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Configuring server.properties

This article is available for both Minecraft editions:

Understanding the server.properties file is crucial for configuring and customizing your Minecraft server. This guide highlights the essential attributes within the file, enabling you to optimize and alter your server settings for the best gameplay experience.

:pencil2: Accessing & Configuring server.properties

There are two possible methods to access server.properties, you may either directly alter the file found in the File Manager, or using our server.properties editor:

  1. Log in to the Dashboard.

  2. Choose a server within your server list.

  3. You will be redirected to your server’s Console page. On the top navigation bar, hover over “Server” then click on Server Properties.

To edit a setting, depending on the type, you may have to select an option from the given dropdown or type in a string of values. Settings that only accept a true or false value are referred to as booleans, while settings that require a typed value are called strings. In boolean settings, true signifies enabled while false signifies disabled.

To save your changes, simply click on “Submit” at the top of the properties list.

:wrench: Configurations:

server-name

Possible Values: String
Default Value: Dedicated Server

Specifies the name of the server as it appears in the multiplayer server list.

gamemode

Possible Values: survival, creative, adventure, spectator Default Value: survival

This setting defines the default game mode for players joining the server, such as survival, creative, or adventure mode.

force-gamemode

Possible Values: Boolean Default Value: false

This setting forces all players to be switched to the default game mode upon (re)joining the server.

difficulty

Possible Values: peaceful, easy, normal, hard Default Value: easy

This setting defines the difficulty level of the server, affecting mob behavior and player damage.

  • If set to peaceful, no hostile mobs will spawn and health regenerates quickly.
  • If set to easy, hostile mobs will spawn but deal less damage compared to normal. Hunger depletes slowly.
  • If set to normal, mobs will deal average damage. Some additional behavior is enabled (eg. vindicators can break doors).
  • If set to hard, hostile mobs will deal more damage, hunger will deplete faster, and additional behavior is enabled, including the changes from normal.

allow-cheats

Possible Values: Boolean
Default Value: false

Enabling cheats allows server administrators (operators) to use commands that can alter gameplay mechanics, spawn items, teleport players, and more.

Enabling this option will disable achievements!

max-players

Possible Values: Integer between 1 to 65534 Default Value: 10

The maximum number of players that can play on the server at the same time.

online-mode

Possible Values: Boolean Default Value: true

This setting requires players to authenticate with Xbox Live before joining, preventing players with illegitimate accounts from connecting. Disabling this configuration will allow cracked players to join your server.

allow-list

Possible Values: Boolean
Default Value: false

Enabling this setting ensures that only players listed in the allowlist can join the server, providing control over the players you want to join. This is ideal for private or community servers that limit access to certain players.

The allow list is not reliable and can easily be bypassed if online-mode is set to false.

view-distance

Possible Values: Integer equal or above 5
Default Value: 32

This setting determines a chunk radius around each player where the server sends information about the world, affecting how much of the world is loaded and visible.

tick-distance

Possible Values: Integer between 4 to 12
Default Value: 4

Determines the radius in chunks around each player where mobs and certain gameplay mechanics are active and simulated. Directly impacts server performance and gameplay experience.

player-idle-timeout

Possible Values: Integer (minutes) Default Value: 30

This setting determines how long a player can be idle before being kicked from the server, helping to manage active player slots. If set to 0, players can idle indefinitely.

level-name

Possible Values: String Default Value: Bedrock level

The name given to the world folder.

level-seed

Possible Values: String Default Value: ` `

This setting allows specifying a seed for world generation, enabling the creation of specific world layouts or replicating previous worlds. In order for this change to take effect, old worlds must be deleted to allow one with the set seed to be generated. If unspecified, a random value is used.

default-player-permission-level

Possible Values: visitor, member, operator Default Value: member

Permission level for new players joining for the first time.

  • If set to visitor, players can interact with the world but cannot modify it or use most basic commands.
  • If set to member, players can interact with the world, build, mine, and use basic commands.
  • If set to operator, players have access to all commands and administrative privileges.

texturepack-required

Possible Values: Boolean Default Value: false

Forces players to use the server provided resource pack.

content-log-file-enabled

Possible Values: Boolean Default Value: false

Enables generating a log file.

compression-threshold

Possible Values: Integers between 0 to 65535 Default Value: 1

The maximum size of a packet before it is compressed.

chat-restriction

Possible Values: None, Dropped, Disabled
Default Value: None

Allows control over the chat functionality.

  • If set to None, regular free chat is allowed.
  • If set to Dropped, chat messages are dropped and never sent to any client. Players receive a message indicating the feature is disabled.
  • If set to Disabled, the chat UI does not appear for non-operator players. No information is displayed to the player.

disable-custom-skins

Possible Values: Boolean
Default Value: false

If enabled, disables players’ custom skins that were customized outside of the Minecraft store assets or in-game assets, preventing potentially offensive custom skins.