Listener Priorities

ALWAYS RESTART

⚠️ You must restart your server (not reload) after changing any listener priority settings!

Understanding Bukkit Priorities

Bukkit uses a priority system to determine the order in which plugins process the same event (like a player sending a chat message).

Plugin Processing Order

LOWEST

First

→

LOW

→

NORMAL

Default

→

HIGH

→

HIGHEST

→

MONITOR

Last

How Priorities Affect Plugin Interaction

Each plugin can:

• Modify the event (change message content, recipients, etc.)
• Cancel the event (prevent it from continuing)
• Uncancel an event (override a previous cancellation)

📝 Example Scenario

LOWEST

Protection Plugin

Checks if player can build here

❌ Cancels block placement

→

NORMAL

Sign Plugin

Checks if it's a sign

✅ Uncancels if it's a sign

→

MONITOR

Logging Plugin

Records the final result

📋 Logs the action

ChatControl and Priority Settings

Why Priority Matters for ChatControl

⚠️ Critical Rule

As a general rule, ChatControl needs to process chat FIRST (at LOWEST priority) to properly filter messages.

If another plugin processes chat before ChatControl, messages might be sent to other systems (e.g., Discord) even if ChatControl would have blocked them.

Modern Minecraft Considerations (1.16+)

In Minecraft 1.16+, there are two different chat events that plugins can use:

Traditional Chat Event

Used by older plugins

Priority example: LOWEST

Modern Chat Event

Used by newer plugins

Priority example: LOWEST-MODERN

Tip

If you're having issues with a plugin on 1.16+, try both versions (with and without the -MODERN suffix) to see which works best with your specific plugin combination.

Plugin Compatibility Guide

Common Plugin Settings

Plugin	Recommended Setting	Notes
Towny / Factions	Chat_Listener_Priority: LOWEST	May need adjustments based on your specific setup
LiteBans / BanManager	Chat_Listener_Priority: HIGH	Fixes issue with muted players being able to chat
PlotSquared	Chat_Listener_Priority: LOWEST	For plot-specific chat functionality
Denizen	Chat_Listener_Priority: HIGH	Allows Denizen to catch chat triggers for scripts
DiscordSRV	Chat_Listener_Priority: LOWEST	Ensures messages are filtered before being sent to Discord

Troubleshooting Decision Tree

Not sure what priority to use? Follow this flowchart:

Start Here

↓

Is ChatControl not filtering some messages?

Yes

→

Try LOWEST or LOWEST-MODERN

↓

Can muted players still chat?

Yes

→

Try Chat_Listener_Priority: HIGH

↓

Using chat-dependent plugins
(Towny, Factions, etc.)?

Yes

→

Start with LOWEST, then try others

↓

Still having issues?

Yes

→

Try each priority systematically,
restarting after each change

FAQ

Do I need to restart after changing priorities?

Yes! Always restart your server (not reload) after changing any priority settings.

What does the -MODERN suffix do?

It tells ChatControl to listen to the newer chat event introduced in Minecraft 1.16+. Some plugins use the old event, some use the new one.

How do I know which priority is right for my server?

There's no one-size-fits-all setting. You'll need to test different priorities based on your specific plugin combination and observe the results.