What is Slimefun?
Slimefun is a massive plugin that adds hundreds of new items, machines, and mechanics to vanilla Minecraft — essentially turning it into a modded experience without installing Forge or Fabric. It adds electric machines, backpacks, jetpacks, magic altars, resource generators, cargo networks, and much more. It's perfect for servers that want modded-style progression without requiring players to install mods.
Installing Slimefun Core
Download Slimefun4.jar from the official Slimefun GitHub or SpigotMC page. Upload it to your server's /plugins folder via the file manager or SFTP. Slimefun also requires CS-CoreLib as a dependency — download and install it first. Restart your server. On first run, Slimefun generates /plugins/Slimefun/ with config files and /data-storage/Slimefun/ for player data. Check console for any startup errors.
Installing Slimefun Addons
Slimefun's real power comes from addons — community-created expansions that add new machines and items. Essential addons: ExoticGarden (new plants, foods, and food-based machines), InfinityExpansion (end-game machines, quarries, and storage), FluffyMachines (automated crafting, barrel, and item transport), and Networks (item/fluid/energy networks with multiblock controllers). Install addons one at a time, restart, and verify in /sf guide before adding the next.
Configuring Slimefun Settings
Open plugins/Slimefun/config.yml. Key settings: 'enable-researching' determines if players must spend XP to unlock items (recommend true for progression servers). 'items.allow-enchanting' controls whether Slimefun items can be enchanted. 'auto-update' enables automatic addon updates. Set 'guide-layout' to 'chest' (default) or 'book' based on player preference. Adjust 'talisman-cooldown' and 'armor-update-interval' for performance tuning on high-population servers.
Setting Up Permissions
Slimefun uses permission nodes to control access. In LuckPerms: '/lp group default permission set slimefun.player' gives basic access. '/lp group vip permission set slimefun.advanced' unlocks advanced machines. Control individual item access with 'slimefun.item.<id>' permissions. Use negative permissions ('-slimefun.item.banned_item') to disable problematic items. Create rank progression where higher ranks unlock more Slimefun categories.
Optimizing Slimefun Performance
Slimefun can be resource-intensive on larger servers. Set 'ticker-delay' in config.yml to 20 ticks (1 second) instead of default for less frequent machine processing. Enable 'cargo-ticker-delay' to 2 ticks for cargo networks. Disable items that cause lag (some quarries, large miners) via permissions. Use '/sf timings' to identify which machines consume the most tick time. For 30+ Slimefun users, our 6 GB plan provides the headroom needed for smooth performance.
FAQ
Related Tutorials
From the Blog
Was this guide helpful?
Join our Discord for more guides and direct help from our engineering team.