Install
Drop the EssentialsXChat jar into /plugins/ alongside EssentialsX. Restart. The chat-formatting section is added to /plugins/Essentials/config.yml automatically.
Tune chat format
Edit the format section in config.yml. Each group gets its own format: {prefix}{name}{suffix} expands via PlaceholderAPI into live values. Use {prefix} from LuckPerms to surface rank, {group} to show short group, {vault_eco_balance_cents} for live money.
Radius and global
Set chat-range to 100 blocks for local chat, leave chat-format clean, and add a /ch global <msg> shortcut for long-range. Most servers tune radius to 75-150 blocks — lower radius pushes players to /msg for private conversations; higher radius dilutes local chat.
MCVote lists Chat servers operating with the plugins covered here.
Find servers using these plugins →Frequently asked questions
Does EssentialsXChat require PlaceholderAPI?
No, but most servers run it anyway. Without PlaceholderAPI, format strings can use only static placeholders; with it, you get live values like balances and prefixes.
How do I disable local chat and only use global?
Set chat-range to 0 in the EssentialsX config. Messages then show in global for everyone within render distance.