How to Make a Minecraft Server with Claude (Claude Code Guide)

What Claude can and cannot do for you

Claude is an AI assistant from Anthropic. For a Minecraft server it is good at explaining each step in plain language, writing start scripts and configuration files, reading crash logs and telling you what went wrong, comparing options (Paper or Purpur, which plugins), and helping with plugin ideas.

There are two ways to use it. In the chat app, Claude gives you instructions and files that you copy and paste yourself. With Claude Code, a terminal-based coding assistant, it can work inside your server folder: read files, edit configs and run commands, asking for your permission as it goes.

• It cannot buy hosting for you or click through your router's admin page.
• It should not accept the Minecraft EULA for you. Read Mojang's EULA and set eula=true yourself.
• It can be wrong or out of date, especially about plugin versions and download links that change often. You verify those on the official sites.

Step 1: Decide what you are building

Write down your goal before you open Claude. A good brief is short and specific:

• Edition: Java, Bedrock, or both (cross-play).
• Game mode: survival, skyblock, minigames, roleplay.
• How many players, and who they are (friends, public).
• Where it will run: your own PC, a spare computer, or a rented host. Include the operating system.

Step 2: Set up a safe workspace

• Use a dedicated empty folder for the server so nothing else is at risk.
• Practise on a test copy or a spare machine first, not on a world your players already love.
• Install Claude Code using the instructions on Anthropic's official site, then start it from inside the server folder so it only works there.
• Keep permission prompts on. Read each command it wants to run before approving it.
• Make a backup before every change to a live server.

Never paste secrets into a chat or a prompt: your RCON password, Floodgate key.pem, Votifier private key, SSH keys, API keys or hosting passwords. If an assistant needs a value, use a placeholder such as YOUR_PASSWORD_HERE and fill in the real one yourself.

Step 3: Prompts that work

Be explicit about versions, your operating system and what "done" looks like. Here are examples to adapt:

I want a Java survival server for about 10 friends on Ubuntu 24.04. Work in this empty folder. Tell me which Java version the latest Paper build needs, then write a start.sh with 4 GB of RAM and a systemd service file. Do not download anything yet; show me the official download page to use and wait for my go-ahead.

Here is my server.properties (passwords removed). I want a friendly survival server, whitelist on, online-mode on, 20 players, lower lag. Suggest changes and explain each one before editing the file.

My Paper server works. Add Bedrock cross-play. List exactly which plugins to download from the official GeyserMC site, where to put them, which Geyser config values to set (including auth-type), and which ports to open for TCP and UDP. Then give me a test checklist for a Bedrock phone.

The server stops on startup. Here is the full latest.log. Explain in plain language what the root cause is, list the two most likely fixes in order, and tell me what to check to confirm each one before changing anything.

Write a script that stops the server cleanly, zips the world and plugin folders with a date in the name, restarts the server, and deletes backups older than 14 days. Show me the script and the cron line first. Do not run it until I confirm.

Step 4: Work in small steps

1. Ask for one change at a time and ask Claude to explain what it will do before it does it.
2. Read the diff or the command. If you do not understand a line, ask what it does.
3. Start the server and test after each change.
4. If it breaks, give Claude the exact error text from the log, not a description.
5. Keep a notes file in the folder with your versions, ports and decisions. Claude Code can read a project notes file (named CLAUDE.md) at the start of each session, so it does not have to guess your setup.

Always verify these yourself

• Download links and file names. Go to papermc.io, purpurmc.org and geysermc.org yourself. Do not let anyone, human or AI, fetch jars from random sites.
• Version numbers and Java requirements. Minecraft's versioning and the Java minimums change, so check the official download page for the exact build.
• Plugin commands and configuration option names. If an option does not appear in the plugin's own documentation, it may not exist.
• Anything that opens a port, creates a user or changes firewall rules.

Using Claude to build a plugin

Claude can help you write a small Paper plugin in Java, for example a custom command or a welcome message. You will need a Java development kit and a build tool such as Gradle or Maven. A good approach is to ask Claude for a minimal project that compiles and prints a message on startup, build it, then add one feature at a time.

Test every plugin on a copy of your server first, and read the code before running it. A plugin can do anything the server can, including deleting files.

When you are done

Test from outside your network, then list your server on MCServerShare with its address and version. Add the verification code to your MOTD to earn the Verified badge. Our Paper guide and port-forwarding guide cover the parts that need your hands.

Frequently asked questions