What TAB works with.
| Platform | Java Edition |
|---|---|
| Loaders | Bukkit, Folia, Paper, Purpur, Spigot, Sponge, BungeeCord, Velocity, Waterfall |
| Minecraft versions | 1.8.9, 1.16.5, 1.20.1, 1.21.1, 1.21.11, 26.1, 26.2 |
TAB is a Minecraft server plugin, not a mod, that replaces the vanilla tablist and adds custom nametags, a scoreboard sidebar and a boss bar. It installs on Bukkit-family server software such as Paper and Spigot, and on BungeeCord, Velocity and Waterfall proxies for networked servers. The plugin needs no other plugin to run and is currently on version 6.1.3, current through Minecraft 26.2 on every platform except Sponge.
Supported server software and proxies
- Server software: Bukkit, Spigot, Paper, Purpur and Folia
- Proxies: BungeeCord, Velocity and Waterfall
- Sponge is also supported but lags behind: its last build reaches 1.21.10, released 2025-10-08, while every other platform is current to 26.2
- TAB also ships builds tagged for Fabric, Forge, NeoForge and Quilt for admins running those loaders on the server side, separate from the client-side mod ecosystem
Installing TAB on Paper, Spigot and proxy networks
Installation is the same as any plugin: drop the jar into the server's plugins folder and restart. TAB generates its config files on first launch and migrates them automatically on future updates.
On a proxied network there are three ways to run it. Installing TAB only on the proxy is the recommended setup and keeps tablist and nametag logic in one place. Installing it on every backend server instead is a working alternative. Mixing proxy and backend installs is not recommended and tends to cause duplicate or conflicting output. Networks that want PlaceholderAPI placeholders sourced from individual backend servers while running TAB on the proxy need the companion TAB-Bridge plugin on each backend.
Configuring tablist groups, nametags, scoreboard and bossbar
TAB assigns each player to a group and applies that group's prefix, suffix and sort position across the tablist and nametags. The default method queries a permission plugin for the player's primary group, and TAB names its supported plugins directly: LuckPerms on any platform, or any Vault-backed plugin on Bukkit. Servers running an unsupported permission plugin can fall back to assigning groups from raw permission nodes instead.
- Tablist and sorting: controls header, footer and the order players appear in
- Nametags: text and formatting shown above a player's head, including belowname values like health
- Scoreboard: a sidebar of custom lines, with a wider layout available on 1.20.3 and newer
- Bossbar: one or more custom bars, each with its own text and colour
Each of those four features lives in its own config section and can be enabled or disabled on its own. Values on the wiki's own examples use PlaceholderAPI placeholders for dynamic text such as ping or online count, so a server that wants live stats in the tablist or scoreboard needs PlaceholderAPI installed alongside TAB.
Commands and permissions
- /tab reload - reloads the configuration after an edit, needs tab.reload
- /tab group <group> - shows a specific group's settings, needs tab.groupinfo
- /tab groups - lists every configured group, needs tab.grouplist
- tab.admin - grants access to every TAB command
Setting up TAB's tablist, scoreboard, nametags and boss bar
Questions about TAB.
4 questions
Is TAB free to use?
Yes. TAB is fully open source under the Apache License 2.0 and free to download from Modrinth, SpigotMC, BuiltByBit or GitHub. There is no paid tier, and the licence places no restriction on redistribution.
Does TAB work with Paper and Velocity?
Yes. TAB ships current builds for Paper, Spigot, Bukkit, Purpur and Folia on the server side, plus BungeeCord, Velocity and Waterfall on the proxy side. All of those reach the newest 26.2 release. The Sponge build is the exception and currently caps out at 1.21.10.
How do I configure tablist groups in TAB?
By default TAB reads each player's primary group from a supported permission plugin, LuckPerms on any platform or a Vault-backed plugin on Bukkit, and applies that group's tablist prefix and suffix automatically. Servers without a supported permission plugin can assign groups manually through permission nodes instead.
How do I set up nametags, scoreboard and bossbar in TAB?
Nametags, scoreboard and bossbar are separate feature sections in TAB's config, and each one can be turned on or off independently. Edit the values for a feature, save the file, then run /tab reload to apply the change without restarting the server.
