A whitelist is the simplest way to make your Minecraft server private. Only players on the whitelist can join. Everyone else gets rejected. Here is how to set it up.
Enabling the whitelist
- Open
server.properties. - Set
white-list=true(vanilla) orenforce-whitelist=true(Paper adds enforcement for already-connected players). - Save and restart the server.
Or use the command in console: /whitelist on
Adding players
Use the command: /whitelist add PlayerName
This works in the server console or in game if you have operator status. The player does not need to be online.
Removing players
/whitelist remove PlayerName
The player will not be kicked immediately but cannot rejoin after disconnecting.
Listing whitelisted players
/whitelist list
Shows all players currently on the whitelist.
The whitelist.json file
The whitelist is stored in whitelist.json in your server root. Each entry contains the player's UUID and username. You can edit this file directly, but you need to run /whitelist reload afterward for changes to take effect.
Whitelist vs permissions
A whitelist controls who can join the server. Permissions (via LuckPerms) control what players can do after joining. Use both together for a well-managed server.
When to use a whitelist
- Private SMP with friends.
- Whitelisted community with an application process.
- Development or testing servers.
- Servers where you want to control who has access before opening publicly.
The short answer
Set white-list=true in server.properties, add players with /whitelist add, and restart. Everyone not on the list gets rejected.
Space-Node gives you full file access to manage your whitelist from the control panel. See our Minecraft hosting plans.