Direct answer

Stop the server, back up the config, edit one documented setting, then start normally and compare the file. Determine whether the plugin is migrating, rejecting or rewriting the value.

What it means

A file can revert because of invalid YAML, an obsolete key, automatic migration, editing a generated file instead of the active one, or the panel overwriting files from a template. Some plugins intentionally normalize configuration when starting.

If you are a player

  1. If a visible feature resets, report the exact behavior and time after restart. Only an administrator should edit plugin YAML or database values.

If you run the server

  1. Make a copy of the affected file before restarting. Verify the correct config path and plugin version from the plugin developer’s current documentation.
  2. Use a YAML-aware editor, spaces rather than tab indentation where YAML requires it, and preserve expected data types. Inspect the first warning or migration message in logs/latest.log.
  3. Change exactly one setting while the server is stopped. On restart, compare before and after; if another file is authoritative (per-world config, database or panel variable), update that source instead.
  4. Avoid manual edits during runtime unless the plugin explicitly supports them. Do not use /reload as a substitute for a clean restart.
How to verify the fix

The selected setting survives two clean stop/start cycles and the plugin demonstrates its intended effect without config parse errors.

References

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