How to Pregenerate Chunks on Your Minecraft Server
Learn how to pre-generate chunks to reduce lag from world generation on your Minecraft server.
Chunk generation is one of the biggest performance drains on a Minecraft server. Every time a player explores new terrain, the server has to generate chunks on-the-fly, causing lag spikes. Pre-generating chunks ahead of time eliminates this problem by creating the terrain before players get there.
Installing Chunky (Paper/Spigot)
The easiest way to pregenerate chunks is with the Chunky plugin, available through the XGamingServer Plugin Manager.
⚠️ Warning: The Plugin Manager requires Paper or Spigot. If you're running a different server type, see the Fabric/Forge section below.
Stop your server
Log in to the XGamingServer panel and stop your server.
Open Plugins
In the sidebar under CONFIG, go to Plugins.
Install Chunky
Search for Chunky and click Install.
Installing Chunky (Fabric/Forge/NeoForge)
If you're running a modded server, download Chunky as a mod instead:
Download Chunky
Download Chunky for your mod loader and Minecraft version from Modrinth.
Upload the mod
Upload the .jar file to your mods folder via Files.
Restart your server
Restart your server.
For more details on uploading mods, see our mod installation guide.
Preloading Chunks with Chunky
Once Chunky is installed, run these commands from the Console:
Set the pregeneration radius
Run chunky radius <radius>. For example, chunky radius 5000 pregenerates a 10,000 x 10,000 block area.
Start generation
Run chunky start.
By default, Chunky pregenerates the Overworld. To pregenerate other dimensions:
chunky start the_nether— Pregenerate the Netherchunky start the_end— Pregenerate the End
Monitor progress in the Console. Use chunky pause to pause and chunky continue to resume.
⚠️ Warning: Pregeneration is resource-intensive and will cause temporary performance issues while it runs. Run it when the server is empty or during off-peak hours.
💡 Tip: Use ChunkyBorder alongside Chunky to set a world border that matches your pregenerated area. This prevents players from exploring beyond pregenerated chunks and causing new terrain generation lag.
How Much Should You Pregenerate?
| Radius | Area | Best For |
|---|---|---|
1000 | 2,000 x 2,000 blocks | Small friend groups |
3000 | 6,000 x 6,000 blocks | Medium communities |
5000 | 10,000 x 10,000 blocks | Large servers with active explorers |
10000 | 20,000 x 20,000 blocks | Very large servers (uses significant disk space) |
For more performance tips, check our Performance Guide.
If you get stuck at any time, you can join our Discord.
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