# Use the Minecraft console

> Follow server output, send commands, and diagnose startup, plugin, mod, and player errors.

Open **Dashboard → Services → your Minecraft service → Server → Console**.

## Follow live output

The console loads recent history and follows new output. Scrolling away from the bottom pauses automatic following; use the scroll-to-bottom control to resume it.

During startup, wait for the server software's ready message. Repeating warnings or errors after startup usually point to a configuration, plugin, mod, world, network, or resource problem.

The console combines three sources:

- **Runtime** entries are emitted by the Minecraft server, plugins, or mods.
- **State** entries describe AppLaunch connection or server-state changes.
- **Command** entries show commands sent from the dashboard and whether they were accepted or failed.

Colours distinguish those sources; they are not a universal severity scale. Server families and extensions choose their own formats. Terms such as `WARN`, `ERROR`, `SEVERE`, an exception class, or a stack trace should be read with the lines immediately above them. A state message that the server stopped may be the result of an earlier runtime error rather than the cause.

## Send a command

Enter a server-console command without the in-game leading slash, then submit it. Commands are available only while the node is online and the server is running.

Use commands supported by the installed server family and plugins. Check a command before running it; console access can change operators, whitelist, worlds, permissions, and stored data.

## Diagnose a failure

1. Reproduce the problem once.
2. Find the first error near that time.
3. Read the complete exception or cause chain.
4. Identify the named plugin, mod, file, version, port, or world.
5. Stop the server before changing files.
6. Change one thing, then start and retest.

Do not focus only on the final shutdown line. It often reports the consequence rather than the cause.

## Share console output safely

Copy only the relevant section. Remove IP addresses, tokens, database passwords, player personal data, and private plugin configuration. Include the server family, Minecraft version, Java version, and approximate UTC time in a support ticket.

For file-related recovery, see [Manage Minecraft files and SFTP](/minecraft/files-and-sftp/).

For comparison with other AppLaunch services, see [Understand AppLaunch service logs](/support/understand-logs/).