# How to Find and Share Your Minecraft Server Logs (/docs/minecraft/find-share-server-logs)



import { Step, Steps } from 'fumadocs-ui/components/steps';
import { Files, Folder, File } from 'fumadocs-ui/components/files';

Server logs are the **first place to look** for any problem on a Minecraft server — startup errors, plugin crashes, player events, and warnings all live there. This guide shows you where to find them, how to read them, and how to share them properly when asking for help.

Where Logs Live [#where-logs-live]

<Files>
  <Folder name="(server root)" defaultOpen>
    <Folder name="logs" defaultOpen>
      <File name="latest.log" />

      <File name="2026-04-06-1.log.gz" />

      <File name="2026-04-05-1.log.gz" />

      <File name="2026-04-05-2.log.gz" />
    </Folder>

    <Folder name="crash-reports">
      <File name="crash-2026-04-07_10.30.45-server.txt" />
    </Folder>

    <File name="server.properties" />
  </Folder>
</Files>

| File                       | Contains                                                             |
| -------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `logs/latest.log`          | Current session's full log                                           |
| `logs/YYYY-MM-DD-N.log.gz` | Compressed previous sessions, numbered per day                       |
| `crash-reports/`           | Detailed crash dumps (only created when the server actually crashes) |

View the Live Log [#view-the-live-log]

For real-time output, use the [XGamingServer Panel](https://panel.xgamingserver.com) **Console** in the sidebar — it streams the log as the server runs. This is the same content as `latest.log`, just live.

Download an Old Log [#download-an-old-log]

<Steps>
  <Step>
    Open Files [#open-files]

    Click **Files** in the panel sidebar.
  </Step>

  <Step>
    Navigate to logs/ [#navigate-to-logs]

    Open the `logs/` folder.
  </Step>

  <Step>
    Download the relevant log [#download-the-relevant-log]

    * For the **current session**: download `latest.log`
    * For an **older session**: download the `.log.gz` file matching the date
  </Step>

  <Step>
    Decompress (.log.gz files) [#decompress-loggz-files]

    `.log.gz` is gzip-compressed. Open it with:

    * **Windows**: 7-Zip, WinRAR, or PeaZip
    * **Mac**: double-click in Finder
    * **Linux**: `gunzip filename.log.gz`
  </Step>
</Steps>

Share Logs with mclo.gs [#share-logs-with-mclogs]

When asking for help in support or Discord, **never paste 5,000 lines of log into chat**. Use [mclo.gs](https://mclo.gs/), the standard Minecraft log paste service.

<Steps>
  <Step>
    Copy the log content [#copy-the-log-content]

    Open `latest.log` and copy the entire contents (or the relevant section if you can identify it).
  </Step>

  <Step>
    Paste into mclo.gs [#paste-into-mclogs]

    Go to [mclo.gs](https://mclo.gs/), paste the log into the text area, and click **Save**.
  </Step>

  <Step>
    Share the link [#share-the-link]

    Copy the resulting URL (e.g., `https://mclo.gs/abc1234`) and paste it in support chat or our [Discord](https://discord.xgamingserver.com/).
  </Step>
</Steps>

mclo.gs **automatically analyzes** common errors and highlights them in the **Analysis** tab — sometimes it catches the issue before you even share the link.

What to Look For in a Log [#what-to-look-for-in-a-log]

| Pattern                | Meaning                                             | Severity   |
| ---------------------- | --------------------------------------------------- | ---------- |
| `[INFO]`               | Normal informational message                        | None       |
| `[WARN]`               | Potential issue, server still running               | Low–Medium |
| `[ERROR]` / `[SEVERE]` | Something failed                                    | High       |
| `Exception in thread`  | Java exception (read the next \~20 lines)           | High       |
| `Caused by:`           | Root cause of a stack trace — **always check this** | Critical   |
| `Could not load`       | Plugin/mod failed to load                           | High       |
| `Disabling plugin`     | Plugin was unloaded due to error                    | High       |
| `OutOfMemoryError`     | Ran out of RAM                                      | Critical   |
| `Watchdog Thread`      | Server hung — restart required                      | Critical   |
| `Done (X.XXXs)!`       | Server finished starting successfully               | None       |

> **Read the FIRST error, not the last.** Later errors in a log are usually side effects of the first one. Start at the top of the failure and work down.

Filter the Noise [#filter-the-noise]

`latest.log` can be thousands of lines. To narrow down:

* **Look for `[ERROR]` or `[SEVERE]`** — Ctrl+F in any text editor
* **Find `Caused by:`** — that's the actual root cause
* **Identify the timestamp** of when the issue started
* **Cross-reference with player reports** — match player chat lines to the time of the issue

Common Mistakes [#common-mistakes]

| Mistake                                   | Fix                                                                 |
| ----------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Pasting raw log into Discord              | Use mclo.gs — Discord truncates long messages                       |
| Sharing only the last 10 lines            | Share the full log so the first error is visible                    |
| Ignoring `.log.gz` files                  | They contain the same useful info — decompress to read              |
| Reading only Console without saving       | Console scrolls away. Download `latest.log` for permanent reference |
| Sharing logs that don't include the issue | Verify the timestamps match your problem before sharing             |

Related Guides [#related-guides]

* [Find / Read Crash Reports](/docs/minecraft/find-read-crash-reports)
* [Server Won't Start](/docs/minecraft/fix-server-wont-start)
* [Java Exit Codes](/docs/minecraft/fix-java-exit-codes)
* [Common Issues](/docs/minecraft/common-issues)