server.properties explained: the settings that matter

server.properties holds your server’s main settings. You only need a handful of them.

How to edit it

1. Stop the server.
2. Open Files and click server.properties.
3. Change the value after the = sign, for example difficulty=hard.
4. Click Save, then Start the server.

Changes only work after a restart. Edit while the server is stopped, or the server may write over your changes when it shuts down.

The settings people change most

• motd: the text under your server’s name in the server list. Make a colorful one with the MOTD generator, or in the panel’s MOTD tab with a live preview.
• max-players: how many players can join at once.
• difficulty: peaceful, easy, normal or hard.
• gamemode: the default mode for new players: survival, creative, adventure or spectator.
• hardcore: true bans players when they die.
• pvp: false stops players from hurting each other.
• white-list: true lets only players on the whitelist join. See OP and whitelist.
• spawn-protection: blocks around spawn that only OPs can build in. 0 turns it off.
• allow-flight: set to true if players get kicked for flying with mods or elytra-like items.
• enable-command-block: true lets command blocks work.

Performance

• view-distance: how far players see, in chunks. Lower it (6 to 8) if the server lags.
• simulation-distance: how far mobs and crops keep working. 4 to 6 saves a lot of CPU.

World

• level-name: the folder of your world (default world).
• level-seed: the seed for a new world. It does nothing for a world that already exists. See Upload or reset a world.
• level-type: for a new world, for example minecraft:flat for a flat world.

Don’t change these

• server-port and server-ip: we set these for your server. If you change them, nobody can connect.
• online-mode: keep it true. With false, anyone can join with any name, including yours.