Supercharge your Terraria server by installing tShock plugins through the Pterodactyl panel. This step-by-step guide walks you through everything — from finding plugins to uploading them and restarting your server.
What Is tShock and Why Use Plugins?
tShock is a powerful server toolbox for Terraria packed with anti-cheat tools, server-side characters, group permissions, item bans, and a wealth of admin commands. On top of all that, it supports plugins — letting you customize and extend your server’s gameplay far beyond vanilla limits.
Step 1 — Find Your Plugin
Head to the official TShock plugin list at github.com/Pryaxis/Plugins to browse all available community plugins. Choose a plugin that is compatible with your current TShock version — you can check your server version in-game or via the console using the /version command. Always download the .dll file for your chosen plugin.
Step 2 — Stop Your Terraria Server
Before uploading any files, it is critical to stop your server first. Modifying server files while the server is running can corrupt your data and cause serious issues. In your Pterodactyl panel, navigate to your Terraria server instance and click Stop to shut it down completely.
Step 3 — Upload the Plugin to the ServerPlugins Folder
In your Pterodactyl panel, open the File Manager and navigate to the ServerPlugins folder. This is the dedicated directory where all tShock plugin .dll files must be placed. Click Upload and browse to your downloaded .dll file, then upload it into the ServerPlugins directory. If your plugin came in a .zip archive, extract it first to obtain the .dll before uploading. Note: on Linux-based servers, make sure the folder is named exactly ‘ServerPlugins’ (case-sensitive) to avoid startup errors.
Step 4 — Restart Your Server
Once the plugin file has been successfully uploaded, return to the Console tab in your Pterodactyl panel and start your server. tShock will automatically detect and load any .dll files placed in the ServerPlugins folder on startup. Check the console output to confirm your plugin has loaded without errors.
Troubleshooting Tips: If a plugin fails to load, verify that it is compatible with your installed version of tShock. Ensure the folder is named ‘ServerPlugins’ (not ‘serverplugins’), especially on Linux. If you encounter a number range error on startup, delete the auth.lck file and restart tShock. Always back up your server files before adding new plugins.