How to Transfer Spigot or Paper Nether and End Worlds to Vanilla

If you are moving a Minecraft world from Spigot or Paper to Vanilla, you can transfer the Nether and End along with your existing Overworld.

The main difference is how the dimension folders are stored. Spigot and Paper normally expose the Nether and End as separate folders in the server root, while Vanilla stores them inside the main world folder as DIM-1 and DIM1.

How Are Nether and End Worlds Stored?

A typical Spigot or Paper server has a structure similar to:

world/
world_nether/
world_the_end/

The folders normally represent:

• world/ — Overworld
• world_nether/ — Nether
• world_the_end/ — End

If your main world has a different name, check the level-name setting in server.properties.

The Nether and End folders normally use the same world name with _nether and _the_end appended.

For example, if your world is named survival, the folders may be:

survival/
survival_nether/
survival_the_end/

How Does Vanilla Store the Nether and End?

Vanilla stores the dimensions inside the main world folder.

The standard folder names are:

world/
├── DIM-1/
└── DIM1/

where:

• DIM-1 — Nether
• DIM1 — End

The name of the main world folder can be different from world.

For example:

survival/
├── DIM-1/
└── DIM1/

is also valid if level-name=survival.

Step 1: Back Up Your Spigot or Paper Server

Before transferring anything, create a backup of the source server.

In the Beacon Hosting panel:

1. Open Your Servers.
2. Select your Spigot or Paper server.
3. Open Backups.
4. Create a backup.

Keep this backup until you have confirmed that the Vanilla server is working correctly.

Step 2: Stop the Source Server

Stop the Spigot or Paper server before copying its world files.

This ensures Minecraft is not writing to the world while you are downloading it.

Do not copy or modify active world folders while the server is running.

Step 3: Find Your World Folders

Open the server's Files section.

Locate your main world and its dimension folders.

For a standard world named world, you will normally find:

world/
world_nether/
world_the_end/

If the names are different, check level-name in:

Files → server.properties

For example, if:

level-name=survival

your folders may be:

survival/
survival_nether/
survival_the_end/

Step 4: Download the Nether and End

Download the Nether and End folders from the Spigot or Paper server.

For large worlds, compressing the folders before downloading can make the transfer easier.

You need:

world_nether/
world_the_end/

or their equivalent folders if your world has a different name.

If you are moving the entire world rather than only the dimensions, transfer the main world folder as well.

Step 5: Convert the Nether Folder

Vanilla expects the Nether inside the main world folder under:

DIM-1

For example:

world_nether/

becomes:

world/DIM-1/

Do not simply leave world_nether in the Vanilla server root.

The contents of the Nether world should be placed inside the DIM-1 directory.

Step 6: Convert the End Folder

Vanilla expects the End inside the main world folder under:

DIM1

For example:

world_the_end/

becomes:

world/DIM1/

Again, DIM1 must be inside the main world folder.

Your Vanilla world should therefore look approximately like:

world/
├── DIM-1/
├── DIM1/
├── playerdata/
├── region/
├── level.dat
└── ...

The exact contents will vary depending on your Minecraft version and world.

Step 7: Preserve Player Data

If you are transferring the entire world, preserve the contents of the main world folder rather than replacing only individual dimension folders.

The playerdata directory contains per-player world data, including information such as inventories and player locations.

The stats directory contains player statistics.

If you are using an existing Vanilla Overworld and only importing the Nether and End, do not blindly replace the Vanilla world's playerdata or other world metadata.

Only transfer those files if you specifically want the player state from the original world.

Step 8: Upload the Dimensions to Your Vanilla Server

Open the Vanilla server in Your Servers and open Files.

Locate the main world folder.

For a world named world, upload the converted dimensions so that the structure is:

world/DIM-1/
world/DIM1/

Do not upload them like this:

DIM-1/
DIM1/

at the server root.

They must be inside the main world folder.

If your main world is named survival, use:

survival/DIM-1/
survival/DIM1/

Step 9: Check the World Configuration

Before starting the Vanilla server, check its server.properties.

Make sure level-name points to the world folder containing your Overworld and imported dimensions.

For example:

level-name=world

corresponds to:

world/

If level-name=survival, Vanilla will load:

survival/

instead.

Step 10: Start or Restart the Vanilla Server

Once the files are in the correct locations, start the Vanilla server.

If the server was already running while you uploaded the files, stop and restart it before testing the dimensions.

Minecraft should detect the Nether and End using their standard Vanilla folder locations.

Step 11: Verify the Nether and End

Join the server and check both dimensions.

Verify that:

• Nether builds are present
• End builds are present
• Terrain is correct
• Chests and containers contain the expected items
• Important structures are intact
• Player data is correct if you transferred it
• Nether portals lead to the expected locations
• The End and Nether load without errors

Check the server console and logs for errors if either dimension does not load correctly.

What Happens to Nether Portals After the Transfer?

Existing Nether portal data should generally remain with the transferred world, but portal behavior and coordinate linking should still be tested after changing server software.

Do not assume that every portal will behave exactly as it did on the original server.

Test important Overworld ↔ Nether portal pairs before deleting your original backup.

Will My Builds Transfer From Spigot or Paper to Vanilla?

Normal Minecraft blocks, terrain, containers, entities, and world data can generally be transferred between compatible versions of Java Edition server software.

However, content provided by plugins is different.

Spigot and Paper plugins can add functionality or data that Vanilla does not understand.

For example, a plugin may create:

• Custom items
• Custom blocks
• Plugin-managed entities
• Plugin-specific data
• Custom inventories
• Protection data
• Economy data

That plugin-specific functionality will not automatically become available on a Vanilla server.

What About Plugin Data?

Plugin data normally lives outside the standard Minecraft world data and should not be expected to transfer to Vanilla.

For example, a protection plugin may store information about:

• Protected regions
• Player claims
• Permissions
• Homes
• Warps
• Economy balances

Vanilla does not provide those plugin systems.

If you are permanently moving away from Spigot/Paper, check each important plugin separately to determine whether its data needs to be exported or converted.

Can I Transfer Only the Nether or End?

Yes.

You can transfer only the Nether and/or End without replacing your Vanilla Overworld.

For example, to import only the Nether:

world_nether/

is converted to:

world/DIM-1/

To import only the End:

world_the_end/

is converted to:

world/DIM1/

Make sure the destination world is the correct world specified by level-name.

Can I Transfer the Whole Spigot or Paper World to Vanilla?

Yes, provided the world and Minecraft versions are compatible and the world does not depend on plugin-specific content.

For a complete migration, transferring the entire world is generally safer than manually reconstructing individual directories.

The important part is ensuring that the dimensions end up in the layout expected by the Vanilla server.

What If the Nether or End Generates a New World?

If Vanilla creates a new Nether or End instead of loading the transferred one, stop the server and check:

1. The dimension folder is inside the correct main world folder.
2. The Nether is named DIM-1.
3. The End is named DIM1.
4. level-name points to that same main world folder.
5. The transferred world files are actually inside those directories.
6. The server is using the expected Minecraft version.
7. The original world backup is still available.

Do not repeatedly delete and regenerate worlds while troubleshooting without first preserving your transferred files and backup.

What If the World Uses a Different Minecraft Version?

Be careful when moving worlds between different Minecraft versions.

Minecraft world formats and game mechanics can change between releases. A world may be upgraded when opened by a newer version, and moving it back to an older version can be unsafe.

Do not downgrade a world without a verified backup and a migration path appropriate for the versions involved.

Ideally, perform the transfer using the same Minecraft version first, confirm that the world loads correctly, and then upgrade versions separately if necessary.

Can I Go Back to Spigot or Paper?

Usually, yes, if you retain a backup of the original server.

However, do not rely on a Vanilla server having converted your world back into the exact state it had before the migration.

Keep the original Spigot/Paper backup until you are completely satisfied with the Vanilla server.

Quick Answer: How Do I Transfer a Nether and End From Paper to Vanilla?

Stop the Paper or Spigot server and create a backup first.

For a world named world, convert the dimensions:

world_nether/   →   world/DIM-1/
world_the_end/ →   world/DIM1/

Then start the Vanilla server and verify that the Nether and End load correctly.

The main points are:

• world_nether becomes DIM-1
• world_the_end becomes DIM1
• Both folders go inside the main Vanilla world folder
• level-name must point to that main world
• Back up the original server before making changes
• Plugin-specific content and data will not automatically work in Vanilla
• Test the migrated world before deleting the original backup