> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://esmp-fun.gitbook.io/plugins/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://esmp-fun.gitbook.io/plugins/community-chat/getting-started/set-up-the-network.md).
# Set up the network
One person — the **network operator** — does this once for the whole network. Plan for about 30 minutes. When you're done, every community connects itself with [two steps and a token](/plugins/community-chat/getting-started/connect-a-server.md).
Your purchase comes with two files:
* **`ccsrv-relay.jar`** — the hub. You (the operator) run this one, once, on a machine that stays on.
* **`ccsrv-spoke.jar`** — the plugin. Each Minecraft server installs this one. You don't need it on the relay machine.
The relay can run on any computer with Java 25: **your existing Minecraft hosting** (often free — many hosts let you split your plan into a second small instance), a cheap VPS ($2–5/month), or — for a first test — simply your own PC. Steps 0–3 below are the same everywhere; Step 4 is where you pick a home for it.
## Step 0 — Check Java
Open a terminal on the relay machine and run:
```
java -version
```
If it says version 25 or higher, you're good. If not (or it says "not found"), install the latest Java from [adoptium.net](https://adoptium.net) and check again.
## Step 1 — Create the Discord bot
You create **one** bot; it serves every community.
1. Go to [discord.com/developers/applications](https://discord.com/developers/applications) and click **New Application**. Name it whatever your network should be called.
2. Open the **Bot** page (left sidebar).
3. Click **Reset Token** → copy the token somewhere safe. You'll paste it into the config in Step 3. Treat it like a password.
4. On the same Bot page, scroll down and switch **ON** the toggle called **Message Content Intent**. Don't skip this — without it the bot can see nothing and the bridge stays silent.
5. Open the **General Information** page and copy the **Application ID** — you need it in the next step.
## Step 2 — Invite the bot to every community's Discord
Paste this link into your browser, replacing `YOUR_APP_ID` with the Application ID from Step 1, then pick a server and approve:
```
https://discord.com/oauth2/authorize?client_id=YOUR_APP_ID&scope=bot&permissions=536988672
```
Repeat once per community. (Whoever runs each Discord needs to do the approving — send them the link.) The permission number covers exactly what the bridge needs: View Channels, Send Messages, Manage Webhooks, Read Message History.
## Step 3 — Create the config file
Shortcut: if you start the relay once without a config (Step 4's command), it creates a `config.yml` template next to the jar for you — open it and fill in the marked spots.
Or do it by hand: in the same folder as `ccsrv-relay.jar`, create a plain text file named exactly `config.yml` and paste this in:
```yaml
# Community Chat — relay config (minimal starter)
discord:
token: "PASTE-YOUR-BOT-TOKEN" # from Step 1
# One block per community. Copy-paste a block to add more.
communities:
emerald: # internal name — pick anything, no spaces
displayName: "EmeraldMC" # the community's full name
tag: "EMER" # short tag players see in chat, max 10 characters
color: "#4caf50" # the tag's in-game color (hex)
spokeToken: "INVENT-A-LONG-RANDOM-SECRET-1"
guildId: 111111111111111111 # that community's Discord server id
chatChannelId: 222222222222222222 # the Discord channel where network chat should live
sapphire:
displayName: "SapphireSMP"
tag: "SAPH"
color: "#2196f3"
spokeToken: "INVENT-A-LONG-RANDOM-SECRET-2"
guildId: 333333333333333333
chatChannelId: 444444444444444444
```
Then fill in the blanks:
Bot token
The token you copied in Step 1 (Discord Developer Portal → your app → Bot → Reset Token). Paste it between the quotes.
The ids — guildId and chatChannelId
In Discord: Settings → Advanced → turn on **Developer Mode**. Now right-click a server icon → **Copy Server ID** (that's `guildId`), and right-click the chat channel → **Copy Channel ID** (that's `chatChannelId`).
spokeToken — one invented password per community
A password you invent, one per community, at least 20 random characters. You'll hand each community its own token in Step 5. Mashing the keyboard is fine; a password generator is better.
Windows tip: make sure the file is really called `config.yml` and not `config.yml.txt` — Windows hides file extensions by default.
That's all a network needs. Every other setting (looks, anti-spam, automod, events) has a sensible default — see the [full relay settings reference](/plugins/community-chat/reference/relay-settings.md) when you want to tune things.
## Step 4 — Start it where it will live
For a quick test on your own PC, just run this in the folder with the jar and the config:
```
java -jar ccsrv-relay.jar
```
Within a few seconds the console should say `Discord connected` and `Listening on ...`. If it prints an error instead, the [troubleshooting page](/plugins/community-chat/help/troubleshooting.md) covers every common one.
For the real thing, follow the guide that matches your setup — each one takes you from a bare machine to a relay that starts itself and survives reboots:
* [**Run the relay on your Minecraft hosting**](/plugins/community-chat/getting-started/relay-on-a-minecraft-server.md) — on the same control panel your server already lives on (Kinetic, Apex, Bisect, …); no SSH, no Linux.
* [**Run the relay on a VPS**](/plugins/community-chat/getting-started/relay-on-a-vps.md) — a small always-on rented machine, independent of any one Minecraft server.
* [**Run the relay on your own computer**](/plugins/community-chat/getting-started/relay-on-your-own-pc.md) — free and working in 15 minutes, for testing, demos, or while you sort out somewhere permanent. Your computer has to stay on, and the address changes each time you start it.
## Step 5 — Hand out the tokens
Send each community's admin two things:
1. their `spokeToken` from your config,
2. the relay address: `wss://crosschat.your-domain.com` — the domain address from the last step of your hosting guide ([Give the relay a domain address](/plugins/community-chat/getting-started/relay-behind-443.md)). Hand out the raw `ws://ADDRESS:PORT` form only for testing on your own server — hosts routinely block outbound connections to unusual ports, so an IP-and-port address handed to the whole network is the single most common source of "some servers connect, some don't".
And a link to [Connect a server](/plugins/community-chat/getting-started/connect-a-server.md) — their part takes two minutes. One note: the relay's port must be reachable from the internet — each hosting guide shows where to open it. The Minecraft servers need no open ports at all.
## Adding a community later
Copy-paste one `communities:` block in the config, invite the bot to their Discord (Step 2 link), restart the relay, and send them their token. The restart takes a few seconds; connected servers reconnect on their own and in-game chat is never interrupted.