LuckPerms is the most widely used permissions plugin in the Minecraft ecosystem, and for good reason: it handles everything from a simple two-rank server to complex multi-server networks with inheritance and per-world contexts.
Step 1: Download LuckPerms
Get it from the official LuckPerms site or Modrinth, matching your platform, LuckPerms supports Bukkit-based servers (Spigot, Paper), as well as Fabric, Sponge, Velocity, and BungeeCord if you are running a network.
Step 2: Install the jar
Drop it into your plugins folder and restart. LuckPerms generates its config and a SQLite database (or connects to MySQL if you configure it) on first launch.
Step 3: Create your first group
By default, everyone starts in the default group with no special permissions. Create an admin group with the console command:
/lp creategroup admin
Then grant it permissions and set it up as inheriting from default:
/lp group admin permission set <permission.node> true
/lp group admin parent add default
Step 4: Assign a player to the group
/lp user <username> parent add admin
Step 5: Use the web editor for anything complex
Run /lp editor to generate a link to LuckPerms' web-based permission editor, a visual interface for managing groups, permissions, and inheritance that is far faster than typing individual commands once your setup grows beyond a couple of groups.
Granting plugin-specific permissions
Most plugins document their permission nodes on their own page (EssentialsX, WorldGuard, and WorldEdit all do this extensively). Search for the specific node you need and grant it the same way as any other permission, /lp group <group> permission set <node> true.
A note on contexts
LuckPerms supports contextual permissions, different permissions per world, per server (in a network), or based on other conditions, useful once you need staff permissions to only apply in specific areas rather than everywhere.
Getting it running quickly
Tick Hosting's panel includes LuckPerms in its one-click plugin installer, so you can start assigning groups immediately without a manual download. Available on every plan, including the free tier, from Tick Hosting's plans page.