Managing Servers - Modrinth

Server Power Management

Starting, Stopping, and Restarting

Control your server’s power state from the management panel:

Start your server

Click the green Start button to power on your server. The server will:

Load the world and server configuration
Initialize mods and plugins
Open the server to player connections

Startup time varies based on world size and installed mods (typically 30-90 seconds).

Stop your server

Click the red Stop button to gracefully shut down. This will:

Save all player data and world state
Disconnect all players with a shutdown message
Safely close all file handles

Always use the Stop button rather than Kill to prevent world corruption.

Restart your server

Click the Restart button to perform a clean restart. This is equivalent to:

Stopping the server gracefully
Waiting for complete shutdown
Starting the server again

Use restart when you:

Install or update mods
Change server properties
Update server configuration

Force kill (emergency only)

The Kill button immediately terminates the server process.

Only use Kill if:

Server is frozen and not responding
Normal stop commands fail
You need to force a shutdown

Force killing may result in data loss or world corruption.

Server Status Indicators

Your server can be in one of these states:

Status	Indicator	Description
Running	🟢 Green	Server is online and accepting connections
Starting	🟡 Yellow	Server is booting up
Stopping	🟡 Yellow	Server is shutting down
Stopped	⚫ Gray	Server is offline
Crashed	🔴 Red	Server stopped unexpectedly

If your server crashes, Modrinth automatically analyzes the logs to identify the cause and suggest solutions.

Real-Time Console Access

Using the Console

The console provides direct access to your server’s command-line interface:

# View server logs in real-time
[Server thread/INFO]: Player123 joined the game
[Server thread/INFO]: Done (4.321s)! For help, type "help"

Sending Commands

Type commands in the input field at the bottom of the console:

# Common server commands
/list                           # View online players
/op PlayerName                  # Make player an operator
/gamemode creative PlayerName   # Change gamemode
/whitelist add PlayerName       # Add to whitelist
/ban PlayerName                 # Ban a player
/say Hello everyone!            # Broadcast message

The console supports tab completion for commands. Start typing and press Tab to see suggestions.

Command Autocomplete

Modrinth’s console includes intelligent command suggestions:

Start typing a command (e.g., /game)
See available completions appear below
Use Tab to accept the suggestion
Use Arrow keys to navigate between suggestions

Server File Management

Web-Based File Manager

Access your server files directly from the browser:

Navigate to Files tab

Click Files in your server management panel.

Browse directories

Navigate through folders like:

/world - Your Minecraft world data
/mods - Installed mod files
/plugins - Installed plugin files
/config - Configuration files
/logs - Server logs

Perform actions

Click a file to view or edit
Right-click for more options
Drag and drop to upload files

File Operations

Upload files

Drag files from your computer directly into the file manager, or click the upload button.

Edit files

Click any text file to edit it in the built-in editor with syntax highlighting.

Download files

Right-click any file and select Download to save it to your computer.

Delete files

Select files and click the delete button. Confirm the deletion to remove them.

Archive Extraction

Upload .zip, .tar, or .tar.gz files and Modrinth will automatically offer to extract them:

Upload your archive file
Click Extract when prompted
Choose the destination folder
Wait for extraction to complete

The extraction progress is shown in real-time with file counts and status updates.

SFTP Access

For advanced users, connect via SFTP client:

Host: sftp.modrinth.gg
Port: 2022
Username: [shown in Options > Info]
Password: [shown in Options > Info]

Keep your SFTP credentials secure. You can reset them from the Options > Info page.

Installing Mods and Plugins

From the Content Tab

Modrinth makes it easy to install mods directly from the platform:

Go to Content tab

Navigate to Content > Mods or Content > Plugins in your server panel.

Browse or search

Browse featured mods
Search for specific mods by name
View mod details and compatibility

Install

Click Install on any mod
Select the version compatible with your server
Confirm installation
Wait for the mod to download and install

Restart server

Restart your server to load the newly installed mod.

Modrinth automatically filters mods based on your server’s loader (Forge, Fabric, etc.) and Minecraft version.

Managing Installed Mods

In the Content tab, you can:

View all installed mods with version information
Enable/disable mods without deleting them
Update mods to the latest compatible version
Remove mods you no longer need

Some mods have dependencies. Modrinth will warn you if removing a mod will break others.

Manual Installation

You can also upload mod files directly:

Download the mod .jar file
Go to Files tab
Navigate to /mods folder (or /plugins for plugins)
Upload the .jar file
Restart the server

WebSocket Connection for Real-Time Updates

How It Works

Modrinth uses WebSocket connections to provide real-time updates:

Live console output - See logs as they’re generated
Performance metrics - CPU, RAM, and disk usage updates every second
Power state changes - Instant notification when server starts/stops
Backup progress - Real-time backup creation and restoration status
File operations - Live progress for uploads and extractions

Connection Management

The WebSocket connection:

Auto-connects when you open the server panel
Auto-reconnects if connection is lost (with exponential backoff)
Shows status via indicators in the interface
Handles auth automatically with JWT tokens

If you see a “Reconnecting…” message, wait a moment. The connection will restore automatically.

Performance Monitoring

Real-Time Statistics

Monitor your server’s resource usage in real-time from the Overview tab:

CPU Usage

Current: 45% | Past: 38%
[==============================        ] 

Shows current CPU utilization percentage
Historical graph displays last 10 data points
Burst thread usage included in calculations

High CPU usage during world generation or chunk loading is normal. Sustained 90%+ usage may indicate an optimization issue.

RAM Usage

Used: 3.2GB / 6.0GB (53%)
[================================      ]

Shows current memory usage vs. allocated
Updates every second
Color-coded indicators:
- 🟢 Green: Under 70%
- 🟡 Yellow: 70-85%
- 🔴 Red: Over 85%

If RAM consistently maxes out, consider upgrading your plan or reducing mod count.

Storage Usage

Used: 8.4GB / 20GB (42%)

Shows total disk space used
Includes world data, mods, configs, and backups
Contact support if you need more storage

Network Stats

TX (Transmit): Data sent from server to players
RX (Receive): Data received from players
Measured in bytes per second

Server Uptime

The uptime counter shows how long your server has been running since the last start:

Uptime: 2h 34m 12s

Uptime resets to zero when you stop or restart the server.

Crash Detection and Analysis

When your server crashes, Modrinth automatically:

Detects the crash via exit code or power state
Analyzes the logs using mclo.gs API
Identifies problems (mod conflicts, memory issues, etc.)
Suggests solutions based on the error

Common Crash Causes

Out of Memory (OOM)

Symptom: Server stops with “Out of memory” errorCauses:

Too many mods for allocated RAM
Memory leak in a mod
Large modpack with insufficient memory

Solutions:

Upgrade to a larger plan
Remove unnecessary mods
Check for mod updates that fix memory leaks

Mod Conflicts

Symptom: Server crashes during startup with mod errorsCauses:

Incompatible mod versions
Missing dependencies
Conflicting mods

Solutions:

Check the crash log in console
Verify all mods match server version
Remove or update conflicting mods

World Corruption

Symptom: Server crashes when loading specific chunksCauses:

Corrupted chunk data
Invalid block states
Broken tile entities

Solutions:

Restore from a backup
Use chunk repair tools
Delete problematic chunks

Server Logs

Viewing Logs

Access server logs in multiple ways:

Console tab - View live logs as they’re generated
Files tab - Download log files from /logs directory
Latest.log - Current session logs
Archived logs - Previous session logs (compressed)

Log Levels

[INFO]  - Normal operations
[WARN]  - Warnings that don't stop the server
[ERROR] - Errors that may affect functionality  
[FATAL] - Critical errors that crash the server

Use Ctrl+F (or Cmd+F on Mac) in the console to search for specific log entries.

Analyzing Logs

For complex issues:

Copy the relevant log section
Share with mod authors or support team
Use online log analyzers like mclo.gs

Troubleshooting

Server Won’t Start

Check installation status

If status shows “Installing”, wait for installation to complete.

Review startup logs

Look for errors in the console during startup.

Verify configuration

Check Options > Startup for invalid settings.

Remove recent changes

If problems started after a change, revert it:

Restore from backup
Remove newly installed mods
Reset configuration files

Connection Issues

Can't connect to server

Verify server is running (green status indicator)
Check you’re using the correct address
Ensure Minecraft version matches server version
Make sure you have required mods installed (for modded servers)

Connection timeout

Check your internet connection
Try using the IP:port directly instead of subdomain
Verify firewall isn’t blocking Minecraft
Test from a different network

Whitelist error

If server has whitelist enabled:

/whitelist add YourUsername

Or disable whitelist:

/whitelist off

Performance Issues

Low TPS

Causes:

Too many entities
Redstone lag
Unoptimized mods

Check:

Use /spark profiler for analysis
Reduce mob spawns
Optimize redstone contraptions

High memory usage

Causes:

Too many loaded chunks
Memory leaks
Large modpacks

Solutions:

Reduce view distance
Use memory optimization mods
Upgrade server plan

For persistent issues, contact Modrinth Support through the chat widget in the bottom-right corner.

Get Started

Platform Guide

For Creators

For Players

Server Hosting

​Server Power Management

​Starting, Stopping, and Restarting

​Server Status Indicators

​Real-Time Console Access

​Using the Console

​Sending Commands

​Command Autocomplete

​Server File Management

​Web-Based File Manager

​File Operations

Upload files

Edit files

Download files

Delete files

​Archive Extraction

​SFTP Access

​Installing Mods and Plugins

​From the Content Tab

​Managing Installed Mods

​Manual Installation

​WebSocket Connection for Real-Time Updates

​How It Works

​Connection Management

​Performance Monitoring

​Real-Time Statistics

​CPU Usage

​RAM Usage

​Storage Usage

​Network Stats

​Server Uptime

​Crash Detection and Analysis

​Common Crash Causes

​Server Logs

​Viewing Logs

​Log Levels

​Analyzing Logs

​Troubleshooting

​Server Won’t Start

​Connection Issues

​Performance Issues

Low TPS

High memory usage

Server Power Management

Starting, Stopping, and Restarting

Server Status Indicators

Real-Time Console Access

Using the Console

Sending Commands

Command Autocomplete

Server File Management

Web-Based File Manager

File Operations

Archive Extraction

SFTP Access

Installing Mods and Plugins

From the Content Tab

Managing Installed Mods

Manual Installation

WebSocket Connection for Real-Time Updates

How It Works

Connection Management

Performance Monitoring

Real-Time Statistics

CPU Usage

RAM Usage

Storage Usage

Network Stats

Server Uptime

Crash Detection and Analysis

Common Crash Causes

Server Logs

Viewing Logs

Log Levels

Analyzing Logs

Troubleshooting

Server Won’t Start

Connection Issues

Performance Issues