How to Pregenerate Chunks On Your Minecraft Server World

Pregenerating chunks creates terrain in your Minecraft world before players explore it, which can significantly improve server performance and prevent lag spikes during gameplay. This guide shows you how to pregenerate chunks using popular plugins compatible with your server type.

Why Pregenerate Chunks?

Chunk pregeneration offers several benefits:

• Reduced lag: Generating chunks on-demand causes lag spikes when players explore new areas
• Improved performance: Server CPU usage is more consistent without real-time chunk generation
• Better player experience: Players won't experience stuttering or lag when exploring new terrain
• World borders: Pregeneration works well with world border plugins to limit world size

This guide focuses on Chunky, which is the most popular and actively maintained option for both modded and plugin-based servers.

Installing Chunky

1. Navigate to the Wabbanode Control Panel and select your Minecraft server.
2. Stop your server if it is currently running.
3. Download the appropriate version of Chunky for your server type:
   • Paper/Spigot/Bukkit: Download from Chunky on SpigotMC or Hangar
   • Fabric: Download from Chunky on Modrinth
   • Forge/Neoforge: Download Chunky from CurseForge
4. Click Files to access the file manager.
5. Navigate to the plugins folder (or mods folder for Fabric/Forge/Neoforge servers).
6. Click Upload Files and select the downloaded Chunky JAR file.
7. Start your server to load the plugin.

Pregenerating Chunks with Chunky

Once Chunky is installed, you can use commands to configure and start pregeneration:

Basic pregeneration commands:

1. Join your server with operator permissions or use the server console.
2. Set the center point for pregeneration (usually spawn):

   /chunky center <x> <z>
   

   Or to use your current location:

   /chunky center
   

3. Set the radius to pregenerate (in blocks):

   /chunky radius 5000
   

   This will pregenerate chunks in a 5000-block radius from the center point.
4. Set which world to pregenerate:

   /chunky world <world_name>
   

   For example: /chunky world world for the Overworld, /chunky world world_nether for the Nether.
5. Start the pregeneration process:

   /chunky start
   

Monitoring progress:

• Check pregeneration status: /chunky progress
• Pause pregeneration: /chunky pause
• Resume pregeneration: /chunky continue
• Cancel pregeneration: /chunky cancel

Performance Considerations

Chunk pregeneration is CPU and disk-intensive. Consider these tips:

• Run during off-peak hours: Pregenerate when players are not online to avoid performance issues
• Start with smaller areas: Test with a 1000-2000 block radius before attempting larger areas
• Monitor server resources: Watch CPU and disk usage in the Wabbanode panel
• Be patient: Large pregeneration tasks can take hours or even days depending on radius and server performance
• Adjust speed if needed: Chunky has quiet mode (/chunky quiet) to reduce console spam

Troubleshooting

• Server crashes during pregeneration. Reduce the pregeneration radius or pause pregeneration when players are online. Check that you have sufficient RAM allocated to your server.
• Pregeneration is very slow. This is normal for large areas. Ensure no other intensive tasks are running, and consider upgrading your server plan for better CPU performance.
• Commands not working. Verify that Chunky is installed correctly in the plugins or mods folder. Check the console for any error messages during server startup.
• World not generating. Ensure you specified the correct world name with /chunky world. Use /chunky world without arguments to see available worlds.
• Running out of disk space. Large pregeneration areas require significant storage. Monitor your disk usage in the panel and consider reducing the radius or upgrading your storage.