How to read Minecraft’s latest.log file

The most valuable information when examining a bug is the fault time, the affected component, and the initial fault chain. Just reading the last line is often not enough.

Step by step

1. Find the file logs/latest.log in the server working directory. If the problem is with a previous boot, check the date of the archived logs.

2. Go to the time you saw the error on the screen. Read the first line ERROR together with the corresponding plugin name and the lines Caused by below.

3. Test a single hypothesis, such as version, port, or dependency. If the error changes on a new boot, note the new first error.

4. When asking for support, share only the relevant department, server software and version information. After the solution, check that the same event does not occur again in the recording.

Keep in mind

Logs may contain player IPs, access keys and internal network addresses. Clean up before sharing.

Source and tools

• PaperMC: Troubleshooting