To restrict a Minecraft Bedrock Dedicated Server to approved players, set allow-list=true in server.properties, restart the server, and add players with /allowlist add <GamerTag>. Bedrock’s current term is allowlist; /whitelist remains a documented alias. Use /allowlist list to confirm that the server has the expected entries.
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What Bedrock’s allowlist does
An allowlist is an admission list. When enforcement is enabled, every connecting player must have an entry in the server’s separate allowlist.json file. Players who are not listed cannot join while enforcement is active.
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Microsoft’s current Bedrock documentation calls this feature an allowlist. Many administrators still search for “whitelist,” so the command family supports /whitelist as an alias for /allowlist. The two names refer to the same server feature; using the current terminology in configuration and runbooks makes future troubleshooting easier.
Before you change the server
- Locate the Bedrock Dedicated Server directory that contains
server.propertiesandallowlist.json. - Use the server console or an account with the required administrative privileges. The command reference identifies Owner as the permission level and says these commands require cheats.
- Pause administration long enough to edit configuration safely. If the server is running, use its normal stop or restart process rather than changing files while they are being written.
- Record the exact Xbox Live gamertags of the people you intend to admit. A spelling error creates a different entry from the player’s real account.
Enable the allowlist and add players
- Stop or pause the server safely. Finish active administration and use the normal server stop procedure before editing its properties file.
- Open
server.properties. Find the property namedallow-list. Set it exactly as follows, with no alternate Java Edition property name and no extra spaces:allow-list=trueMicrosoft defines
trueto mean that all connected players must be listed inallowlist.json. - Save the file and start or restart the server. Apply the property through the server’s normal restart process. The setting controls enforcement; it does not itself add any names.
- Add an approved player from the console or an authorized command context. Use:
/allowlist add <GamerTag>Replace
<GamerTag>with the player’s actual gamertag. The command is the simplest way to create the entry. - Quote gamertags that contain spaces. For example:
/allowlist add "Gamer Tag"Quoting keeps the complete name together as one command argument.
- Verify the active list. Run:
/allowlist listCheck the output against the gamertags you intended to approve. This confirms what the running server currently recognizes, rather than what you meant to type into a file.
Command reference
| Command | Purpose | Important detail |
|---|---|---|
/allowlist add <GamerTag> |
Adds an approved player. | Quote names containing spaces. |
/allowlist remove <GamerTag> |
Removes a player from the allowlist. | Use the exact gamertag stored by the server. |
/allowlist list |
Displays the server’s active entries. | Use it after additions, removals, or reloads. |
/allowlist on |
Turns enforcement on. | Unlisted players are blocked while it is enabled. |
/allowlist off |
Turns enforcement off. | The list remains available for later use. |
/allowlist reload |
Reloads an externally edited file. | Required after changing allowlist.json outside the command system. |
/whitelist ... |
Alias for the /allowlist command family. |
Use the same subcommands and arguments. |
Adding, removing, and temporarily disabling access
Add one person
For a normal one-off invitation, run /allowlist add <GamerTag> and then /allowlist list. This avoids JSON syntax mistakes and updates the server through its own administration interface.
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Remove one person
Run /allowlist remove <GamerTag>. Verify the result with /allowlist list so you can distinguish a successful removal from a misspelled name.
Turn enforcement on or off
/allowlist on enables admission control, while /allowlist off disables it. Disabling enforcement does not mean the entries were deleted; it only stops requiring every connecting player to appear on the list. Keep allow-list=true in server.properties when the intended operating state is restricted access, and use the command only when you deliberately need to change enforcement at runtime.
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Editing allowlist.json directly
Direct editing is useful for scripted or bulk administration, but the file must remain valid JSON and the running server must be told to reload it. After saving an external change, run /allowlist reload. Microsoft explicitly requires this reload step for external modifications; otherwise the process may continue using its previously loaded entries.
A typical file is a JSON array. Each object contains the player’s name, may contain an xuid, and may contain ignoresPlayerLimit:
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[
{
"name": "PlayerOne",
"xuid": "1234567890123456",
"ignoresPlayerLimit": false
},
{
"name": "Gamer Tag",
"ignoresPlayerLimit": true
}
]The XUID is optional. Microsoft documents that when a matching name connects, the server can fill an omitted XUID. Preserve the documented field names, double quotes, commas, brackets, and Boolean values; a trailing comma or an unmatched brace makes the document invalid.
Safe file-edit sequence
- Stop or otherwise pause administration using the server’s normal procedure.
- Make a backup copy of the existing
allowlist.jsonbefore changing it. - Edit only the intended array entries and save as plain, valid JSON.
- Start the server or return to its running administration context.
- Run
/allowlist reload. - Run
/allowlist listand compare the active output with the file you edited.
What ignoresPlayerLimit means
The optional ignoresPlayerLimit field is intended to let selected players join without counting toward the configured maximum. Bedrock documentation also describes that maximum as a soft connection limit, so this field should not be treated as a guarantee of unlimited capacity under every condition. Set it only for accounts that should receive that exception, and keep the value as JSON true or false, not a quoted string.
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Commands versus direct JSON editing
| Consideration | Command management | Direct allowlist.json editing |
|---|---|---|
| Best use | One-off additions and removals. | Scripted or bulk administration. |
| Ease of use | Highest: the server writes the entry. | Lower: you must maintain valid JSON. |
| JSON knowledge | Not needed for routine changes. | Required to preserve the array and field syntax. |
| Reload requirement | No separate file reload for the command itself. | /allowlist reload is required after external edits. |
| Auditability | Console history records individual operations when logging is enabled. | Versioned file backups can show a complete bulk change. |
For a small private server, commands reduce the chance of a malformed file. For a larger community or an automated deployment, a script can generate the JSON consistently, but it should validate the result, preserve existing fields, back up the prior file, and issue the reload command after the file is installed.
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Troubleshooting players who still cannot connect
The server lets everyone in
- Open
server.propertiesand confirm the property is exactlyallow-list=true. - Check that you restarted or otherwise applied the property through the server’s normal restart process.
- Run
/allowlist onif enforcement was disabled at runtime.
A listed player is rejected
- Run
/allowlist listand inspect the running server’s entries. - Compare the entry with the player’s exact Xbox Live gamertag. Correct a typo with
/allowlist remove <old name>, then add the correct name. - If the gamertag includes spaces, issue the add command with quotation marks, such as
/allowlist add "Gamer Tag".
Changes to allowlist.json do nothing
- Confirm that the file is valid JSON and still has an outer array.
- Check that the objects use the documented
name, optionalxuid, and optionalignoresPlayerLimitfields. - Run
/allowlist reloadafter the external edit, then run/allowlist list.
The command is refused or unavailable
- Use the dedicated server console or an account with the necessary administrative privileges.
- Confirm the account has the Owner permission level identified by the command reference.
- Check that cheats are enabled, because the command reference lists cheats as a requirement.
The file keeps becoming corrupted
- Stop editing while the server is writing the file.
- Restore the last known-good backup, start the server, and use commands for individual changes.
- For automation, generate the entire array with a JSON-aware tool rather than concatenating text, then validate it before copying it into the server directory.
Operational practices that prevent lockouts
- Keep at least one administrator’s gamertag on the list before enabling enforcement.
- After every planned change, check
/allowlist listfrom the same running server that players will use. - Use the command interface for urgent removals, because it avoids waiting for a manual file edit and reload.
- When using a bulk file update, retain a dated backup and a record of who approved the change.
- Use
/allowlist offonly as a deliberate temporary measure; turn enforcement back on with/allowlist onwhen the maintenance window ends.
Quick reference checklist
- Set
allow-list=trueinserver.properties. - Restart or otherwise apply the property change.
- Add each exact gamertag with
/allowlist add <GamerTag>. - Quote any name containing spaces.
- Confirm entries with
/allowlist list. - After hand-editing
allowlist.json, run/allowlist reload. - Use Owner-level administration with cheats enabled.
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