Setting Up a Whitelist on Your Minecraft Server

Whitelisting is a feature that allows you to limit the players who can access your Minecraft server. When enabled, only whitelisted players can join your server. This is a good way to prevent unwanted players from joining and making changes to your server. This functionality is built into every Java Edition Minecraft server out of the box.

Important Note

Players with operator (OP) status will automatically bypass the whitelist, allowing them access to the server regardless of the whitelist settings. Ensure that only trusted individuals are granted operator status on your server.

Enabling the Whitelist

You can enable whitelisting on your Minecraft server using console commands, which doesn't require any server restarts:

1. Access your server's control panel
2. Navigate to the Console tab
3. Enter the command: whitelist on

To disable the whitelist at any time, use the command: whitelist off

Managing the Whitelist

After enabling the whitelist, you'll need to add players who should have access to your server. Here are the main commands for managing your whitelist:

Adding Players

To add a player to the whitelist:

whitelist add <Username>

Replace <Username> with the player's Minecraft username.

Removing Players

To remove a player from the whitelist:

whitelist remove <Username>

Viewing the Whitelist

To see all currently whitelisted players:

whitelist list

Additional Commands

Here are some other useful whitelist-related commands:

• whitelist reload - Reloads the whitelist from the saved file
• whitelist clear - Removes all players from the whitelist

Best Practices

1. Keep a record of who you've whitelisted and why
2. Regularly review your whitelist to remove inactive players
3. Inform players when you add them to the whitelist
4. Consider using whitelist in combination with other security measures
5. Back up your whitelist.json file periodically

Troubleshooting

If players can't connect after being whitelisted:

• Verify their username was spelled correctly
• Ensure the whitelist is enabled
• Check if they're using the correct Minecraft version
• Make sure they're connecting to the right server address

Need help with managing your server's operators? Check our guide on managing operator permissions for more information.

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