Configuration

Install zChat, configure the filter, cooldown and commands, and understand reload semantics.

Install

Grab a jar from the latest release or Modrinth and drop it in your server's plugins/ folder.
Start the server once — zChat writes a default config.yml.
Edit plugins/zChat/config.yml to taste, then run /zchat reload.
Grant permissions in your permission plugin as needed, including the zchat.group.* nodes that select each rank's chat format.

Filter

The filter block blocks or censors configurable words and regex patterns (case-insensitive, pre-compiled at load):

mode — block cancels the message and warns the sender; censor masks each match with censor-char (default *).
patterns — a list of case-insensitive Java regex entries.
Holders of zchat.bypass.filter are exempt.

Cooldown

The cooldown block enforces a per-player minimum delay (seconds, default 3) between messages. Holders of zchat.bypass.cooldown are exempt.

Commands

Each command shares enabled, aliases and permission, plus its own messages.

/mutechat (mc) — toggle a global chat mute. Only zchat.bypass.mute holders can talk while muted.
/clearchat (cc) — flood the chat with blank lines (default 100) to clear it for everyone; zchat.bypass.clearchat holders keep their view.
/togglechat (tc) — let a player hide or show chat for themselves.
/zchat reload / info (zc) — reload re-reads and re-validates config; info shows build/version and runtime status.

Permissions

Node	Default	Grants
`zchat.command.clearchat`	op	Use `/clearchat`.
`zchat.command.mutechat`	op	Use `/mutechat`.
`zchat.command.togglechat`	everyone	Use `/togglechat`.
`zchat.admin`	op	Use `/zchat reload` and `info`.
`zchat.bypass.mute`	op	Speak while chat is muted.
`zchat.bypass.cooldown`	op	Ignore the cooldown.
`zchat.bypass.filter`	op	Ignore the filter.
`zchat.bypass.clearchat`	op	Keep your chat on `/clearchat`.
`zchat.chat.color`	unset	Colour your own messages.
`zchat.group.<name>`	op	Apply that group's chat format.

All permissions are declared in paper-plugin.yml with these defaults, so zChat is safe out-of-the-box. Custom permissions set in config that aren't declared default to op-only; set them blank ("") for no restriction.

Reload semantics

/zchat reload swaps in a freshly parsed and validated settings snapshot:

Message and behaviour values — formats, filter, cooldown and all text — apply live. Runtime state (mute, per-player toggles, cooldowns) is preserved across the swap.
Structural config — whether a command is enabled and its aliases — is applied when commands are registered at startup, and is therefore restart-only.