--- title: "How to install PlaceholderAPI on a Minecraft server | StreetHosting" description: "Install PlaceholderAPI, download expansions from the eCloud, test with /papi parse and use placeholders in TAB, menus, scoreboards and chat." url: "https://streethosting.com.br/en/guides/minecraft/placeholderapi-minecraft-setup" type: "page" language: "en-US" --- Minecraft · 8 min · Beginner Published on Sep 28, 2026 · Updated on Sep 28, 2026 # How to install PlaceholderAPI and use placeholders in your plugins PlaceholderAPI is the bridge that carries balance, group, ping and TPS from one plugin to another. See how to install it, which expansions to download first and how to find out why a placeholder shows up raw on screen. 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"Perplexity") Share: [](https://x.com/intent/tweet?text=How%20to%20install%20PlaceholderAPI%20on%20a%20Minecraft%20server&url=https%3A%2F%2Fstreethosting.com.br%2Fen%2Fguides%2Fminecraft%2Fplaceholderapi-minecraft-setup "Share on X") [](https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fstreethosting.com.br%2Fen%2Fguides%2Fminecraft%2Fplaceholderapi-minecraft-setup "Share on Facebook") [](https://www.linkedin.com/sharing/share-offsite/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstreethosting.com.br%2Fen%2Fguides%2Fminecraft%2Fplaceholderapi-minecraft-setup "Share on LinkedIn") [](https://wa.me/?text=How%20to%20install%20PlaceholderAPI%20on%20a%20Minecraft%20server%20https%3A%2F%2Fstreethosting.com.br%2Fen%2Fguides%2Fminecraft%2Fplaceholderapi-minecraft-setup "Share on WhatsApp") For agents: Copy as Markdown [.md](https://streethosting.com.br/en/guides/minecraft/placeholderapi-minecraft-setup.md) In this guide 7 sections * [What PlaceholderAPI is](https://streethosting.com.br/en/guides/minecraft/placeholderapi-minecraft-setup#o-que-e) * [Installation](https://streethosting.com.br/en/guides/minecraft/placeholderapi-minecraft-setup#instalacao) * [Expansions and the eCloud](https://streethosting.com.br/en/guides/minecraft/placeholderapi-minecraft-setup#expansoes) * [Testing with /papi parse](https://streethosting.com.br/en/guides/minecraft/placeholderapi-minecraft-setup#testar) * [TAB, menus, scoreboard and chat](https://streethosting.com.br/en/guides/minecraft/placeholderapi-minecraft-setup#integracoes) * [When a placeholder does not work](https://streethosting.com.br/en/guides/minecraft/placeholderapi-minecraft-setup#problemas) * [Where to host](https://streethosting.com.br/en/guides/minecraft/placeholderapi-minecraft-setup#onde-hospedar) Quick answer To **set up PlaceholderAPI**, drop the jar into the `plugins` folder of your Paper server, restart and download the expansions you need with `/papi ecloud download`, starting with Player, Server and Vault. Run `/papi reload` and test with `/papi parse me %player_name%`. If your username shows up, any compatible plugin can now use that placeholder in TAB, menus, the scoreboard and chat. ## What PlaceholderAPI is[](https://streethosting.com.br/en/guides/minecraft/placeholderapi-minecraft-setup#o-que-e) A placeholder is a piece of text wrapped in percent signs, like `%player_name%`, that a plugin swaps for a value when it renders. PlaceholderAPI is the middleman in that swap: it fetches the information from one plugin, like the balance in Vault or the group in LuckPerms, and hands it to another plugin that wants to display it, like TAB or a menu. Without that bridge, every display plugin would have to know every data plugin, and nothing would talk to anything. That is why it sits on the list of [most used plugins on Paper servers](https://streethosting.com.br/en/guides/minecraft/best-minecraft-plugins) and is usually installed early, before TAB and the scoreboard. * **PlaceholderAPI:** the core, which brings the `/papi` commands and does the text swapping. * **Expansions:** packages that teach PlaceholderAPI to read one subject: player, server, Vault, LuckPerms. Some ship inside the source plugin, others are downloaded from the eCloud, the official expansion repository. * **Display plugins:** TAB, DeluxeMenus, scoreboards, holograms and chat plugins that accept placeholders in their config files. PlaceholderAPI is a Paper and Spigot plugin. It does not exist on Fabric; there is a separate placeholder project for mods, with its own syntax. If you are still deciding on the server base, read the guide on [Minecraft servers with Fabric mods](https://streethosting.com.br/en/guides/minecraft/minecraft-fabric-server) to understand what changes. ## Installation[](https://streethosting.com.br/en/guides/minecraft/placeholderapi-minecraft-setup#instalacao) 1. Download PlaceholderAPI from the official page on Hangar, Modrinth or SpigotMC, in the version that matches your Paper build. 2. Stop the server from the control panel. 3. Upload the jar to the `plugins` folder through the file manager or over SFTP. 4. Start the server. It creates the `plugins/PlaceholderAPI` folder, with the `config.yml` and the `expansions` subfolder. 5. Run `/papi list` to see the active expansions. At first the list may be empty or show only the ones other plugins registered on their own. The `/papi` commands are a staff tool. Leave them to operators or to the admin group in [LuckPerms](https://streethosting.com.br/en/guides/minecraft/luckperms-minecraft-setup), because parse reads other players' information and the eCloud download puts new code inside the server. ## Expansions and the eCloud[](https://streethosting.com.br/en/guides/minecraft/placeholderapi-minecraft-setup#expansoes) The eCloud is the official expansion repository, reached straight from chat or the console. The download lands in the `expansions` folder, and the expansion only starts working after a reload. `/papi ecloud download Player /papi ecloud download Server /papi ecloud download Vault /papi reload /papi list` | Expansion | Example placeholders | What it shows | | --------- | ------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------- | | Player | %player\_name%, %player\_ping%, %player\_world% | Player name, ping and world | | Server | %server\_online%, %server\_max\_players%, %server\_tps% | Online players, capacity and TPS | | Vault | %vault\_eco\_balance%, %vault\_prefix% | Balance and prefix read through Vault | | LuckPerms | %luckperms\_prefix% | Prefix set on the LuckPerms group | The Vault expansion only reads what Vault provides. Without an active economy plugin behind it, the balance comes back empty. Setting up that base is covered in [Vault in Minecraft for economy and permissions](https://streethosting.com.br/en/guides/minecraft/vault-minecraft-setup). The LuckPerms one is also downloaded from the eCloud, with `/papi ecloud download LuckPerms`. Many plugins register their own expansion at startup, with no download at all. The plugin page usually says so; when in doubt, install the plugin, run `/papi list` and check whether its name showed up. To see the version and details of an expansion, use `/papi info Vault`, swapping in whatever name you want. An expansion is code running inside your server. By default the eCloud only serves verified expansions. If your policy is to control everything that goes in, turn off the cloud and install the jars manually in the `expansions` folder, always from an official source, followed by `/papi reload`. `# plugins/PlaceholderAPI/config.yml cloud_enabled: false` ### Keeping expansions up to date[](https://streethosting.com.br/en/guides/minecraft/placeholderapi-minecraft-setup#manter-expansoes) An outdated expansion is the most common cause of console errors after updating Paper or the source plugin. Make PlaceholderAPI part of every server update routine, described in [how to update the server version safely](https://streethosting.com.br/en/guides/minecraft/update-paper-minecraft-server): 1. Run `/papi ecloud refresh` to refresh the eCloud list. 2. Run `/papi ecloud list installed` to see what was installed through the cloud and compare it with the available version. 3. Download the ones that changed again and finish with `/papi reload`. 4. Delete whatever nobody uses anymore from the `expansions` folder. Less loaded code means fewer errors at boot and less to review on the next update. ## Testing with /papi parse[](https://streethosting.com.br/en/guides/minecraft/placeholderapi-minecraft-setup#testar) Before pasting a placeholder into any config, test it. Parse prints the already swapped text in chat, exactly the way the other plugin will receive it. `/papi parse me %player_name% has %player_ping% ms /papi parse me Balance: %vault_eco_balance% /papi parse Steve %luckperms_prefix% /papi parse --null Online now: %server_online%` * **`me`:** uses you as the reference player. * **A username:**tests from that player's point of view, great for checking that a VIP's prefix comes out right. * **`--null`:** for placeholders that do not depend on a player, like the server ones. It is also the way to test from the console. This step splits the problem in two. If parse returns the raw text, percent signs and all, the fault is in PlaceholderAPI: missing expansion or wrong name. If parse works and TAB shows it raw, the fault is in the display plugin. There is also `/papi bcparse`, which sends the result to every online player; save it for when you actually want to announce something. ## TAB, menus, scoreboard and chat[](https://streethosting.com.br/en/guides/minecraft/placeholderapi-minecraft-setup#integracoes) Once a placeholder is tested, just put the same text into any config option that accepts PlaceholderAPI. These are the uses that show up most on Brazilian servers. * **TAB:** the TAB plugin accepts placeholders in the header, in the footer of the player list and in the prefix of each name. That is where `%luckperms_prefix%` usually appears, and the guide on [VIP ranks with a colored tag](https://streethosting.com.br/en/guides/minecraft/create-vip-rank-minecraft) shows the full setup. * **DeluxeMenus:** chest-style menus where the name, description and requirements of each item can use placeholders. A profile button with balance and ping is the classic example. * **Scoreboards:** the board on the side of the screen refreshes its values at intervals. TPS, online players and balance fit well here. * **Chat:** chat formatting plugins that declare PlaceholderAPI support show group, clan or level before the message. Check the plugin page, because not every chat plugin accepts them. A DeluxeMenus menu item with placeholders looks like this. The menu file lives in the DeluxeMenus folder and is registered in its config: `menu_title: '&8Your profile' open_command: profile size: 27 items: 'balance': material: GOLD_INGOT slot: 13 display_name: '&6Your balance' lore: - '&7You have &f%vault_eco_balance% &7coins' - '&7Ping: &f%player_ping% ms'` TAB and the scoreboard re-read placeholders constantly. Too short an interval with dozens of heavy placeholders, especially the ones that query a database, weighs on TPS. Keep the plugin default and only shorten it where you need real-time. If the tick drops after building the HUD, start by raising the interval on exactly those heavier placeholders. ## When a placeholder does not work[](https://streethosting.com.br/en/guides/minecraft/placeholderapi-minecraft-setup#problemas) Almost every PlaceholderAPI problem falls into one of the rows below. Always start with parse, because it tells you which side the fault is on. | Symptom | Likely cause | What to do | | --------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------ | | Raw text even in /papi parse | Expansion not installed or not registered | Download it from the eCloud and run /papi reload | | Parse works, TAB or menu shows raw text | Plugin without PlaceholderAPI support or feature turned off | Check the plugin docs to see whether support exists and is enabled | | Empty Vault balance | Vault with no economy plugin behind it | Install and configure the economy provider | | eCloud download fails | Cloud turned off, connection blocked or unverified expansion | Review cloud\_enabled or install the jar manually | | NoClassDefFoundError in the console | Outdated expansion or missing dependency | Update the expansion and the plugin it depends on | Typos also leave the text raw: `%player_nome%` does not exist. Copy names from the expansion's official list instead of typing from memory, and remember that an expansion that depends on another plugin only works with that plugin installed and running. ## Where to host[](https://streethosting.com.br/en/guides/minecraft/placeholderapi-minecraft-setup#onde-hospedar) PlaceholderAPI itself is light. What eats resources are the plugins it connects: TAB, scoreboard, economy, LuckPerms with a database and menus. A survival server with that stack and a few dozen players usually needs 6 to 8 GB of RAM, and database-backed plugins appreciate a high-clock CPU and NVMe. On [StreetHosting's Minecraft hosting](https://streethosting.com.br/en/minecraft), in São Paulo, the Budget line with DDR4 starts at R$ 34.00 per month with 4 GB, and the [Minecraft Pro](https://streethosting.com.br/en/minecraft-pro) line, with Ryzen and DDR5, goes from R$ 44.00 with 4 GB to R$ 66.00 with 6 GB and R$ 88.00 with 8 GB, 500% CPU and 60 GB NVMe. Every plan includes databases, starting with one on the 4 GB plan, which covers LuckPerms and the economy on MySQL without buying anything extra. * PlaceholderAPI installed before TAB and the scoreboard * Player, Server and Vault expansions downloaded and registered * Every placeholder tested with /papi parse before it goes into a config * /papi commands restricted to staff * HUD refresh intervals left at the plugin default * eCloud turned off if the policy is manual installation In this guide * [What PlaceholderAPI is](https://streethosting.com.br/en/guides/minecraft/placeholderapi-minecraft-setup#o-que-e) * [Installation](https://streethosting.com.br/en/guides/minecraft/placeholderapi-minecraft-setup#instalacao) * [Expansions and the eCloud](https://streethosting.com.br/en/guides/minecraft/placeholderapi-minecraft-setup#expansoes) * [Testing with /papi parse](https://streethosting.com.br/en/guides/minecraft/placeholderapi-minecraft-setup#testar) * [TAB, menus, scoreboard and chat](https://streethosting.com.br/en/guides/minecraft/placeholderapi-minecraft-setup#integracoes) * [When a placeholder does not work](https://streethosting.com.br/en/guides/minecraft/placeholderapi-minecraft-setup#problemas) * [Where to host](https://streethosting.com.br/en/guides/minecraft/placeholderapi-minecraft-setup#onde-hospedar) ## Frequently asked questions What is PlaceholderAPI for? It carries information from one plugin to another. The Vault balance, the LuckPerms prefix or the server TPS become text like %vault\_eco\_balance%, and TAB, menu, scoreboard and chat plugins swap that text for the value when they show it to the player. How do I download PlaceholderAPI expansions? Use /papi ecloud download followed by the expansion name, for example Player, Server or Vault, then run /papi reload to register it. Some expansions ship inside the plugin itself and need no download. Check the result with /papi list. Why does the placeholder show the percent signs instead of the value? Test it first with /papi parse me. If it shows up raw there, the expansion is missing, the name is misspelled or the plugin it depends on is not running. If parse works and the raw text only appears in TAB or in the menu, the problem is in the plugin doing the displaying. Can I use PlaceholderAPI without the eCloud? Yes. Set cloud\_enabled to false in PlaceholderAPI's config.yml and install the expansions by hand, copying the jars into the expansions folder and running /papi reload. It is the choice for anyone who prefers to control everything that goes into the server. Does PlaceholderAPI work on a Fabric server? No. It is a plugin for Paper and Spigot. On Fabric there is a separate placeholder project, built for mods, with its own syntax and its own placeholder list. If your setup leans heavily on PlaceholderAPI, the natural path is to stay on Paper. Next step Minecraft plans Compare Minecraft hosting options in Brazil. [Minecraft plans](https://streethosting.com.br/en/minecraft) [See Minecraft Pro Managed hosting on Ryzen with modpacks, optimized Paper and technical support.](https://streethosting.com.br/en/minecraft-pro) ## Related guides [Minecraft Beginner Best Minecraft plugins for Paper servers: a practical list to start right This guide lists the plugins that show up on almost every serious Paper server: permissions, utilities, economy, world editing, auditing and placeholders. The idea is not to install everything at once, but to know what each jar does before you clutter the server. 5 min Read guide](https://streethosting.com.br/en/guides/minecraft/best-minecraft-plugins) [Minecraft Intermediate How to set up LuckPerms on a Minecraft server (Paper) LuckPerms is the standard permissions plugin on Paper servers. This guide covers installation, group hierarchy, tab prefixes, safe inheritance and an audit routine before you open a public whitelist. 5 min Read guide](https://streethosting.com.br/en/guides/minecraft/luckperms-minecraft-setup) [Minecraft Intermediate Vault for Minecraft: connect plugin economy and permissions Vault does nothing on its own, but it is what lets the EssentialsX economy talk to shops and LuckPerms groups. Here is the install order that avoids conflicts. 3 min Read guide](https://streethosting.com.br/en/guides/minecraft/vault-minecraft-setup) [← Back to the Guide Center](https://streethosting.com.br/en/guides)