GriefPrevention is the original self-service land claim plugin for Minecraft Java Edition servers running Bukkit, Spigot, Paper, or Purpur. It has been protecting survival builds since 2011 and supports Minecraft 1.17 through 1.21. Players stake out their own territory using a golden shovel, which means server admins spend less time handling grief reports and more time running their community.
How Land Claims Work
Every new player starts with a pool of claim blocks that grows the longer they stay on the server. To claim land, a player holds a golden shovel and right-clicks two opposite corners of an area. GriefPrevention marks the boundary with glowstone and gold block corner posts and immediately protects the full vertical column from bedrock to sky. New players can also trigger an automatic starter claim the first time they place a chest.
- Block events: non-members cannot break or place blocks inside a claim
- Container access: chests, furnaces, and hoppers are locked to the owner and trusted players
- Entity protection: animals, armor stands, and item frames are protected from non-members
- PvP control: combat can be disabled inside claims on survival and SMP servers
- Trust levels: Owner, Manager, Builder, and Container-Trust for granular access control
Installation
- 1.Download the GriefPrevention JAR from Modrinth for your Minecraft version
- 2.Drop the JAR into your server's /plugins folder
- 3.Start or restart the server to generate the default config
- 4.Edit /plugins/GriefPrevention/config.yml to set starting claim blocks, maximum claim size, and PvP rules
- 5.No external database setup is needed: GriefPrevention stores all claim data in flat files
Commands and Permissions
GriefPrevention uses standard Bukkit permissions that integrate with LuckPerms, PermissionsEx, and any Vault-backed permission manager. Player commands share a /claim prefix; admin commands start with /adminclaim.
- /claim: switch your golden shovel to claim mode and check remaining claim blocks
- /abandonclaim: delete the claim you are standing in
- /trust <player>: grant full build access inside your claim
- /containertrust <player>: grant access to chests and containers only
- /untrust <player>: revoke access for a named player
- /claimlist: view all your claims and their sizes
- /adminclaim: create an admin claim that bypasses the claim block limit (staff only)
Compatibility
GriefPrevention supports Paper, Spigot, Purpur, and Bukkit for Minecraft Java Edition. It is not compatible with Bedrock Edition or cross-play proxies. Folia is not listed as a supported platform on the Modrinth project page. The plugin coexists cleanly with EssentialsX for server management and LuckPerms for permission hierarchy, both of which complement GriefPrevention's intentionally narrow scope.
GriefPrevention overview and server setup guide
Questions about this entry.
How do I claim land in GriefPrevention?
Hold a golden shovel and right-click two opposite corners of the area you want to protect. GriefPrevention marks the boundary with glowstone and gold block corner posts. New players can also get an automatic starter claim the first time they place a chest.
Does GriefPrevention work on Paper?
Yes. GriefPrevention supports Paper, Spigot, Purpur, and Bukkit for Minecraft Java Edition 1.17 through 1.21. Paper is the most widely deployed platform and receives the most testing from the community.
Which Minecraft versions does GriefPrevention support?
GriefPrevention supports Minecraft Java Edition from 1.17 through 1.21.11. The project is actively maintained on Modrinth and GitHub and receives updates alongside major Minecraft releases.
Does GriefPrevention need LuckPerms or another permissions plugin?
No. GriefPrevention works out of the box with built-in Bukkit permissions. It integrates cleanly with LuckPerms, PermissionsEx, and other permission managers if you need finer control over admin commands or trust level inheritance.
Does GriefPrevention affect server performance?
GriefPrevention is lightweight and uses flat-file storage with no external database requirement. It has run on large survival servers since 2011 and is optimized for standard workloads. The main overhead is claim lookup during block events, which is negligible on well-maintained Paper and Spigot servers.
