How to start, stop and restart your server safely

This article explains how to start, stop and restart your PlayNHost server safely from the Game Panel.

1. Log in to the Game Panel

1. Go to https://panel.playnhost.com in your browser.
2. Log in with your panel username and password, or click the Game Panel button from the Client Area to log in automatically.

2. Select your server

3. After logging in, you will see a list of the servers linked to your account.
4. Click the server you want to manage to open its dashboard.

3. Start your server

5. On the server dashboard, look for the main control buttons (for example: Start, Stop, Restart).
6. Click Start to power on the server.
7. Wait a short time for the server to boot. You can watch the progress in the console area. When it is ready, you should see a message indicating that the server is online and listening on its port.

Once the server is running, players can connect using the IP and port shown in your service details.

4. Stop your server safely

8. Before stopping the server, warn any online players so they can log out safely.
9. On the server dashboard, click Stop.
10. Wait for the process to finish. The console should show that the server is shutting down gracefully and then stopping.
11. Do not repeatedly click Stop or close your browser during shutdown; let the process complete to avoid corrupting worlds or save files.

5. Restart your server

12. Use Restart when you need to apply configuration changes, plugin updates or mod changes.
13. On the server dashboard, click Restart.
14. The server will first stop, then start again automatically. Watch the console until it shows that the server is fully online.

Tip: If you have just edited configuration files or installed new mods/plugins, a restart is usually required for changes to take effect.

6. If the server does not stop or start correctly

• Server stuck stopping
  Wait a minute and watch the console. If it does not complete, you may need to stop it again or contact support with the console output.
• Server fails to start
  Check the console for error messages (for example, missing mods, wrong version, or config errors). Fix the issue if possible and try starting again.

If you are unsure about an error shown in the console or your server repeatedly fails to start, please open a ticket from the Support → Submit a Ticket section and include the server name and a copy of the error from the console.