How to Set Up PAPI (PlaceholderAPI)

PlaceholderAPI (PAPI) is the bridge that lets every plugin read variables from every other plugin. Want a player's LuckPerms group in their chat name? Their EssentialsX balance on a scoreboard? Their MythicMobs kills in a GUI? PAPI does it. This guide covers the setup.

1. Install

Download PlaceholderAPI from SpigotMC. Drop into plugins/, restart.

2. The mental model

A placeholder is a string like %player_name%. PAPI replaces it at read time with the player's name. Placeholders come from expansions , small modules you install for each integration.

3. Install expansions

From the in-game console:

/papi ecloud download Player
/papi ecloud download Vault
/papi ecloud download LuckPerms
/papi ecloud download Statistic
/papi reload

Each expansion adds a family of placeholders. List them all with /papi list.

4. Test a placeholder

/papi parse Steve %player_name%
/papi parse Steve %vault_eco_balance%
/papi parse Steve %luckperms_primary_group_name%
/papi parse Steve %statistic_mob_kills%

If you see the value, the expansion works.

5. Common placeholders

• %player_name%, %player_displayname%, %player_uuid%
• %player_health%, %player_food_level%, %player_ping%
• %vault_eco_balance%, %vault_eco_balance_formatted%
• %luckperms_prefix%, %luckperms_suffix%, %luckperms_primary_group_name%
• %statistic_play_one_minute% (playtime in ticks), %statistic_mob_kills%

6. Use them in plugins

Most plugins that read placeholders just need you to type them in their config. Examples:

• EssentialsX chat format: {PREFIX}&f{DISPLAYNAME}&7: {MESSAGE} , replace {PREFIX} with %luckperms_prefix%.
• DeluxeMenus: any item name/lore can include placeholders.
• Skript (with skript-placeholders): set {_bal} to placeholder "%vault_eco_balance%" from player.

7. Custom placeholders

Install JavaScript Expansion for tiny scripts:

/papi ecloud download Javascript

Define in plugins/PlaceholderAPI/javascripts/:

// kdr.js
function(args) {
    var k = parseInt(args[0]);
    var d = parseInt(args[1]);
    return d == 0 ? k : (k / d).toFixed(2);
}

Use as %javascript_kdr:5,2%.

8. Common pitfalls

• Expansion installed but the placeholder still shows literally , the consuming plugin doesn't support PAPI. Check its docs.
• /papi reload doesn't reload the consuming plugin's cache , reload that plugin too.
• Putting placeholders in a plugin that runs on console (no player context) , they return blank.

Want to see all this in action? Astroworld MC runs a custom-built economy survival server with custom bosses, eternal enchants, crates and an auction house. Join at astroworldmc.com , IP play.astroworldmc.com, Java + Bedrock crossplay.