[1.18–26.x] ConfigRescue | YAML & JSON Validator + Safe Restore

A safety net for every server configuration

One bad indentation, a missing quote or an extra comma can stop a plugin from loading after a restart. ConfigRescue gives server administrators a clear, local recovery workflow before they have to rebuild a configuration from memory.

It scans plugin data folders, identifies malformed YAML and JSON, preserves verified working states and lets you inspect exactly what changed before restoring anything.

Everything stays on your server. ConfigRescue has no cloud account, no telemetry and no external network connections.

Why ConfigRescue?

FIND THE PROBLEM	PRESERVE WHAT WORKS	RESTORE WITH CONTROL
Detect malformed YAML and JSON with useful line and column information.	Create a known-good snapshot only when every enabled configuration passes validation.	Review a diff, verify snapshot hashes and confirm the restore within 30 seconds.

Core features

• YAML and JSON validation — scans .yml, .yaml and standard .json files
• Useful error reports — shows parser failures with line and column context
• Automatic startup protection — creates known-good snapshots after a completely clean startup scan
• Manual snapshots — preserve a verified state whenever you choose
• SHA-256 integrity checks — every restored file must match the snapshot manifest
• Emergency recovery copy — affected current files are copied before replacement begins
• Two-step restore confirmation — prevents accidental restores and expires after 30 seconds
• Configuration diff — inspect line-by-line changes directly from the command
• Asynchronous work — scanning and backup operations do not block the main server thread
• Flexible scanning — configure retention, size limits, scan depth, file types and glob-style exclusions
• Path safety — ignores symbolic links and rejects unsafe restore paths
• Customizable messages — adapt ConfigRescue output to your server

Simple recovery workflow

1. SCAN
Check one plugin or every detected plugin data folder.

2. SNAPSHOT
Store a new known-good state. The backup is refused if a discovered configuration is invalid or skipped.

3. COMPARE
Review the difference between the current file and a verified snapshot.

4. RESTORE
Run the restore command once to review the warning, then repeat it within 30 seconds to confirm.

Restart the server after restoring another plugin's configuration so that plugin can safely load the restored values.

Commands

Aliases: /crescue and /cr

Permissions

All permissions default to server operators.

Installation

1. Stop your server.
2. Place the ConfigRescue JAR in the plugins folder.
3. Start the server.
4. Run /configrescue scan all.

Compatibility

Platform	Spigot and Paper
API baseline	Spigot 1.18.2
Runtime verified	Spigot 26.2 on Java 25
Required Java	Java 17 or newer
Dependencies	None
Telemetry	None
External connections	None

Important limitation

ConfigRescue validates YAML and standard JSON syntax. It cannot know whether another plugin accepts a specific option, material name, world name or numeric value. It deliberately does not guess how malformed configurations should be repaired.

Files created after a snapshot are not deleted during restoration. Cache, log and backup paths are excluded by default so frequently changing JSON data is not accidentally treated as configuration.

Support

When reporting a problem, please include:

• Server software and version
• Java version
• ConfigRescue version
• Command used
• Relevant error message

Never publish passwords, API tokens or database credentials.