How to change server settings (server.properties)

Most of your server's game settings live in a file called server.properties: the message in the server list (MOTD), difficulty, game mode, max players, the whitelist and more. The Server Properties page lets you change them without editing the file by hand. Changes apply the next time the server restarts.

Change a setting

1. Open your server, then choose Software and Server Properties.
2. Change the values you want. Settings are grouped into Gameplay, World & generation, Players & access, Network & RCON and Other. Type in Filter properties… to find one quickly.
3. Click Save changes. You see "Saved. Restart the server to apply changes."
4. Restart the server.

Until you save, a badge counts your unsaved changes. Discard throws them away. Reload reads the file from the server again.

Settings people change most

• MOTD: the message shown in the multiplayer server list. It has its own editor at the top of the page, with a preview.
• Difficulty: peaceful, easy, normal or hard.
• Default game mode: the mode new players join in. Turn on Force game mode to reset everyone to it each time they join.
• Max players: how many players can be online at once.
• Whitelist: only players on the whitelist can join. Add players with Player Manager or the console command whitelist add followed by the name.
• PvP: whether players can hurt each other.
• View distance and Simulation distance: how much of the world is sent to and active around each player. Higher values use more memory and processing power.

Settings to leave alone

• Server port: managed by MineXHost from your server's network allocation, and set again each time the server starts. Changing it can make your server unreachable.
• Online mode: leave it on. It checks that each player owns their Minecraft account. Turn it off only if you know you need an offline or proxy setup.
• World folder: changing it loads a different world, or creates a new empty one if that folder doesn't exist. To switch worlds, the World Manager is safer. See Upload or download a world.
• World seed and World type only matter when a new world is created. Changing them doesn't change a world that already exists.

"No server.properties yet"

The file is created the first time your server starts. Start the server once, then come back and click Check again.

Good to know

• Use Download to save a copy of the file before big changes.
• You can also edit server.properties in the File Manager. Restart the server afterwards to apply it.
• Mods and plugins keep their own settings in other files, usually in the config or plugins folders. Edit those in the File Manager. See How to use the File Manager.