> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.wasabihosting.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# How to Install Plugins on Your SCP:SL Server

> Install plugins on your SCP: Secret Laboratory server hosting instance with LabAPI or EXILED — setup, plugin folders, configs, and version compatibility.

Plugins are what set memorable SCP:SL servers apart — custom roles, admin tools, events, stat tracking, and quality-of-life tweaks all come from the plugin ecosystem. This guide explains the two plugin frameworks, how to install plugins on your Wasabi Hosting server, and how to keep them working across game updates.

## The Two Plugin Ecosystems

SCP:SL has two major plugin frameworks. Plugins are built **for one framework or the other** — a plugin `.dll` made for EXILED won't load under LabAPI, and vice versa.

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="LabAPI (official)">
    **LabAPI** is Northwood Studios' official plugin API, the successor to the earlier NWAPI/PluginAPI. It ships with recent dedicated server builds, is maintained by the game's developers, and is updated in lockstep with the game itself — so official-API plugins tend to survive game updates with less breakage.

    Choose LabAPI if you want maximum stability and the plugins you need exist for it.
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="EXILED (community)">
    **EXILED** is the long-running community framework with the largest plugin catalog by far — most well-known community plugins (custom roles, events, admin suites) target EXILED. It's installed on top of the server and maintained by community developers, which means a short delay after major game updates while the framework catches up.

    Choose EXILED if the plugins you want are EXILED-only (they often are).
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

<Note>
  Pick **one** framework based on where the plugins you want live, and stick with it. Check each plugin's page for which framework and game version it targets before downloading.
</Note>

## Install the Framework

<Steps>
  <Step title="Check what's already there">
    Recent SCP:SL server builds include Northwood's plugin loader out of the box — if you're going the LabAPI route, there's usually nothing extra to install. For EXILED, you install the framework on top of the server.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Download the framework release">
    For EXILED, grab the latest release from the official EXILED GitHub repository. Download the release archive that matches the **current game version** — an old framework build won't load on an updated server.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Upload per the framework's instructions">
    Open the **File Manager** in the [Game Panel](https://panel.wasabihosting.com) (or connect via SFTP — see [File Management](/server/file-management)) and place the framework's files exactly where its install instructions say. EXILED's loader hooks into the server's plugin loading, and its own files live under an `EXILED` folder in the server's AppData-style config directory.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Restart and verify">
    Restart the server and watch the panel **Console** during boot — the framework announces itself with a version banner when it loads correctly.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Install a Plugin

<Steps>
  <Step title="Download the plugin .dll">
    Download the plugin's `.dll` (plus any dependency `.dll` files it lists) from its official release page, matching your framework and game version.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Upload it to the plugins folder">
    Place the `.dll` in your framework's plugins directory using the File Manager:

    | Framework  | Plugins folder                                                                                    |
    | ---------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
    | **EXILED** | The `Plugins` folder inside the `EXILED` directory (under the server's AppData-style config path) |
    | **LabAPI** | The framework's `plugins` folder (per-port or global, under the server's config path)             |

    Exact paths have moved between framework versions, so follow the layout your installed version created. Dependency libraries usually go in the framework's dedicated dependencies folder — check the plugin's install notes.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Restart the server">
    Restart (don't just wait for a round restart) so the plugin loads cleanly.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Verify it loaded">
    Watch the **Console** during startup. Each successfully loaded plugin logs a load message with its name and version. If a plugin is missing from the list or logs an error, note the message — it almost always names the problem (wrong version, missing dependency).
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Configure Your Plugins

Plugins generate their configuration files automatically on **first successful load** — you won't find a config to edit until the plugin has run once. After the first restart:

* **EXILED** merges plugin settings into shared, per-port YAML config files under its `Configs` folder.
* **LabAPI** plugins keep their configs in the framework's config directory, typically one folder or file per plugin.

Edit the YAML in the File Manager, then restart to apply. YAML is indentation-sensitive — use spaces, never tabs. For the server's own (non-plugin) config files, see the [server configuration guide](/games/scpsl/server-configuration).

## Keep Plugins Matched to the Game Version

<Warning>
  SCP:SL plugins are compiled against a specific game version. After a **major game update**, expect plugins (and EXILED itself) to break until their developers release updated builds. Symptoms include plugins silently not loading, error spam in the console, or the server failing to start rounds.
</Warning>

A safe update routine:

1. Take a [backup](/server/backups) before updating anything.
2. Update the framework first (for EXILED, install the release built for the new game version).
3. Update each plugin to a build that declares support for the new version.
4. Remove or disable plugins that haven't been updated yet — one incompatible plugin can destabilize the whole server.

## What Plugins Should I Start With?

Browse each framework's plugin catalog for current options. Popular categories include:

* **Admin and moderation tools** — extended Remote Admin commands, logging, and auto-moderation
* **Custom roles and items** — new classes, custom keycards and weapons, and role-based events
* **Round and event plugins** — special game modes, round-end variety, and scheduled events
* **Stats and integrations** — player stat tracking, Discord bridges, and server status feeds

## Troubleshooting

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Plugin doesn't appear in the console load messages">
    Confirm the `.dll` is in the correct plugins folder (not a subfolder or still zipped), that it targets your framework (EXILED vs. LabAPI), and that its supported game version matches your server's.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Missing dependency errors at startup">
    The console names the missing library. Download the dependency `.dll` from the plugin's release page and place it in the framework's dependencies folder, then restart.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Server broken after adding a plugin">
    Remove the most recently added `.dll` and restart. If the server recovers, the plugin is incompatible or misconfigured — check its issue tracker or Discord for known problems.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Config changes not applying">
    Make sure you edited the config for the right port/server instance, saved the file, and fully restarted. Invalid YAML (tabs, wrong indentation) causes plugins to fall back to defaults — check the console for parse warnings.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

Need a hand? Open a [support ticket](https://billing.wasabihosting.com/submitticket.php) or ask in our [Discord](https://discord.wasabihosting.com) — we're around 24/7.

<Card title="Host your plugin-powered SCP:SL server" icon="rocket" href="https://wasabihosting.com/game-servers/scp-sl">
  SCP: Secret Laboratory hosting from **€8.00/month** on Ryzen hardware — plenty of headroom for EXILED and a full plugin stack.
</Card>