how to install Skript on your Minecraft server
A complete beginner's walkthrough — install Skript on a Paper server, load your first .sk file, and learn the /sk reload workflow. No coding experience required.
If you've never installed a plugin before, this is the only guide you need to read first. Every other Skript tutorial on this site assumes the steps below are done.
What is Skript?
Skript is a Minecraft server plugin that lets you write custom features in something close to plain English instead of Java. You install it as a .jar file like any other plugin, then drop .sk text files into a folder to add new behavior to your server.
What you need before you start
- A Minecraft server you control (any host — Pebblehost, Bisecthosting, a home box, etc.)
- Your server running Paper 1.21 or newer (Spigot works too, but Paper is recommended — papermc.io)
- FTP or file access to your server's folder (most hosts give you this in their panel)
- Permission to restart the server and run commands as op
Step 1 — Download Skript
Go to the official Skript SpigotMC page (spigotmc.org/resources/skript.114544/) or the GitHub releases page. Pick the latest stable release that matches your Minecraft version. You'll get a file named something like Skript-2.15.0.jar.
Step 2 — Install the .jar
Open your server's plugins/ folder via FTP or your host's file manager. Drag the Skript-2.15.0.jar file into it. Restart the server (not just /reload — do a full restart so the plugin loads cleanly).
Step 3 — Find your scripts folder
After Skript loads once, it creates plugins/Skript/scripts/. This is where every .sk file lives. Sample scripts ship there too — feel free to delete them.
Step 4 — Load your first script
Create a file named hello.sk with the code below and save it into plugins/Skript/scripts/.
on join: send "&aWelcome, %player%!" to player
In-game (as op) run `/sk reload hello`. The console should print `[Skript] Reloaded hello.sk`. Disconnect and rejoin — you'll see the welcome message.
The /sk reload workflow
- Every time you change a .sk file, run `/sk reload <filename>` (no .sk extension) to apply changes — no server restart needed
- `/sk reload all` reloads every script at once
- `/sk reload config` reloads Skript's own config, not your scripts
About plugins
Skript on its own handles about 80% of what most servers need. For scoreboards, holograms, advanced GUIs, and similar, you'll install plugins — extra .jar files that plug into Skript. Each template on this site lists exactly which plugins it needs and links to their downloads. Install plugins the same way you installed Skript: drop the .jar into plugins/, restart.
Troubleshooting
- Server log says "could not load Skript" — wrong Minecraft version build; download the one matching your server's MC version
- `/sk` command not found — Skript didn't load; check the console for red errors during startup
- Script reloads but nothing happens in-game — run `/sk info <filename>` to see parse errors; common cause is mixing tabs and spaces for indentation
- "You don't have permission" — run `/op <yourname>` from console, or grant `skript.admin`
frequently asked
- Do I need to know Java?
- No. Skript was built specifically so you don't.
- Does Skript work on Bedrock or standard Minecraft?
- No. It needs a Paper or Spigot server (Java Edition).
- Will Skript slow my server down?
- Not at typical scale. A .sk file with a few dozen events runs comparably to a small Java plugin.
- Can I use Skript on a free or shared host?
- Yes, as long as the host gives you plugins/ access. Pebblehost, Bisecthosting, Apex, and similar all support it.
- Why use Skript instead of just downloading plugins?
- You get to write custom features for your server without learning a real programming language. Plus you can read and tweak anything you install, so you understand what's running.