Install mods and plugins on a Hytale server

Hytale mods go in your server's mods folder, .jar plugins and .zip asset packs alike. Upload, restart and check the console. Early plugins need one switch.

4 min read · Updated Sep 23, 2026 · By GuavaHost Team

Installing mods on a Hytale server comes down to one folder. Plugins (.jar files) and asset packs (.zip files) go into your server's mods folder, and the server loads them the next time it starts. The one exception is early plugins, which have their own folder and a switch on the Startup tab.

The kinds of mods you will meet

• Plugins are .jar files: Java code that runs on the server and adds things like commands, minigames, economies or admin tools.
• Asset packs are .zip files that add or change content such as blocks, items and models.
• Early plugins are a lower-level kind of plugin that loads before the server itself starts. Hytale warns they are unsupported and may make the server unstable, so they are kept separate.

Hytale is built around server-side modding: players do not install your mods themselves, because the server sends what they need when they join. Check each mod's page in case it says otherwise.

Where to find mods

CurseForge is the main home for Hytale mods. Before you download anything:

• Check it supports the version of Hytale your server runs. Hytale is in Early Access and updates often, and a mod built for an older version may not load.
• Read the mod's page for dependencies (other mods it needs) and for any setup steps.
• Stick to trusted sources. A plugin runs code on your server, so treat unknown downloads with the same care you would on your own computer.

Install a mod step by step

1. On the Backups tab, create a backup. If a mod misbehaves, you can roll straight back.
2. Stop the server from the Console tab. Adding files while it runs can leave things half loaded.
3. On the Files tab, open the mods folder in your server's main folder. If there is no mods folder yet, create one with that exact name.
4. Upload the mod's .jar or .zip file into mods. Upload .zip asset packs as they are rather than unzipping them, unless the mod's page tells you otherwise. For lots of files or large packs, SFTP is more reliable than the browser.
5. Upload any dependencies the mod lists, the same way.
6. Start the server and watch the Console as it boots. An error that names your mod usually means a version mismatch or a missing dependency.

Many plugins create their own settings folder inside mods the first time they load. To change a plugin's settings, stop the server, edit its files on the Files tab, then start the server again. Editing while the server runs risks your changes being overwritten.

Early plugins

Only use early plugins when a mod specifically says it is one, and only from authors you trust.

1. Take a backup and stop the server.
2. On the Files tab, create a folder called earlyplugins in your server's main folder if it is not already there. The server does not make it for you.
3. Upload the early plugin's .jar into earlyplugins.
4. On the Startup tab, switch Accept Early Plugins on. This starts the server with --accept-early-plugins. Without it, the server stops at a warning about early plugins during startup and waits for a confirmation instead of booting.
5. Start the server and check the Console.

If you remove all your early plugins later, switch Accept Early Plugins back off.

The Source Query plugin we add

You may notice a file called hytale-sourcequery.jar in mods that you did not upload. That is the Source Query plugin, which lets server list sites read your player count and server name. It is controlled by Install Source Query plugin on the Startup tab and is downloaded fresh each time the server starts while that switch is on. To get rid of it, switch the option off first and then delete the file. Otherwise it comes back on the next start.

Updating and removing mods

• After a Hytale update. Your server downloads new Hytale builds automatically when it starts. If a mod stops loading after an update, check CurseForge for a newer version of it and replace the old file.
• Updating a mod. Stop the server, delete the old file from mods, upload the new one and start again. Keep its settings folder unless the mod's page says to reset it.
• Removing a mod. Stop the server, delete the file (and its settings folder if you want a clean slate) and start the server. If the mod added blocks or items to your world, removing it can leave gaps where they were, so take a backup first.

Troubleshooting

• The server will not start after adding a mod. Remove the last mod you added and try again. If that does not fix it, restore the backup you took on the Backups tab.
• A mod does not seem to load. Check it is directly inside mods and not inside an extra folder, and read the Console for errors that mention it.
• Crashes while developing your own plugin. The Disable Sentry option on the Startup tab stops crash reports being sent to Hytale while you test.

For server settings, operators and the whitelist, see Hytale server settings, operators and whitelist.

Still stuck? Jump into our Discord at discord.gg/GuavaHost and the team will help you out.

• hytale
• mods
• plugins
• curseforge
• early-plugins

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