Minecraft Reference

Minecraft Server Properties

Reference guide for server.properties settings on your Minecraft Java server, including gameplay, world, player, and network configuration options.

Last updated: February 24, 2026

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The server.properties file controls core settings for your Minecraft server. You’ll find it in your server’s root directory.

Editing server.properties

  1. Stop your server from the console.
  2. Open the File Manager and locate server.properties in the root directory.
  3. Click the file to open the editor.
  4. Make your changes and click Save.
  5. Start your server to apply the changes.

Server Identity

motd · Default: A Minecraft Server The message shown in the Minecraft server list. Use a MOTD creator for colors and formatting.

server-port · Default: 25565 The port your server runs on. This is managed automatically by the panel. If your server is running on the wrong port, restarting it will resolve the issue.

Players

max-players · Default: 20 Maximum players allowed on the server. WinterNode doesn’t limit player slots, so set this to whatever you need.

white-list · Default: false When enabled, only players on the whitelist can join. Manage the whitelist with /whitelist add <player>.

enforce-whitelist · Default: false Kicks players not on the whitelist when you reload it, rather than waiting for them to disconnect.

player-idle-timeout · Default: 0 Minutes before idle players get kicked. Set to 0 to disable.

Gameplay

gamemode · Default: survival Default gamemode for new players joining the server. Options: survival, creative, adventure, spectator.

difficulty · Default: easy Server difficulty level affecting mob damage, hunger drain, and other mechanics. Options: peaceful, easy, normal, hard.

hardcore · Default: false When enabled, players are set to spectator mode on death. Forces difficulty to hard.

pvp · Default: true Whether players can damage each other.

allow-flight · Default: false Controls the server’s flight kick. Set to true if you use mods or plugins that enable flight, otherwise players may get kicked unexpectedly.

enable-command-block · Default: false Whether command blocks function on the server. Required for most adventure maps and minigames.

spawn-protection · Default: 16 Radius around spawn (in blocks) where non-ops cannot build or break. Set to 0 to disable.

World

level-name · Default: world The folder name for your world. Change this to load a different world folder.

level-seed · Default: blank Seed for world generation. Only affects new worlds or ungenerated chunks. Leave blank for random.

level-type · Default: minecraft:normal World generation type. Options: minecraft:normal, minecraft:flat, minecraft:large_biomes, minecraft:amplified, minecraft:single_biome_surface.

allow-nether · Default: true Whether the Nether dimension is enabled.

view-distance · Default: 10 How many chunks are sent to players. Lower values reduce bandwidth and improve performance. See Server Optimization for tuning recommendations.

simulation-distance · Default: 10 How many chunks around players are actively ticked. Should be equal to or less than view-distance. See Server Optimization for details.

Resource Packs

resource-pack · Default: blank URL to a resource pack. Players are prompted to download it when joining. Must be a direct download link.

resource-pack-sha1 · Default: blank SHA1 hash of your resource pack, letting clients verify they have the correct version.

require-resource-pack · Default: false Kicks players who decline the resource pack.

Authentication and Offline Mode

online-mode · Default: true When enabled, the server verifies players with Mojang’s authentication servers. Set to false to allow cracked/offline clients.

WinterNode does not restrict offline mode servers. You can enable it by setting online-mode=false and restarting your server.

Security in Offline Mode

With online-mode disabled, anyone can join with any username since there’s no Mojang authentication. For public servers, use an authentication plugin like AuthMe to require players to register and log in with a password.

UUID Changes in Offline Mode

Minecraft generates player UUIDs differently in offline mode. If you switch an existing server from online to offline mode:

  • Players will have different UUIDs than before
  • Whitelist entries need to be re-added (the old UUIDs won’t match)
  • Plugins that store player data by UUID (permissions, economy, etc.) will see players as new accounts
  • Inventories and player data tied to the old UUID may be lost

If you plan to run offline mode, it’s best to start fresh or migrate player data manually.

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