Minecraft Dedicated Server: Sysadmin Commands & Properties Guide
Data Verified: May 2026The definitive sysadmin guide for Minecraft Java Edition. Master server.properties optimization, Paper/Spigot commands, performance diagnostics, and network hardware scaling.
Commands & configuration database
| Command | Default Value | Description | Action |
|---|---|---|---|
view-distance | 10 | Radius of chunks sent to the client. Major impact on server RAM. Reduce to 6-8 for high-population servers. | |
simulation-distance | 10 | Radius of chunks where entities and fluid physics tick. Lowering this drastically improves TPS on heavy servers. | |
network-compression-threshold | 256 | Byte threshold before packet compression. Set to -1 to disable if running behind BungeeCord/Velocity. | |
online-mode | true | Validates clients against Mojang session servers. Must be set to 'false' if using a proxy network (BungeeCord/Velocity). | |
sync-chunk-writes | true | Forces synchronous I/O for chunk saving. Disable only if using an NVMe SSD to reduce main-thread stutter. | |
max-tick-time | 60000 | Watchdog threshold in milliseconds. If a single tick takes longer, the server crash-dumps. Set to -1 to disable for heavy modpacks. | |
enable-rcon | false | Opens a TCP port for remote console execution. Highly vulnerable if rcon.password is weak. |
Showing 7 of 7 configuration parameters.
| Command | Default Value | Description | Action |
|---|---|---|---|
/tps | N/A | Displays current server Ticks Per Second. 20.0 is perfect; below 15.0 indicates severe engine lag. | |
/mspt | N/A | Displays Milliseconds Per Tick. If average MSPT exceeds 50.0ms, the server will lose TPS. | |
/timings paste | N/A | Generates a comprehensive performance diagnostic report URL. Essential for tracking down memory leaks or rogue entities. | |
/op <username> / /deop <username> | N/A | Grants or revokes Level 4 operator privileges. Grants access to all commands. | |
/ban-ip <ip> | N/A | Network-level ban. Prevents alternative accounts from bypassing standard username bans. | |
/whitelist on/off/add/remove/reload | N/A | Toggles or modifies the server access list. Requires 'white-list=true' in server.properties. | |
/save-all [flush] | N/A | Forces chunk and player data save. The 'flush' argument pauses the main thread until the save completes. | |
/stop | N/A | Safely terminates the JVM, ensuring all chunk data and level.dat changes are flushed to disk. | |
/kill @e[type=!player] | N/A | Emergency lag-fix. Terminates all loaded entities except players (wipes dropped items, mobs, and boats). | |
/gamerule <rule> <value> | N/A | Alters global world mechanics (e.g., randomTickSpeed, keepInventory, doMobSpawning). | |
/difficulty <peaceful|easy|normal|hard> | N/A | Hot-swaps global hostility. Does not require a server restart. | |
/setblock <x> <y> <z> <block> [destroy|keep|replace] | N/A | Forces block placement. Bypasses standard building mechanics and permission checks. | |
/execute <chain> | N/A | Advanced command execution. Allows running commands on behalf of specific entities or relative coordinates. |
Showing 13 of 13 admin console commands.
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Sizing guidance for self-hosting a Minecraft (Java Edition) dedicated server.
| Tier | Specification | Use case |
|---|---|---|
| Small Group / Vanilla (1-5 players) | 4GB RAM / 2 Shared Cores (High Single-Thread IPC required) | Vanilla or lightly modified Paper server with friends. Minecraft is single-thread bound, clock speed matters more than core count. |
| Community Paper Server (10-30 players) | 8GB RAM / 4 Dedicated Cores / NVMe Storage | Active Paper community with plugins (EssentialsX, WorldGuard, LuckPerms). NVMe required for async chunk I/O. |
| Heavy Modpack / Network (30+ players) | 16GB+ RAM / Core i9 or Ryzen 9 Dedicated Node | Large modpacks (ATM9, Create-based) or BungeeCord/Velocity networks. Requires a dedicated node with top-tier single-thread performance. |
Default file locations
Default installation paths for Minecraft (Java Edition) dedicated servers installed via SteamCMD.
Windows
C:\minecraft\server\Linux
/home/minecraft/server/Pro-Tip: Always stop the server completely before editing configuration files, or the server will overwrite your changes upon restart.
Default ports for port forwarding
Open these on your router and firewall before exposing the server to the internet.
| Service | Protocol | Port |
|---|---|---|
| Game Port | TCP | 25565 |
| Query Port | UDP | 25565 |
| RCON / Telnet | TCP | 25575 |
Frequently asked questions
Other dedicated servers you might run
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Host your own Minecraft (Java Edition) server
All hosting guides →Step-by-step install and deploy walkthroughs (panels, ports, RAM sizing). Pair these with the command reference above.
Reference and hosting hub for Minecraft (Java Edition)
All reference articles →- Open hub
Hosting hub
How to host a Minecraft server: requirements, ports, and the fastest setup paths
PaperMC and Forge guides, JVM flags, server.properties reference.
- Read reference
Networking
Minecraft server port forwarding guide (TCP 25565, NAT, CGNAT)
How to forward TCP 25565 on any consumer router, why your server is unreachable, and what to do when your ISP uses CGNAT.
- Read reference
Cosmetics
Minecraft server icon: 64x64 PNG spec, placement, and troubleshooting
Exact size, format, and file placement for a Minecraft server-icon.png, plus ImageMagick and online converter commands that produce a valid file every time.
- Read reference
Config reference
Minecraft server.properties: full field reference for 1.21
Every key in server.properties for Java Edition, what it does, the accepted values, the default, and the fields most commonly misconfigured on community servers.
- Read reference
Server admin
Minecraft whitelist.json: schema, UUID lookups, and enforce-whitelist
Schema for whitelist.json, how to look up player UUIDs, when to edit by hand versus the in game command, and what enforce-whitelist actually does at runtime.