Requirements and compatibility
Last updated August 31, 2026
Everything Sheriffguard needs on your server, and what it does and does not run alongside. Written for whoever installs and operates the plugin. If you are on a current Paper, Purpur or Spigot build with PacketEvents installed, the short answer is that it will work.
On this page
What does Sheriffguard require?
| Minecraft | 1.21 or newer Java Edition, running natively rather than translated. |
|---|---|
| Server software | Paper, Purpur or Spigot Folia is in beta. One jar covers all of them. |
| Java | 21 or newer Minecraft 1.21 already requires Java 21, so a server that starts has it. |
| PacketEvents | Latest release The only required dependency. Keep it current. |
| Outbound network | HTTPS One outbound connection for licensing and offloaded analysis. No inbound port to open. |
| Database | None Nothing to provision, configure or back up. |
| Licence key | One per plan Applied on first start. Plans begin at 100 player slots. |
| Install | Drop in plugins/ Setup, licensing and configuration are handled on first run. |
Which Minecraft versions are supported?
Sheriffguard targets 1.21 and every release after it, running natively. New Minecraft versions are supported as they land rather than treated as a migration.
Sheriffguard is designed and optimised for the latest Minecraft versions. It may work with older versions through protocol translators, but serving clients from 1.8.8 to 1.20.x that way is not recommended. Protocol differences between those versions and the current one lead to false positives and incorrect detections.
Which server software does it run on?
Sheriffguard is a server plugin, not a proxy plugin. It goes in the game server’s plugins/ folder. There is nothing to install on a proxy, and running it on one is not supported.
| Platform | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Paper | Supported | The primary target. Every check runs. |
| Purpur | Supported | Treated as Paper. Every check runs. |
| Spigot | Supported | Fully supported. |
| Folia | Beta | Regionised threading changes how world state can be read, so this is still being hardened. Run it, and report what you see. |
| Other Spigot forks | Unsupported | Unsupported unless named above. Forks change the internals the checks depend on, so each one has to be verified before it can be listed. |
| Vanilla / CraftBukkit | Unsupported | No plugin API surface to hook the packet stream through. Use Paper. |
| Modded (Forge, Fabric, NeoForge) | Unsupported | Mods change the movement and combat behaviour the checks model. Not a target. |
What dependencies does it need?
- PacketEvents (latest version)
- ProtocolLib
- LPX
- Any protocol compatibility library
- knockbacksync
None of these are needed. Sheriffguard reads the packet stream through PacketEvents directly.
What is the recommended setup?
- A native, current Minecraft version, with no protocol translation.
- The latest PacketEvents release.
- No ProtocolLib and no LPX installed.
What server-side software is unsupported?
- Any software that interferes with Transaction packets.
- Any Spigot fork not named in the table above.
- ViaVersion running on BungeeCord or Velocity.
Which clients are unsupported?
- Any client that does not adhere to the vanilla protocol.
- Client automation software, such as Printer or Litematica. See the list below.
Bedrock players connecting through Geyser are handled separately. They are excluded automatically rather than checked, because Bedrock movement does not match the Java model the checks are built on. You do not need to configure anything for this.
Which client mods cause false positives?
The mods below are not cheats, and running one does not mean a player was cheating. They are listed because they change packet behaviour: click timing, packet ordering, inventory interactions, rotations or custom payloads. Sheriffguard reads the packet stream, so altered behaviour can look like automation and raise a false flag on an otherwise honest player.
Players running them can expect kicks, cancelled actions or bans. Nothing needs configuring on your side, but publishing the list ahead of time turns a support ticket into a rule your players already knew.
Known to alter packet behaviour40 listedShow allHide
- Litematica
- Tweakeroo
- Schematica (all variants, including Printer)
- Mouse Tweaks
- Any Crystal PvP optimizer
- Inventory Profiles Next (IPN)
- Inventory Tweaks (Renewed / Reborn)
- ItemScroller (Masa)
- InvMove (Inventory Move)
- AutoSwitch / AutoTool / Tool Swap
- Crafting Tweaks
- Controllable / MidnightControls (controller support)
- Autofish / auto clicker mods
- Carpet Client / tick rate mods
- ViaFabricPlus / multiconnect
- Debug / packet dump mods
- Debugify
- Anchor Optimizer / Hero's Anchor Optimizer
- Client-side crystal optimizer
- No Delay Optimizer
- Dokko's Hotbar Optimizer
- Hero's Elytra Optimizer
- Quick Exp
- Pro Placer
- Fast XP
- No Input Lag Tick Rate
- Packetify (packet modifications)
- Old Combat Mechanics / Combatify / Combat Tweaks
- Step Up / Auto Step / AutoStep+
- Climb Assist
- Elytra Swap / Rocket Swap
- Heavy custom payload mods
- Standalone auto clickers
- BlockClicker / AutoPlace clickers
- Macro-based attack mods (Forge / Fabric)
- AutoBow / AutoCrossbow
- AutoEat (timing-based)
- ButterflyClickerMod
- Betterhitreg
- Patcher (older versions with PvP modules)
You can post this to your server players as it stands, alongside the list above. It also covers anyone who tries to bypass that list, or who builds their own version of a mod in order to manipulate packets.
Mods are used at your own risk. Any client modification that changes combat, movement, inventory, automation or networking, or that provides an unfair advantage, may be detected even if it is not listed above. Claiming uncertainty or lack of awareness is not a valid excuse.
Not sure your setup fits?
Tell us what you run and we will tell you plainly whether it works, before you pay for anything.
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