Prepare the world

A few minutes of setup before you paste prevents the common problems: rotting leaves, fire, mobs wandering into the build, and a mistake you can't take back.

Back up the world

Stop the server and copy the world's folder (for example world/) somewhere safe, or take a backup in your host's panel. //undo can reverse a paste, but a backup is the only reliable way back if a big paste goes wrong partway through.

Choose where the build goes

• Spawns, hubs and lobbies work best in a world of their own. An empty void world is the cleanest choice, with no terrain to clear and nothing for the build to collide with. Most world-management plugins can create one.
• On existing terrain, pick a spot bigger than the build. You'll check the build's exact footprint before pasting, on the next page.
• In ungenerated land, the server has to generate every chunk the paste touches, which slows the paste down. Fly over the area first so the chunks exist.

Upload the schematic

If the download is a .zip, unzip it first. Then upload the schematic over SFTP or with your host's file manager, into your plugin's schematics folder:

• FastAsyncWorldEdit: plugins/FastAsyncWorldEdit/schematics/
• WorldEdit: plugins/WorldEdit/schematics/

A few things to watch for:

• WorldEdit only creates its schematics folder the first time someone saves a schematic, so create it yourself if it's missing.
• If paths.per-player-schematics is true in FAWE's config.yml, each player has their own folder. Put the file in schematics/<your-uuid>/ instead.
• Rename files with spaces in their names, for example Spawn Hub.schem to spawn-hub.schem. They're easier to load.

Run //schem list in game to check the file is there. You don't need to restart.

Set the game rules

Each world has its own game rules. Run these in game while you're standing in the world you're pasting into.

Turn off random ticks first

Random ticks are how Minecraft changes blocks by itself. Leaves decay, crops and saplings grow, grass spreads or dies back to dirt, farmland dries out, ice and snow melt, and copper oxidises.

Builds are full of leaves that aren't attached to a log, such as custom trees, hedges and brushed foliage. With random ticks on, those leaves can start disappearing within minutes of the paste. Turn them off before you paste:

/gamerule random_tick_speed 0

On versions before 1.21.11, use /gamerule randomTickSpeed 0. The default value is 3.

Keep it at 0, or turn it back on?

• Lobby, hub, spawn or showcase world: leave it at 0. Nothing in a lobby needs to grow, and it keeps the build exactly as it shipped.
• Survival world: crops and saplings need random ticks. Make the build's leaves permanent first (see After the paste), then set the rule back to 3.

Other rules for lobby and spawn worlds

These rules are optional. They protect the build in worlds where players don't play survival, so don't set them in a survival world. Pick the ones you want:

• Fire spread stops fire spreading through wooden builds.
• Mob griefing stops creepers blowing holes and endermen taking blocks.
• Mob spawning stops mobs spawning naturally in and around the build.
• Time freezes the day and night cycle, so the build stays in the light you set with /time set.
• Weather keeps rain and storms away.

On 1.21.11 and newer, in that order:

/gamerule fire_spread_radius_around_player 0
/gamerule mob_griefing false
/gamerule spawn_mobs false
/gamerule advance_time false
/gamerule advance_weather false

Before 1.21.11:

/gamerule doFireTick false
/gamerule mobGriefing false
/gamerule doMobSpawning false
/gamerule doDaylightCycle false
/gamerule doWeatherCycle false

Next: Paste the build.