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API Overview

Paper provides a comprehensive API for plugin development, combining the mature Bukkit API with extensive Paper-specific enhancements.

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API Documentation

The complete Paper API javadocs are available at: papermc.io/javadocs This includes both the Bukkit API and all Paper-specific additions.

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API Structure

Paper’s API consists of two main components:

Bukkit API

The core Minecraft server API that Paper inherits and maintains

Paper API

Paper-specific enhancements, optimizations, and new features

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Key API Components

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Core APIs

Events

Event system for listening to and modifying game events

Entities

Entity management, customization, and AI control

World

World manipulation, chunk management, and environment control

Registry

Data-driven content and registry access

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Additional APIs

  • Adventure - Modern text components and chat API
  • Commands - Command registration and execution
  • Configuration - Plugin configuration management
  • Permissions - Permission system integration
  • Scheduler - Task scheduling and async operations

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Maven Dependency

Add Paper API to your project: 
<repository>
    <id>papermc</id>
    <url>https://repo.papermc.io/repository/maven-public/</url>
</repository>

<dependency>
    <groupId>io.papermc.paper</groupId>
    <artifactId>paper-api</artifactId>
    <version>1.21.11-R0.1-SNAPSHOT</version>
    <scope>provided</scope>
</dependency>

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API Stability

The Paper API follows semantic versioning. The API version is specified in your paper-plugin.yml file.

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Breaking Changes

Paper maintains API stability within major Minecraft versions. Breaking changes are:
  • Clearly documented in release notes
  • Deprecated before removal when possible
  • Only introduced in major version updates

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Experimental APIs

Some Paper APIs are marked as experimental: 
@ApiStatus.Experimental
public interface SomeNewFeature {
    // ...
}
Experimental APIs may change or be removed in future versions.

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Package Structure

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Bukkit Packages

  • org.bukkit.* - Core Bukkit API
  • org.bukkit.entity.* - Entity types and management
  • org.bukkit.event.* - Event system
  • org.bukkit.plugin.* - Plugin management
  • org.bukkit.command.* - Command system

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Paper Packages

  • io.papermc.paper.event.* - Paper-specific events
  • io.papermc.paper.entity.* - Entity enhancements
  • io.papermc.paper.configuration.* - Configuration system
  • io.papermc.paper.registry.* - Registry access
  • io.papermc.paper.datapack.* - Datapack management
  • com.destroystokyo.paper.* - Legacy Paper APIs

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Adventure Packages

  • net.kyori.adventure.text.* - Text components
  • net.kyori.adventure.audience.* - Message recipients
  • net.kyori.adventure.sound.* - Sound playback

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Getting Started

  1. Add the dependency to your build configuration
  2. Create a plugin class extending JavaPlugin
  3. Create a paper-plugin.yml with plugin metadata
  4. Implement your features using the API
  5. Test with the test-plugin module or on a server
Check out the Plugin Development Guide for a complete tutorial.

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API Resources

Javadocs

Complete API reference documentation

Paper Forums

Community support and discussions

Discord

Real-time help and community

GitHub

Source code and issue tracking

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Next Steps

Bukkit API

Learn about the core Bukkit API

Paper API

Explore Paper-specific features

Events

Work with the event system

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