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Groups are the core building blocks of your SimpleCloud infrastructure. A group defines a template for servers that share the same configuration, and can automatically scale based on player demand.
Looking for static servers? They’ve been replaced by Persistent Servers - single instances that keep their data between restarts and don’t auto-scale.

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Understanding Groups

A group is a collection of servers that:
  • Share the same software (Paper, Velocity, etc.) and configuration
  • Can automatically scale up or down based on player count
  • Are deployed to your configured server hosts
  • Inherit plugins, properties, and workflows from the group configuration
There are two types of groups:
  • Server Groups - Minecraft game servers (Spigot, Paper, Fabric, etc.)
  • Proxy Groups - Load balancers that route players to servers (Velocity, BungeeCord)

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Creating a Group

1

Navigate to Groups

Click Groups in the navigation to view your existing groups. Click the New Group button in the top right.
2

Configure Basics

  • Name: Enter a unique name for your group (e.g., “Lobby”, “SkyWars”, “BungeeCord”)
  • Type: Choose Server for game servers or Proxy for load balancers
  • Activate on creation: Toggle on to start scaling immediately after creation
3

Select Software

  • Software: Choose your server software (Paper, Spigot, Purpur, Fabric, Velocity, etc.)
  • Version: Select the Minecraft/software version
  • Custom URL: Alternatively, provide a direct download URL for custom server JARs
  • Configurator: Select how your server should be configured (appears for Server type)
4

Set Resources

  • Memory: Use a preset or set custom min/max memory allocation (in MB)
  • Max Players: Maximum players allowed per server instance
5

Configure Scaling

  • Scaling Mode:
    • Slots - Scale based on available player slots
    • Servers - Scale based on server count
  • Min Servers: Minimum servers to keep running at all times
  • Max Servers: Maximum servers allowed to scale up to
  • Player Threshold: Percentage (0-100%) at which to trigger scaling
  • Available Slots: Number of open slots to maintain across the group
6

Network (Proxy only)

For proxy groups, configure the Starting Port for incoming player connections.
7

Add Plugins (Optional)

Search and select plugins from Modrinth to automatically install on all servers in this group. You can also add plugins later in group settings.
8

Review and Create

Review your configuration summary and click Create Group to finish.

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Group Status

StatusMeaning
HealthyRunning normally, meeting minimum server requirements
ScalingCurrently scaling up to meet player demand
DownNo servers running - verify the group is activated, at least one server host is enabled in deployment settings, and hosts have available resources
InactiveGroup is deactivated - enable it in general settings
DisabledMinimum servers set to 0 - increase min servers to start scaling

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Group Settings

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General Settings

  • Active Toggle: Enable or disable auto-scaling
  • Memory: Adjust min/max memory allocation
  • Max Players: Change player limit per server
  • Tags: Add organizational tags for filtering

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Scaling Settings

Fine-tune auto-scaling behavior:
  • Scaling Mode: Switch between Slots and Servers mode
  • Server Limits: Adjust min/max server counts
  • Player Threshold: When to trigger scaling (as decimal, e.g., 0.8 = 80%)
  • Available Slots: Target number of open slots to maintain
  • Idle Time: How long before scaling down idle servers (e.g., “3m”, “1h”)

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Deployment Settings

Control where servers are deployed:
  • Toggle hosts on/off to allow or prevent deployment
  • Drag to reorder priority (when some hosts are disabled)
  • First host in the list is preferred for new server deployments
When all hosts are enabled, servers are distributed automatically. Disable some hosts to set a specific priority order.

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Blueprint Settings

Modify the underlying server template:
  • View current software and version
  • Change configurator settings
  • Edit JVM options and runtime arguments

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Properties Settings

Add custom key-value properties to your group:
  • Properties are metadata you define for your own use
  • Access them in your plugins via the Cloud API
  • Available as environment variables on servers (prefixed with SIMPLECLOUD_)
  • Use cases: game modes, map names, custom settings for your plugins

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Workflows Settings

Automate tasks with workflows:
  • Manual Workflows: Trigger on demand
  • On Start Workflows: Run when servers start
  • On Stop Workflows: Run when servers stop

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Plugins Settings

Manage plugins for the group:
  • Add plugins from Modrinth, GitHub, or direct URLs
  • View installed plugins with source information
  • Remove plugins from the group

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Danger Zone

Permanently delete the group:
  • Removes the group and its configuration
  • Does not delete running servers (stop them first)
  • Requires confirmation by typing the group name