Edit server.properties in Minecraft: Key Settings
Edit your Minecraft server.properties from a simple form or as plain text: difficulty, game mode, max players, view distance, online mode and more.
You can edit the server.properties file of your Minecraft server from the panel without touching a file: open World > Game settings and use the Server options form. Change what you need, click Save and restart the server, because Minecraft reads this file only when it starts. If you prefer plain text, you can also edit the file in the Files tab.
Open the server options
- Sign in to the SolumeCore panel and open your Minecraft server.
- Go to the World tab and open Game settings.
- Stay on Server options. Next to it you will find Game rules, MOTD & icon, Version & Java and Templates.
Each option shows a plain-language name, a short explanation, the name of the property (for example max-players) and its default value. Use the search box to find one, or the group buttons to filter: All, Gameplay, Players, World, Performance, Network and Advanced. Any extra line that a plugin or the server fork added appears under Other.
Save and apply your changes
- Change the options you want. A counter at the bottom shows how many unsaved changes you have.
- Click Save. The panel confirms with "Saved" and a note that you must restart.
- Click Restart now in the confirmation (when the server is running), or restart from the power buttons at the top.
If you change your mind, click Discard to drop the unsaved changes.
If the server has never started, server.properties does not exist yet. What you save is created for you, and Minecraft fills in the rest on its first start.
The settings that matter most
| Setting in the panel | Property | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Game mode | gamemode |
The mode new players join in: survival, creative, adventure or spectator |
| Difficulty | difficulty |
Peaceful, easy, normal or hard. It sets mob damage and whether hostile mobs spawn |
| Max players | max-players |
How many can be online at once. It does not change your plan's resources |
| View distance | view-distance |
Chunks sent to each player. It is what uses the most RAM and CPU: 8 to 10 is a good balance |
| Simulation distance | simulation-distance |
How far mobs move and crops grow. Lowering it reduces lag |
| PvP | pvp |
Whether players can hurt each other |
| Whitelist | white-list |
Only listed players can join. See the whitelist guide |
| Online mode | online-mode |
Verifies accounts with Mojang. Keep it on |
| Spawn protection | spawn-protection |
Radius around spawn that only operators can break. 0 turns it off |
| Hardcore | hardcore |
One life: dead players become spectators |
| Command blocks | enable-command-block |
Whether command blocks work |
| Allow flight | allow-flight |
Stops the server from kicking players for flying when mods or plugins allow it |
| Active world | level-name |
The world folder the server loads |
| Seed, World type, Structures | level-seed, level-type, generate-structures |
Used only when a new world is generated |
Only turn Online mode off if your server sits behind a proxy such as Velocity or BungeeCord that handles authentication. With it off on a normal server, anyone can join with any name, including an operator's name.
Settings the panel manages
The server port, IP and the query and RCON ports are set by the panel on every start, based on the ports of your plan. They show a lock icon and cannot be edited. Changing them by hand in the file would not help.
The MOTD
The message under your server name in the multiplayer list is edited with a live preview in MOTD & icon. Click Edit with preview on the MOTD row to jump there.
Edit it as text
Prefer to see the raw file? Click Edit as text at the top of the card. You get the file exactly as it is, where lines starting with # are comments. Make your edits and press Save. Use Back to the form to return. This is the same file you would open in the Files tab, in the main folder of your server.
gamemode=survival
difficulty=normal
max-players=20
view-distance=8
simulation-distance=8
white-list=false
online-mode=true
spawn-protection=16Game rules
Rules like keeping your inventory on death are not part of server.properties. They live in Game settings > Game rules, and when the server is running they apply instantly without a restart. See also useful console commands.
Troubleshooting
- My changes were not applied. Restart the server. Minecraft only reads the file at startup.
- I cannot find an option. Use the search box, or open the Other group. Options added by plugins or by your server software are listed there.
- The server will not start after a change. A wrong value in a property can stop it. Open the Console tab, read the error, and fix or restore the line. See what to do when a Minecraft server will not start.
- The panel says a value is out of range. Each number has limits, shown under the field, such as 3 to 32 for view distance.
- I changed
server-portand nobody can join. Let the panel manage it. Use the address shown in Connect.
FAQ
Where is server.properties on my Minecraft server?
In the main folder (Home) of your server, in the Files tab. The panel also edits it from World > Game settings.
Do I have to restart after editing server.properties?
Yes. Minecraft reads it at startup, so restart the server to apply the changes.
How do I change the difficulty or the game mode?
Open World > Game settings > Server options, change Difficulty or Game mode, click Save and restart. For a quick in-game change, you can also use the console commands.
What view distance should I use?
Start with 8 to 10. A lower number reduces RAM and CPU use, and it is the first thing to try if the server lags.
Related articles
- Whitelist, operators and bans on your Minecraft server
- Use the game server console and commands
- Fix lag and low TPS on your Minecraft server
- Use the game server file manager
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