Set up mcMMO on your Minecraft server
Upload the premium mcMMO jar to a Paper server, check its config files, learn the player commands and run an XP boost event with /xprate.
mcMMO turns ordinary Minecraft activities into trainable skills. Mining with a pickaxe levels Mining, chopping with an axe levels Woodcutting, and higher levels unlock abilities such as bonus drops. It is a plugin, so it runs on Paper, and it is a premium resource on Spigot, which changes how you install it. This guide covers uploading the jar, the first start, the commands players use and how to run an XP boost.
Checked against mcMMO 2.3.002 on Paper 26.2, October 2026. That is the newest version on its Spigot page, released on 26 September 2026.
What you need
- A Paper server. The mcMMO wiki says it officially supports Spigot, Paper and Folia, and that current releases support Minecraft 1.20.5 and newer. The plugin's page names 26.2.X or 1.21.X as the ideal versions. In JAR Manager (under More in the left rail) pick Paper and one of those versions (Change your Minecraft version or mod loader shows the steps).
- A copy of mcMMO that you have bought. The plugin's page marks it as a premium resource, and the wiki's install page points to Spigot and Voxel for downloads. The official mcMMO is not on Modrinth or Hangar, and the Plugins tab does not search Spigot or Voxel, so you upload the jar yourself.
- An older Minecraft? The plugin's page lists mcMMO 2.2.049 for 1.18 to 1.20.4 and 2.1.202 for 1.13.2 to 1.17.
Upload the jar
- Buy mcMMO on its Spigot page and download the
.jarto your computer. The wiki's install page also names Voxel as a download site. - Open Backups and press Create backup.
- Open File Manager, go into the
pluginsfolder and press Upload files. Choose the jar. - Open the Console tab and press Restart, or Start if the server is stopped.
- Type
pluginsin the console. mcMMO should be in the list.
To update later, upload the new jar over the old one and restart. The wiki says upgrading never requires deleting data or configs.
First start
mcMMO writes its files to plugins/mcMMO. The main file is config.yml, and XP values live in experience.yml. The wiki also lists advanced.yml, party.yml, skillranks.yml and others. Two things to know:
- Reloading is not supported. Stop the server, edit the file in File Manager, then start again.
- Bad values shut mcMMO down. It checks its config files at start-up and disables itself on an illegal value. Read the server log in the Console tab, because mcMMO is verbose about invalid keys. If you break a file badly, delete it and mcMMO writes a fresh default. The files are YAML, which uses spaces and never tabs (Find and fix YAML and JSON config errors).
Player progress is kept in the flat file plugins/mcMMO/flatfile/mcmmo.users. mcMMO can also use MySQL, but plans do not include MySQL databases, so leave it on the default. Running /mmoshowdb shows which database type is in use.
What players use
Players need no setup. Every player gets the mcmmo.defaults permission automatically, and operators also get mcmmo.defaultsop. You only need to grant nodes by hand if your permissions plugin denies everything by default (Set up LuckPerms on your Minecraft server).
Skills level only with the matching tool, and a Super Ability is readied with a right-click, then triggered by using the tool.
Run an XP boost
/xprate changes the XP multiplier. Run it in the Console tab without the slash, or in game as an operator.
xprate 2doubles XP for every skill and announces an event.xprate mining 3triples Mining XP only.xprate resetends the event.
Rates set this way last until you reset them, the server restarts or mcMMO's configs are reloaded, and they are never written to a file. For a permanent change, set Experience_Formula.Multiplier.Global in experience.yml.
If something does not work
- mcMMO is missing from the
pluginslist. The jar is not in thepluginsfolder, or it does not match your Minecraft version. Use the older release listed above for old versions. - A skill gives no XP. The wiki says the wrong tool gives none: a pickaxe for Mining, an axe for Woodcutting, a shovel for Excavation.
- Commands are refused. Your permissions plugin may deny the
mcmmo.commands.*nodes. - An anti-cheat plugin interferes. The plugin's page says anti-cheat plugins may conflict, and that NoCheatPlus needs the CompatNoCheatPlus plugin.
Was this guide helpful?
Related guides
Set up Fabled on your Minecraft server
Install Fabled and CodexCore on a Paper server from Hangar, then export your classes and skills from the web editor and load them.
Set up AuraSkills on your Minecraft server
Install AuraSkills, the RPG skills plugin once called Aurelium Skills, on Paper or Purpur, then set up skills, XP, admin commands and permissions.
Get modpack features with Paper plugins
Match common modpack features such as claims, quests and vein mining to Paper plugins that need no client mods, and see what has no plugin equivalent.
