# Trial GriefDefender economy-mode claim costs before switching modes

Economy-based claims change how players pay for land. Measure the effect on a copy before replacing an established claim-block policy with money-based costs.

## Before you start

GriefDefender uses LuckPerms and claim-aware rules. Current documentation describes YAML by default with optional HOCON; check the format your server actually generated. Claim, parent and wilderness contexts matter, so record the location and affected player before changing rules.

## Work through the check

1. Back up GriefDefender storage and configuration and record existing player allowances, claim ownership and the active economy provider.
2. Read the installed release’s economy-mode options and cost or sale-return settings, checking the required provider integration without enabling the mode on production.
3. On an isolated copy, enable only the documented economy mode and choose a low-cost empty test area with a normal account and a recorded balance.
4. Create the test claim through supported controls, inspect its charged amount and ownership, then test any sale or refund behavior only on that disposable claim.

## Confirm the result

The trial should establish the actual purchase and refund policy, including the effect on existing allowance displays. Player-facing prices should agree with the observed debit before the change is announced.

## If the result differs

A working Vault installation does not prove that the selected provider or the configured cost is correct. Check startup hooks and generated options before editing balances to make a failed trial look successful.

## Recover safely

Restore the isolated checkpoint before another policy trial. Keep production mode unchanged until a separate migration plan covers existing claims and balances; do not sell or abandon real claims as a test.

## Documentation and related help

Check the [GriefDefender maintainer documentation](https://docs.griefdefender.com/wiki/Configuration) and [GriefDefender maintainer reference](https://docs.griefdefender.com/wiki/) against your installed release before applying changes.

Related CloudExa help: [Configure GriefDefender claims and LuckPerms safely](https://help.cloudexa-hosting.com/books/minecraft-plugins/page/configure-griefdefender-claims-and-luckperms-safely) and [Find Minecraft logs and send useful troubleshooting details](https://help.cloudexa-hosting.com/books/game-hosting/page/find-minecraft-logs-and-send-useful-troubleshooting-details).