Server Properties

A complete guide to the server.properties configuration file

Each input affects the server’s behavior, performance, or gameplay. Below is an overview of the properties, descriptions, and recommendations for whether or not to modify them.

Basic Server Settings

Property	Description	Recommended Setting
server-port	The port the server listens on (default: 25565).	Keep default unless changing port.
server-ip	The IP address the server binds to. Leave empty for auto-detection.	Leave empty unless hosting behind NAT.
motd	Message displayed in the server list. Supports formatting codes.	Customizable to give your server personality.
online-mode	Verifies player accounts through Mojang (true or false).	true for public servers. Use false only for offline/LAN use.
max-players	Max concurrent players (default: 20).	Adjust based on hardware and player expectations.
level-name	World folder name (default: world).	Change if using custom world folders.
level-seed	Custom world generation seed.	Optional for unique maps.

World and Gameplay Settings

Property	Description	Recommended Setting
gamemode	Default gamemode for new players: survival, creative, adventure, spectator.	Survival for most gameplay.
difficulty	Difficulty level: peaceful, easy, normal, hard.	Normal for balanced play.
pvp	Enables player vs. player combat (true or false).	True unless PvE only.
spawn-animals	Allow animal spawning (true or false).	True unless performance issues.
spawn-monsters	Allow monster spawning (true or false).	True unless peaceful mode.
spawn-npcs	Enables NPCs like villagers (true or false).	True for most servers.
hardcore	If enabled, players get only one life (true or false).	False unless hardcore gameplay.
generate-structures	Enable village and dungeon generation (true or false).	True for richer worlds.
max-world-size	Limits the size of generated chunks (default: 29999984).	Optional; limit for performance.
view-distance	Sets chunk rendering distance for players (default: 10).	8-12 for a balance of visuals and performance.
simulation-distance	How far entities are updated around players (default: 10).	6-10 to optimize.

Player Management and Permissions

Property	Description	Recommended Setting
whitelist	Use whitelist to control who can join (true or false).	Optional for private servers.
enforce-whitelist	Prevents non-whitelisted players from joining (true or false).	False unless strict control.
op-permission-level	Control operator permissions: 1-4.	2-3 for general admins.
max-build-height	Limits how high players can build (default: 256).	Increase for creative builds.
spawn-protection	Radius around spawn point where non-ops cannot modify blocks.	16 for protection; 0 to disable.
allow-flight	Allow players to fly (true or false).	True for creative; False otherwise.

Performance Settings

Property	Description	Recommended Setting
network-compression-threshold	Compress packets (default: 256).	256 or lower for slower networks.
max-tick-time	Max time (ms) for a tick before the server stops (default: 60000).	60000 unless debugging.
max-threads	Threads for parallel processing (if supported).	Leave default unless optimizing.
enable-jmx-monitoring	Enables Java monitoring (true or false).	False unless required for diagnostics.
use-native-transport	Optimizes performance on certain OS (true or false).	True for most servers.
rate-limit	Limits packets per second per player (default: 0 = unlimited).	Optional to prevent abuse.
enable-command-block	Enables command blocks (true or false).	True for servers with custom mechanics.

Advanced and Experimental Settings

Property	Description	Recommended Setting
sync-chunk-writes	Controls chunk save behavior (true or false).	True for safety, False for speed.
allow-nether	Enable access to the Nether (true or false).	True for most servers.
enable-status	Show server status in the server list (true or false).	True to attract players.
resource-pack	URL for server resource pack.	Optional for custom textures.
resource-pack-prompt	Ask players before downloading resource packs (true or false).	True for user control.
resource-pack-sha1	SHA-1 hash of the resource pack to ensure integrity.	Optional but recommended.

Conclusion

Most properties depend on the type of server you’re running (survival, creative, PvP, etc.) and the hardware available. It’s generally recommended to:

1. Adjust performance settings based on your server’s hardware.
2. Enable features that match your intended gameplay (e.g., PvP, animals, structures).
3. Use a whitelist or rate-limiting if you expect a large number of players to prevent abuse.

If you’re running a small or performance-limited server, lowering the view-distance and simulation-distance will help, while settings like online-mode should be left enabled for security.