Minecraft Updated April 26, 2026

How to Configure server.properties

A practical guide to the most important settings in server.properties — what they do, their defaults, and what to change for your server.

Minecraftserver.propertiesconfigurationsettingsgamemodedifficulty

Where to Find server.properties

server.properties is in the root of your server directory. Open it in the WISP panel under the Files tab — click the file to open the built-in text editor, make your changes, then click Save. Restart the server for changes to take effect.

The 15 Most Important Settings

Setting	Default	Description
`level-name`	`world`	The name of the world folder. Change this to load a different world.
`gamemode`	`survival`	Default gamemode for new players. Options: `survival`, `creative`, `adventure`, `spectator`.
`difficulty`	`easy`	Server difficulty. Options: `peaceful`, `easy`, `normal`, `hard`.
`max-players`	`20`	Maximum number of players allowed online simultaneously.
`view-distance`	`10`	Render distance in chunks sent to clients. Lower this (e.g., `6`) to reduce CPU/RAM load.
`simulation-distance`	`10`	How far away blocks tick (crops grow, mobs spawn, etc.). Lower values improve performance.
`pvp`	`true`	Whether players can damage each other. Set to `false` for a peaceful/coop server.
`spawn-protection`	`16`	Radius around the world spawn point where non-OPs cannot break/place blocks. Set to `0` to disable.
`online-mode`	`true`	Requires valid Mojang/Microsoft accounts. Set to `false` only if using a proxy (BungeeCord/Velocity) or LAN play.
`server-port`	`25565`	The port your server listens on. Only change if your host requires a non-default port.
`motd`	`A Minecraft Server`	The message shown in the server list below your server name. Supports color codes.
`white-list`	`false`	Set to `true` to enable the whitelist. See How to Set Up and Manage a Whitelist.
`enable-command-block`	`false`	Set to `true` to allow command blocks to function in the world.
`allow-flight`	`false`	If `false`, vanilla anti-cheat will kick players who appear to fly (even with legitimate mods). Set to `true` if your players use flight mods or plugins.
`hardcore`	`false`	Enables Hardcore mode — players are permanently banned (or set to spectator) on death.

Example Configurations

Survival server with whitelist:

gamemode=survival
difficulty=normal
white-list=true
pvp=true
spawn-protection=0
view-distance=8
simulation-distance=6

Creative/build server:

gamemode=creative
difficulty=peaceful
pvp=false
spawn-protection=0
allow-flight=true
enable-command-block=true

Public survival server (performance-optimized):

gamemode=survival
difficulty=normal
max-players=50
view-distance=6
simulation-distance=4
pvp=true

Other Useful Settings

# Seed for new world generation (only used on first start if no world exists)
level-seed=

# Disables the built-in Minecraft resource pack prompt
resource-pack=

# Enables RCON remote console access
enable-rcon=false
rcon.password=
rcon.port=25575

Applying Changes

Most settings require a full server restart to take effect. A few (like MOTD and max-players) can be reloaded with /reload in-game, but restarting is always the safest option.

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