McWebserver: Turn Your Minecraft Server Into a Web Host
Most Minecraft mods add blocks, mobs, or machines. McWebserver does something completely different: it runs a lightweight HTTP server right alongside your game server, letting you publish websites, share files, and hand out server backups without renting extra hosting or configuring a separate machine. If you have ever wanted your Minecraft world to double as a tiny web platform, this is the add-on that makes it happen.
What McWebserver Actually Does
At its core, McWebserver spins up an HTTP server on the same machine as your Minecraft server. Once it is running, you can drop HTML files, images, downloads, or backup archives into a root directory and serve them to anyone with the address. No Apache, no Nginx, no VPS juggling. The mod handles the web side while your Minecraft server keeps ticking away in the background.
You can adjust the port to whatever you prefer, which matters if another service already occupies the default. From there, the design of your site is entirely up to you, since the mod simply serves whatever files you place in the directory.
A Powerful API for Server Data
Beyond static file hosting, McWebserver ships with a capable API. You can fetch information about players and the server itself, which opens the door to status pages, live player counters, or custom dashboards that update automatically. The API is documented on the project's wiki, so building something useful does not require reverse-engineering anything.
Performance and Compatibility
The obvious worry with any add-on like this is lag. According to the developer, the HTTP server has up to no performance impact on the Minecraft server, which means your tick rate and player experience should stay untouched even while files are being served.
Loader support breaks down like this:
- Fabric and Quilt: Fully supported and actively maintained, with back-ports reaching as far as Minecraft 1.17 Pre-release 1 starting from version 0.1.2.
- Forge: Support has ended. The only Forge release covers Minecraft 1.19 through 1.19.2, so players on newer Forge versions are out of luck.
In practice, this makes McWebserver for Minecraft a Fabric-first project. If you are running a modern Fabric or Quilt server, you are in the best-supported position.
If you would rather not wrestle with manual mod placement, the foxygame.net launcher offers a one-click install path for McWebserver, pulling the correct build for your server version straight from its add-on catalog and keeping it updated automatically.
How to Install McWebserver
Getting started is straightforward, though the exact steps depend on your loader. The general process looks like this:
- Confirm your Minecraft version and loader, since Forge only works on 1.19 to 1.19.2.
- Download McWebserver from the official project page and place the jar in your server's mods folder.
- Start the server once so the mod can generate its configuration files.
- Open the config and set your preferred port and root directory.
- Drop your website files into that directory and restart the server.
For detailed setup instructions, configuration options, and API usage, refer to the project wiki, which covers everything from directory structure to endpoint behavior.
A Serious Security Warning
This is the part too many admins skim past. Used carelessly, McWebserver can become a genuine security risk, not just for your Minecraft server but for every device on the same network. Anything you place in the web root becomes public to the entire internet. Never put configuration files, world saves you want private, credentials, or personal documents in that folder. Only serve files you are genuinely comfortable with strangers downloading. The developer is explicit about this: use at your own risk.
Who Should Use It
McWebserver suits a specific kind of server owner. Community servers that want a simple status page or a place to distribute resource packs and backups will find it genuinely convenient. Developers testing webhooks or small APIs against live server data will appreciate the built-in endpoints. Anyone who just wants a vanilla survival experience, however, has little reason to add an HTTP server to their setup.
The mod fills a niche no other add-on really touches, and it fills it well. Host a site, share your files, expose a bit of server data through the API, and keep your tick rate intact. Just keep that web root clean, because on the internet, everything you serve is public.