Converting Your World from Vanilla to Spigot

If you switch from a Vanilla Minecraft server to Spigot, Paper, or CraftBukkit, you need to change the structure of your world folders so that all dimensions work correctly.

This guide shows you how to rearrange the folder structure so your worlds keep working as expected on Spigot.

Why is this necessary?

Vanilla stores all dimensions inside the main world folder:

world/ → Overworld
world/DIM-1/ → Nether
world/DIM1/ → End

Spigot and its variants store each dimension in its own folder:

world/ → Overworld
world_nether/ → Nether
world_the_end/ → End

For Spigot to load your worlds correctly, you need to move the dimensions out of world/ and into separate folders.

Step by step: Converting to Spigot

1. Stop the server

Stop your server from the control panel to avoid corruption while moving files.

2. Download your world files

Download the entire world/ folder to your computer via FTP or the file manager.

3. Create the new folders

Create the following folders in the server's root directory:

world/
world_nether/
world_the_end/

4. Move the dimensions

Move the files from world/ as follows:

Move everything except DIM-1 and DIM1 to world/
Move the contents of world/DIM-1/ to world_nether/
Move the contents of world/DIM1/ to world_the_end/

If DIM-1 or DIM1 do not exist, it is possible you have not visited those dimensions yet.

5. Upload the folders

Upload the three folders (world, world_nether, world_the_end) back to the server's root directory via FTP or the file manager.

6. Start the server

Start the server again. Spigot should now load all worlds correctly.

Important notes

Always make a backup before you make any changes
Check that your players are placed correctly in the world after the conversion
If you use plugins, make sure they point to the correct worlds

Need help with this process? Contact our support team, we are happy to help.

Converting Your World from Vanilla to Spigot