EssentialsX Chat: The Guide to Formatting Your Minecraft Chat

So, you've set up your ranks in LuckPerms, given them cool colored prefixes, but when players talk in-game, the chat is still the plain, boring default. This is a common problem, and the solution is a dedicated chat formatting plugin. The most reliable and widely used is EssentialsX Chat.

This plugin is the crucial link between your permissions plugin (like LuckPerms) and what players actually see in chat. This guide will show you how to set it up correctly.

What Does EssentialsX Chat Do?

EssentialsX Chat has one primary job: it takes information like a player's prefix, suffix, and name from your permissions plugin and arranges it according to a format you define. It doesn't create prefixes; it simply displays them.

To work correctly, it requires:

• EssentialsX (Core): This is the main plugin. EssentialsX Chat is a module and will not work without it.
• LuckPerms: To provide the prefixes, suffixes, and group information.
• PlaceholderAPI: While not strictly required for basic prefixes, it's needed for the plugins to communicate effectively. It's highly recommended to have it installed.

Installation and Configuration

1. Download the Plugins: Get both the main EssentialsX plugin and the EssentialsX Chat module from the downloads section below.
2. Install Them: Place both EssentialsX.jar and EssentialsXChat.jar into your server's /plugins folder.
3. Restart the Server: This will generate the configuration files.

Configuring the Chat Format

The main setting you need to change is located in the EssentialsX config.yml file, not in a separate config for the chat module.

1. Open the /plugins/Essentials/config.yml file.
2. Search (Ctrl+F) for the word format:. You should find a section dedicated to chat.
3. The default format line looks something like this:
   format: '<{DISPLAYNAME}> {MESSAGE}'

This format is functional but can be improved. {DISPLAYNAME} is the placeholder that EssentialsX uses to fetch the player's prefix, name, and suffix from LuckPerms. {MESSAGE} is the actual text the player types.

A more common and professional format looks like this:

format: '{DISPLAYNAME}&r: &f{MESSAGE}'

Let's break it down:

• {DISPLAYNAME}: Still pulls the prefix and name (e.g., [Admin] Steve).
• &r:: The &r code resets any formatting from the prefix (like boldness or color), so the colon is white and plain.
• &f{MESSAGE}: The &f ensures the player's message text is always white, preventing players from using color codes from their prefix in their message.

After changing the format, save the config.yml file and run the command /essentials reload in-game or from the console.

Conclusion

EssentialsX Chat is a simple but absolutely essential plugin for making your server's chat look complete. It's the missing piece that visually brings your rank system to life. With just a one-line change in the configuration, you can transform your server's chat from default and boring to professional and organized.