Your first server

Create the owner account

1. Open the address the installer printed, for example http://192.168.1.20:8080. On the same computer, http://127.0.0.1:8080 works too.
2. Enter the setup token. It is printed by the installer and saved as setup-token.txt in the data directory (/var/lib/craftpanel on Linux, %LOCALAPPDATA%\CraftPanel on Windows). Only someone with access to the host can read it, so nobody else on your network can claim the owner account first.
3. Choose a username and a strong password. This is the Owner account with full control.

Note

The setup token is only needed when the dashboard is reachable from other devices. A local-only install lets you create the account directly.

Create a server

Click New server. The wizard walks you through eight short steps:

1. Basics: a name, an optional description and the message of the day shown in Minecraft’s server list.
2. Software: Paper (recommended for most people), Purpur, Fabric, NeoForge, Vanilla, a Velocity proxy, or a modpack. See server software.
3. Version: any published Minecraft version, and for Paper/Purpur/Fabric/NeoForge the build or loader version.
4. World: world name, seed, world type and structures. You can import an existing world later.
5. Gameplay: game mode, difficulty, maximum players, whitelist and online mode.
6. Resources: memory, a performance preset (the one recommended for this machine is preselected), extra JVM arguments and whether the server starts automatically with CraftPanel.
7. Network: who should be able to join, the game port and the bind address.
8. Review: accept the Minecraft EULA and create the server.

CraftPanel downloads the server software and Java, verifies both and installs the server. Then press Start. The console shows the server starting; when it says Done, players can join.

Let players join

The Connect card on the server’s overview lists the addresses to use:

• Same computer: localhost:25565
• Same home network: the local address, for example 192.168.1.20:25565
• Over the internet: forward the game port on your router, or use a VPN such as Tailscale. The Network tab checks the port and detects carrier-grade NAT. See networking.

Caution

Only forward the Minecraft port. Never expose the dashboard port (8080) to the internet directly.

What’s next

• Install plugins or mods from the Plugins (or Mods) tab.
• Set up a nightly backup and restart under Automation.
• Invite your team under Settings → Users with the lowest role that fits.