanilla layout. Dimensions sit in separate folders under world/dimensions/ (overworld, nether, end), each with its own data, entities and region folders. If you cannot find the old world_nether and world_the_end folders, that is why. Let Paper do the conversion on the first start rather than moving folders by hand.
Compression settings also moved: Paper's unsupported-settings.compression-format option was merged into Vanilla's region-file-compression entry in server.properties.
Coming from Fabric or Forge instead
The Vanilla steps are the same, but Paper does not support mods and cannot load custom blocks or items that mods add. You will need plugin alternatives for those features.
If you need to leave Paper later
Going from Paper back to Vanilla is possible but manual. Paper's docs say to move game_rules.dat, scheduled_events.dat, wandering_trader.dat, weather.dat and world_gen_settings.dat from world/dimensions/minecraft/overworld/data/minecraft/ into world/data/minecraft/, then swap the Paper jar for a Vanilla jar. Back up first, as always.
For a fresh setup with the right Java, memory flags and first plugins, see our Paper server setup guide.
Frequently asked questions
Can I move a Spigot world to Paper 26.1?
Not directly. Paper's docs say a direct migration from Spigot or CraftBukkit is impossible as of 26.1. First migrate to Vanilla using Spigot's own instructions, then follow the Vanilla to Paper steps.
Will my Spigot plugins work on Paper?
Spigot and Bukkit plugins work on Paper according to its docs. Check /plugins after the first start and read logs/latest.log for errors. Paper's new loader shuts the server down if it detects cyclic plugin dependencies.
Can I go back from Paper to Spigot?
Paper does not support it. Its docs say not to ask for support if you try, and that data loss is possible. Going back to Vanilla is possible with a few manual file moves, but back up first.
What Java version does Paper need?
Paper needs at least Java 25 from 26.1 onward. On a hosting panel the Java version is set by the host's Docker image, so ask your host if Java 25 is not on offer in the Startup tab.
How do I change the server jar on Pterodactyl?
Stop the server, upload the new jar through the File Manager or SFTP, and make sure its name matches the SERVER_JARFILE variable on the Startup tab. The value varies by host and egg, so check what your panel shows. Then start the server and watch the Console.
