A common mix-up worth clearing up: Bedrock servers do not run Java plugins. If you want to change how your world behaves or looks, you use addons instead.
Why plugins don't work on Bedrock
Plugins (small programs that add features to a server) are a Java Edition thing. They rely on Java server software like Spigot or Paper. Bedrock Edition uses a completely different server engine, so it has no way to load them.
Sometimes a Plugins tab still shows up in the panel on a Bedrock server. Ignore it. Anything you drop in there will simply do nothing. It is not that you set it up wrong. Bedrock just has no support for that kind of file.
What Bedrock uses instead: addons
Bedrock adds features through addons. An addon is made of one or both of these two pack types:
- Behavior packs. These change how things work: mob behavior, custom items, game rules, scripted events and so on.
- Resource packs. These change how things look and sound: textures, models, sounds and UI.
Many addons ship both parts together. A behavior pack often needs its matching resource pack so the new stuff actually appears the way it was designed to.
One handy detail: the same addon packs work on your own Bedrock client and on the server. If a pack works in single player, it will generally work on the server too, which is not something you can say for Java plugins.
The short version
- Java Edition: plugins.
- Bedrock Edition: addons (behavior packs and resource packs).
- A Plugins tab on a Bedrock server is a dead end. Use addons.
When you are ready to actually add one, see our guide on installing Bedrock addons.
Still stuck? Jump into our Discord at discord.gg/GuavaHost and the team will help you out.