server.properties generator
Set up your server's rules in a form, and copy or download a server.properties file that is ready to use.
#Minecraft server properties motd=A Minecraft Server gamemode=survival difficulty=easy hardcore=false pvp=true max-players=20 online-mode=true white-list=false enforce-whitelist=false view-distance=10 simulation-distance=10 spawn-protection=16 allow-flight=false allow-nether=true enable-command-block=false spawn-monsters=true spawn-animals=true spawn-npcs=true level-name=world level-seed=
Stop the server, replace the file, then start it again.
What each setting does
MOTD is the message in the server list. Game mode and difficulty are the starting rules for new players. Max players is how many can be online at once. PvP, hardcore, flight and command blocks switch gameplay features on or off.
The whitelist lets only chosen players join. View and simulation distance trade how far players see against how much work the server does. Spawn protection is a radius around the world spawn that only operators can change; set it to 0 to turn it off.
The seed only matters when a new world is created: it does nothing to a world that already exists.
Questions
Where does the file go?
Put server.properties in the main folder of your server, next to the server jar. Stop the server first and start it again afterwards, because it only reads the file when it starts.
Is it safe to keep online-mode on?
Yes, keep it on. It checks every player with Mojang, so nobody can join with another player's name. Turning it off lets anyone pretend to be anyone, including an operator.
What is the difference between view distance and simulation distance?
View distance is how far chunks are sent to the player so they can see them. Simulation distance is how far from the player the game actually runs mobs, crops and redstone. Lowering simulation distance saves the most CPU.
Why is my MOTD full of \u00A7 signs?
Colour codes use the section sign, and server.properties writes it as \u00A7. That is correct. Use our MOTD generator to design a coloured message and copy it in this form.
Does this work for every version?
These settings exist in current and most older versions. simulation-distance only exists from 1.18, and older servers ignore a setting they do not know.
Related guides
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