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How to Set Up IP Forwarding in BungeeCord: Complete Proxy and Spigot Guide

Enable BungeeCord IP forwarding by changing one proxy setting and one backend setting on every Spigot server. Follow the exact YAML paths, restart sequence, verification steps and security checks in this guide.
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Enable IP forwarding on both sides of the connection: set ip_forward: true in the BungeeCord proxy’s config.yml, set bungeecord: true under settings in spigot.yml on every backend server, then restart the proxy and all backends. If either side is left unchanged, Spigot can continue to report the proxy address or use the wrong UUID identity.

This guide explains the exact files, YAML structure, restart sequence, verification checks, security boundaries and common failure modes. It also separates historical version guidance from what can safely be assumed about current BungeeCord and Spigot releases.

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What BungeeCord IP forwarding changes

A BungeeCord network places a proxy between players and one or more Spigot servers. The backend connection therefore originates from the proxy. Without forwarding, a backend may identify every connection as coming from the proxy’s address rather than from the player who actually connected.

IP forwarding changes the information BungeeCord passes to Bukkit/Spigot during the proxy connection. The documented option forwards the player’s true IP address instead of the proxy IP. It also forwards the player’s true online-mode UUID instead of the offline-mode username hash. That distinction matters to bans, permissions, inventories, statistics and any plugin that associates data with a UUID.

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Forwarding is a two-sided configuration. The proxy must be told to send the data, and each Spigot backend must be told to accept the BungeeCord connection format. Setting only one flag leaves the network incompletely configured.

Before you edit anything

Identify the processes and files

You need access to the BungeeCord proxy directory and to the directory of every Spigot backend reached through that proxy. The proxy setting is in config.yml. The backend setting is in spigot.yml, not in the proxy file and not in a plugin configuration.

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If your network has three Spigot servers, all three backend files require the backend setting. Configuring only the lobby server does not configure the survival, minigame or other servers.

Make a backup

Copy each file before editing it. Preserve all existing keys and values, changing only the relevant setting. A backup gives you a direct rollback if a YAML indentation error prevents a process from starting.

Use the syntax generated by your installed version

Configuration layouts can vary between server versions and forks. Keep the key in the location already used by your installed file rather than replacing the entire file with a snippet from a different release. The examples below show the required structure; they are not a reason to delete unrelated settings.

Configure the BungeeCord proxy

1. Open the proxy configuration

Stop editing while the proxy is actively rewriting its configuration, and open the BungeeCord proxy’s config.yml in a plain-text editor. Locate the existing ip_forward entry. If the key is already present, change its value instead of adding a duplicate key.

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2. Set ip_forward to true

The required proxy setting is:

ip_forward: true

Use the YAML boolean true, without quotation marks. YAML is indentation-sensitive, but this top-level option is normally aligned at the left edge of the file. Do not place it under listeners, servers or another mapping unless your installed configuration explicitly shows a different layout.

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3. Save without changing unrelated options

Save the file in plain text and retain the rest of the proxy configuration. In particular, do not remove listener definitions or backend server entries while changing this option. A proxy can start successfully while still routing to an incorrectly configured backend, so a successful process launch alone is not proof that forwarding works.

Configure every Spigot backend

1. Open each backend’s spigot.yml

For every Spigot server that players can reach through BungeeCord, open that server’s own spigot.yml. Do this separately for each backend directory; copying a setting into one server does not propagate it to the others.

2. Enable the BungeeCord setting under settings

Set the option beneath the settings section:

settings:
  bungeecord: true

The two-space indentation in the example places bungeecord inside settings. Match the indentation style already used in your file. If settings: already exists, edit its existing bungeecord key rather than creating a second settings block.

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3. Repeat the change on all backends

Apply the same setting to every Spigot backend behind this proxy. A mixed network can produce confusing results: one server may report a player’s real address while another still reports the proxy, depending on which backend receives the connection.

Restart in a controlled sequence

Saving YAML files does not reload these options. Restart the BungeeCord proxy and all Spigot servers after the edits. A full restart, rather than a plugin reload, ensures that both sides initialize with the new connection behavior.

  1. Save config.yml on the proxy and each backend’s spigot.yml.
  2. Stop or restart the Spigot backends according to your normal maintenance procedure.
  3. Restart the BungeeCord proxy after the backends have been updated.
  4. Wait for every process to finish starting and confirm that no configuration parsing error is reported.
  5. Connect through the BungeeCord listener for the test; do not connect directly to a backend address.

The exact order can be adapted to your maintenance window, but every affected process must be restarted before verification. If one backend was left running, its old setting remains in effect until that process is restarted.

Verify that forwarding is working

Join through the proxy path

Use the address and listener through which normal players enter the network. A direct backend connection bypasses BungeeCord, so it cannot validate proxy forwarding and should not be used as the test path.

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Check the address reported by Spigot

Use a server-side plugin or a server log that reports the connecting player’s address. The expected result is the player’s actual address, not the proxy’s address. Test from a connection whose public address you can identify, and compare the report with that known address.

Check UUID behavior where it matters

Forwarding also carries the player’s true online-mode UUID instead of an offline-mode username hash. A plugin that displays or logs UUIDs can confirm that the identity seen by the backend is consistent with the player’s online-mode account. This is especially relevant when existing data, bans or permissions are keyed by UUID.

Test more than one backend

Switch between at least two backend servers if your network has them. The proxy setting is global to the proxy, but the Spigot setting is local to each backend. Testing only one destination can hide a missing change on another server.

Troubleshooting when the proxy address still appears

Confirm both flags, not just one

Reopen the proxy’s config.yml and verify ip_forward: true. Then inspect spigot.yml on the specific backend showing the problem and verify settings: contains bungeecord: true. Check every backend separately; do not assume that a shared template or one corrected file changed the others.

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Look for duplicate or misplaced YAML keys

A duplicate key, incorrect indentation or a value placed under the wrong section can leave the effective configuration different from what the file appears to show. Keep one active ip_forward entry in the proxy file and one active bungeecord entry in the backend’s settings section. Preserve the syntax generated by the installed version.

Restart both sides again

If you changed a file while its server was running, the process may still be using the old in-memory value. Restart the proxy and the affected backend, then reconnect through the proxy listener. A plugin reload does not substitute for restarting the server processes that read these settings.

Make sure the test is not bypassing BungeeCord

A player who connects directly to a backend is not traversing the forwarding path. Check the address used by the client and the listener selected in the proxy configuration. Test only through the normal proxy entry point.

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Check whether only one backend is affected

If forwarding works on one server but not another, compare the individual spigot.yml files and restart status. The proxy may be correct while one backend still has bungeecord: false, a missing key or an un-restarted process.

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Why the UUID portion is important

BungeeCord’s forwarding option is not limited to an IP address. The configuration reference describes forwarding the player’s true online-mode UUID rather than an offline-mode username hash. A UUID is commonly used as the stable key for player data, so changing the identity presented to a backend can affect how plugins locate existing records.

Do not treat an IP address as a permanent player identity. Addresses can be shared, changed or hidden by network infrastructure, while UUID-based records are designed for account identity. Forwarding supplies both pieces of information so plugins that need the address can use it without replacing UUID-based identity handling.

If a plugin shows apparently new player data after a proxy migration, inspect which UUID form the backend is receiving and whether the plugin previously stored an offline-mode identifier. The forwarding flags determine what Spigot receives; they do not automatically convert every historical database record maintained by a plugin.

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Protect the backend connection

Do not expose backend listeners to arbitrary Internet clients

Forwarded identity is supplied along the proxy path. A backend that accepts unrestricted direct connections can be reached without that trusted path, defeating the assumptions behind the forwarding configuration and expanding the attack surface.

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Keep backend listener ports available only to the BungeeCord proxy or to a network you explicitly trust. The appropriate firewall, private-network or host-access rule depends on your hosting layout, operating system and network design; there is no single universal rule that fits every deployment.

Separate forwarding from network access control

The two configuration flags tell the software how to handle a proxied connection. They do not, by themselves, create firewall rules or prevent a client from attempting a direct connection. Treat proxy configuration and network isolation as separate controls and implement both.

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Use the proxy address only where it is intentional

Some operational logs may still record the proxy as the immediate network peer because the TCP connection is made by the proxy. The purpose of forwarding is to provide the player’s true address and UUID to Bukkit/Spigot through the proxy protocol, not to rewrite every layer of network logging. Interpret diagnostics in the context of the component producing them.

Historical version guidance and current uncertainty

The SpigotMC guide commonly cited for this setup identifies BungeeCord #711 and higher and Spigot 1.7 #5 and higher as historical prerequisites for manually enabling forwarding on both sides. Those figures come from a 2018-era guide and should be treated as historical context, not as a guarantee for every current BungeeCord fork, Spigot release or related server implementation.

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Current software may change defaults, configuration wording or supported forwarding behavior. Before upgrading, read the documentation for the exact proxy and backend builds you run. The available documentation does not provide a complete compatibility matrix covering every modern combination, so do not infer support for an unlisted fork or version solely from the historical numbers.

Regardless of version, preserve the same decision rule: use the configuration keys and nesting generated by your installed software, configure the proxy and each backend consistently, restart all affected processes and verify through the proxy listener.

Operational checklist

  • Back up the proxy config.yml and every backend spigot.yml.
  • Set ip_forward: true in the BungeeCord proxy configuration.
  • Set settings: followed by bungeecord: true in every Spigot backend configuration.
  • Keep YAML indentation and existing configuration structure intact.
  • Restart the proxy and all backends after saving.
  • Connect through the BungeeCord listener, never directly to a backend, for testing.
  • Confirm that a backend-side plugin or log reports the player’s real address.
  • Confirm UUID behavior if your plugins depend on online-mode identity.
  • Restrict backend listener access to the proxy or a trusted network.
  • When troubleshooting, inspect each backend independently and verify that it was restarted.

What a correct result looks like

A correctly configured network has matching intent on both sides: BungeeCord is allowed to forward the player’s address and online-mode UUID, and Spigot is configured to accept that proxied information. Players enter through the proxy listener, backend diagnostics report the player’s address rather than the proxy address, and UUID-dependent plugins see the online-mode identity supplied through the proxy path.

If those results are not present, return to the smallest complete check: inspect the two flags, confirm their exact nesting, restart both processes and test through the proxy. Then check backend access controls and version-specific documentation before changing unrelated settings.

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