Custom Item Names and Lore in Minecraft with EpicRename

Why rename items at all

A renamed sword reads better in the kill feed than "Iron Sword", and a personalized chestplate is one of those tiny details that makes a server feel less like a generic survival world. On PvP servers the name shows up the moment someone dies, which is half the point. On RPG and economy servers, custom item names plus lore (the small text under an item's stats) are basically required to ship quests, ranks, and shop items.

There are several Spigot plugins that do this, but EpicRename is one of the most popular because it covers names, lore, formatting, colors, permissions, and (the killer feature on economy servers) optional in-game currency costs per rename. This guide walks through installing and configuring it on a Minecraft server hosted with HolyHosting.

What EpicRename does

EpicRename is maintained by JustBru00 and has been around since 2015. It's officially aligned with Minecraft 1.13 but runs fine on modern 1.19+ servers. The plugin works almost entirely through commands, with the deeper behavior controlled from `config.yml`. Server owners can rewrite the in-chat messages players see, set a per-item character limit, restrict which worlds allow renaming, blacklist certain items, and gate features behind permissions.

Installing the plugin

If you plan to charge in-game money for renames, also install Vault before EpicRename. Without it, the economy features simply won't fire.

1. Go to the EpicRename page on Spigot and click Download Now.

1. Save the `.jar` file somewhere you can find it on your computer.

1. Open your server panel and open the file manager (or your FTP client).

1. Log in with your panel password, open the `plugins` folder, and click Upload.

1. Drag the downloaded `.jar` into the upload area and let it reach 100%.

1. Return to the main panel and Restart the server so the plugin loads.

1. Join the server and run `/plugins`. EpicRename should appear in green. If it shows up red, or doesn't appear at all, the install failed.

Features in practice

The plugin's job is right there in the name, but it has more depth than "slap a string on a sword". Colors, formatting codes, lore, permission nodes, and economy hooks all sit on top of the same two core commands.

Renaming items

The `/rename` command is what most players will actually touch. The new name is what shows up in chat after kills, when items are dropped on the ground, or when another player hovers over them. Colors and magic formatting can be applied freely unless you blacklist them in the config. By default `/rename` is free, but flipping a single config option puts it behind an in-game currency cost.

Adding lore

Lore is the secondary line of text that appears below an item's name and stats when hovered. It's a great place for flavor text, quest descriptions, or whatever you find funny enough to inscribe on a wooden hoe. Players use `/lore` to set it. Like rename, lore supports colors and formatting, and can also be priced in in-game money. Lore doesn't appear in chat unless another plugin specifically surfaces it.

Commands and permissions

If you want granular control over who can rename what, pair EpicRename with a permissions manager like LuckPerms. Permission nodes go well beyond simple `rename` access. For example, `epicrename.rename.format.4` lets a player use the red color code when renaming. The full node list lives on the plugin's Spigot page, and it's worth a read before you start handing out ranks.

Editing the configuration

Most of EpicRename's non-command behavior lives in `config.yml`: economy cost, character limit, enabled worlds, blacklist, chat messages, and similar settings. Each option is annotated with comments, which makes the file genuinely friendly to edit.

1. Open your server panel and head into the file manager (or your FTP client).

1. Enter the `plugins` folder and open the `EpicRename` directory.

1. You'll see a handful of files. Click Edit on `config.yml`.

1. Make your changes. Most lines are documented inline.

1. Click Save at the top and return to the main panel.

1. Restart the server to apply the changes. If you don't want a restart, save the file and run `/EpicRename reload` in-game instead.

Troubleshooting

The plugin isn't running. Run `/plugins` and check the EpicRename entry. Green means loaded, red means it crashed at startup, missing means the `.jar` never landed in the right folder. Confirm you uploaded into the active server profile's `plugins` directory, and remember that EpicRename only runs on Paper or Bukkit forks. Vanilla, Forge-only, or Fabric servers will not load it. If you're on the wrong server type, switch to Paper or Bukkit before troubleshooting further.

Commands don't respond. First, check whether the player has the right permission node. By default most actions require explicit access, which is why a permissions manager like LuckPerms is so handy. If the issue affects you as the server operator, the plugin is almost certainly disabled or didn't install cleanly. Re-check the `/plugins` output, and if everything looks fine, try a different EpicRename version from the History tab on Spigot. Some Minecraft updates introduce small API breaks that older or newer plugin builds handle differently.

Useful references

• EpicRename on Spigot for downloads, version history, and permission documentation.
• How to install Minecraft plugins if this is your first time dropping a `.jar` into the `plugins` folder.
• How to become a server operator if you need OP access to run setup commands.