Importing a Server

If you already have a Minecraft server running elsewhere, you can import it into Cliff without losing any of your data, configuration, or mods. The import wizard walks you through four steps: Source, Detected, Resources, and Review.

Step 1 — Source

Click Import server in the sidebar to open the import wizard. The source step presents a drop zone where you provide your existing server:

• ZIP file — Drag and drop a .zip archive onto the drop zone, or click to browse and select one
• Folder — Drag and drop a server folder onto the drop zone, or click Browse folder instead to pick a directory (uses the browser's folder picker)

Cliff copies the provided files into its managed storage first, then moves on to detection.

Step 2 — Detected

Cliff automatically detects and fills in:

• Server type — by examining the JAR files and their metadata
• Minecraft version — from the server JAR's manifest
• Loader version — for modded servers (Fabric, Forge, NeoForge)
• Mods — count of detected mods (and how many are disabled)
• Port — from server.properties if present
• Launch target — the JAR used to start the server

Review the detected values and change anything that looks wrong. You can override the display name, server type, Minecraft version, loader version, and launch target before continuing.

Step 3 — Resources

Configure the runtime resources:

• Min memory (MB) — Initial heap size (-Xms), with memory presets
• Max memory (MB) — Maximum heap size (-Xmx), with memory presets
• Port — The port players connect to (defaults to the detected port or 25565)
• Advanced launch settings (collapsible):
  • Java command — Path to the Java runtime (with presets)
  • Extra args — Additional JVM arguments (with presets)

Step 4 — Review

Confirm all settings — type, Minecraft version, loader, port, mod counts, memory, and launch target — then click Import server. Cliff finalizes the import and adds the server to your sidebar.

What gets imported

Everything in your server folder is preserved:

• World data (world/, world_nether/, world_the_end/)
• Configuration files (server.properties, ops.json, whitelist.json, etc.)
• Mods and plugins (mods/, plugins/)
• Server JARs and loader files
• Log files
• Any other files present in the folder

After import

Once imported, the server appears in your sidebar in a stopped state. You can start it immediately, or make configuration changes first via the Settings panel.