server.properties is the INI-style file that controls most options on a Minecraft Bedrock Dedicated Server. Each line uses one key=value pair, and lines beginning with # are comments. Stop the server before editing, change one logical group at a time, restart it, and verify the result from a real client connection.
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What server.properties controls
Bedrock Dedicated Server reads server.properties when it starts. The file determines the server name, game rules, authentication, ports, world selection, player limits, simulation range, idle handling, and several logging and resource settings. It is not a command console: a value normally takes effect after a restart, and malformed lines may be ignored or cause an error in the startup log.
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key=value
# This line is a commentUse the exact key on the left, an equals sign, and the value on the right. Do not append explanations after a value, and avoid changing several unrelated settings at once. That makes a failed change much easier to identify and roll back.
Default settings at a glance
| Setting | Default | Accepted values or range | What it controls |
|---|---|---|---|
server-name |
Dedicated Server |
Text | Name displayed to players |
gamemode |
survival |
survival, creative, adventure |
Mode assigned to new players |
force-gamemode |
false |
true or false |
Whether the configured mode overrides the world’s saved mode |
difficulty |
easy |
peaceful, easy, normal, hard |
World difficulty |
allow-cheats |
false |
true or false |
Permission to use cheat commands |
max-players |
10 |
Positive integer | Maximum simultaneous players; larger values increase server work |
online-mode |
true |
true or false |
Xbox Live authentication requirement |
allow-list |
false |
true or false |
Require joining players to be in allowlist.json |
server-port |
19132 |
1–65535 | IPv4/primary Bedrock connection port |
server-portv6 |
19133 |
1–65535 | IPv6 connection port |
enable-lan-visibility |
true |
true or false |
LAN discovery behavior |
view-distance |
32 |
Minimum 5 chunks | How far terrain is sent to clients |
tick-distance |
4 |
4–12 chunks | How far the world continues simulation around players |
player-idle-timeout |
30 |
Minutes; 0 disables timeout |
Automatic removal of idle players |
max-threads |
8 |
Non-negative integer; 0 means automatic maximum |
Worker-thread limit |
level-name |
Bedrock level |
Valid folder name | World folder selected under worlds/ |
level-seed |
Empty | Empty or a seed string | Seed used when generating a new world |
default-player-permission-level |
member |
visitor, member, operator |
Permission assigned to new players |
texturepack-required |
false |
true or false |
Whether clients must accept the world’s required packs |
content-log-file-enabled |
false |
true or false |
Content-error logging |
Identity, gameplay and permissions
Server name
server-name=Dedicated Server supplies the name shown in server discovery and connection screens. Replace the value with a descriptive name, such as Family Survival. The name does not select a world and does not change the address players use.
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Gamemode and force-gamemode
gamemode=survival controls the mode assigned to new players. The supported values are survival, creative, and adventure. With force-gamemode=false, the mode saved in the world remains authoritative when it differs from the configured value. Set force-gamemode=true when every joining client must be placed in the configured mode, even if the world was created with another mode.
Changing the setting is a gameplay-policy decision, not a performance fix. If players unexpectedly switch modes after a restart, check both gamemode and force-gamemode, then inspect individual player permissions and commands.
Difficulty and cheats
difficulty=easy accepts peaceful, easy, normal, or hard. This is a world rule and should be agreed with the people who play on it.
allow-cheats=false blocks cheat commands. Changing it to true permits them, which can alter the world and undermine an otherwise survival-focused server. Treat this as an administrative trust setting, not a convenience toggle.
Default player permission
default-player-permission-level=member gives new players the member level. The alternatives are visitor and operator. Operator access is powerful, so do not use it as a default merely to avoid granting permissions individually. Use the least-privileged level that supports the intended game.
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Required texture packs
texturepack-required=false allows clients to join without accepting the world’s required texture packs. Set it to true when the world is designed around those packs and a consistent client presentation matters. Players who cannot or will not download the required content will not be able to play under that policy.
Authentication, allowlists and public access
Online authentication
online-mode=true requires Xbox Live authentication. Microsoft recommends keeping this enabled for any server that accepts Internet connections. Turning it off removes that authentication check and should not be treated as a harmless troubleshooting step: it changes the trust model of the server and can allow identity spoofing.
Allowlist access
allow-list=false permits any otherwise authenticated player to attempt to join. With allow-list=true, every joining player must be present in allowlist.json. Enable it for private worlds, family servers, or a community with a defined membership list. After enabling it, add the intended accounts to the allowlist before testing, or legitimate players will receive a rejection even though the server itself is online.
A sensible Internet-facing baseline is online-mode=true plus allow-list=true when access should be restricted. Neither setting replaces firewall rules, backups, moderation, or careful operator management.
Ports, IPv4, IPv6 and LAN discovery
Connection ports
The primary setting is server-port=19132; the IPv6 setting is server-portv6=19133. Both accept numbers from 1 through 65535. If you change a port, update the host firewall, router forwarding rule, and the address or port supplied to clients. A port can be valid in the file and still be unreachable because the operating system or router blocks it.
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Do not assume that changing only the IPv4 value changes IPv6 behavior. Decide which protocols you intend to expose, configure both deliberately, and test from the corresponding network path.
LAN visibility
enable-lan-visibility=true enables local-network discovery. Microsoft notes that LAN visibility can bind the default ports even when custom ports are configured. If a custom-port deployment appears to listen on the defaults, check this setting and the startup log before changing unrelated network options. Disable LAN visibility when local discovery is not wanted, then test direct connections using the configured port.
Choosing and importing a world
level-name
level-name=Bedrock level selects the world directory beneath worlds/. To use an existing world, copy its complete folder into that directory and set level-name to the folder’s exact name. The value must be a valid host filename; spelling, capitalization, spaces, and punctuation must match the directory. If the folder is not found, the server may create a new world instead of loading the one you intended.
level-seed
An empty level-seed lets a newly generated world use a random seed. Setting it to a string supplies the seed for generation. The seed matters when a new world is created; changing it is not a way to replace an already populated world selected by level-name. Back up the existing world before experimenting with either value.
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View distance
view-distance=32 is the default and has a minimum of 5 chunks. It controls how much terrain the server sends and maintains for each client. Raising it gives players a larger visible area but increases work, memory pressure, and network traffic. Lowering it is often the first low-risk adjustment when players report delayed chunk loading or the server struggles as more people explore.
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Tick distance
tick-distance=4 accepts values from 4 through 12 chunks. It defines the area around players where world simulation continues, including activity such as block updates and other ticking processes. Higher values make more of the world active at once and can be substantially more expensive than a visual-distance change. If redstone, farms, or mobs are causing load, reduce tick distance before increasing hardware allocation.
A practical tuning sequence
- Record the current values and make a backup of
server.propertiesand the world. - Change one setting, preferably
view-distanceortick-distance, rather than both. - Restart the server and observe its console or log output while several players reproduce the problem.
- Test exploration, combat, redstone, and world saves—not just the connection screen.
- Keep the change only if it improves responsiveness without making the visible or simulated area unsuitable for the community.
There is no universal player-capacity or latency number that can be inferred from the defaults. Hardware, world complexity, player movement, network conditions, and the selected ranges all affect the result.
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Maximum players
max-players=10 sets the simultaneous-player ceiling. Increasing it does not create additional capacity; it permits more concurrent work and therefore has a performance impact. Set a realistic cap for the machine and world rather than copying a large number from another server.
Idle timeout
player-idle-timeout=30 removes players who remain idle for 30 minutes. Set it to 0 to permit indefinite idling. A timeout can preserve slots on a small private server, while zero is appropriate for afk farms or a server where occupying a slot is intentional.
Thread limit
max-threads=8 limits worker threads. A value of 0, or omitting the setting, tells the server to use as many threads as possible. More threads are not automatically faster: the operating system, CPU topology, background processes, and the server build determine whether additional concurrency helps. Change this only after establishing that thread scheduling is the bottleneck.
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Anti-cheat and version-sensitive properties
Mojang’s Bedrock Protocol documentation states that anti-cheat is enabled when the server instructs the client through the StartGamePacket (ID 11), and that it can be configured through server.properties. The exact anti-cheat keys are version-sensitive, and experimental properties can change between Bedrock Dedicated Server builds. Check the documentation shipped for the installed build before adding a key copied from an older guide. If the server reports an unknown property, remove it or revert to the build’s documented spelling instead of assuming it is active.
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A safe editing and verification procedure
- Stop the server cleanly. Editing while it is running risks having your changes overwritten or leaving the world in an unsafe state.
- Back up the original file and world. Keep a copy of
server.propertiesand the selected directory underworlds/. - Choose one group. Work on access, network, world, gameplay, or performance settings as a unit, not on every line at once.
- Edit exact pairs. Preserve
key=value, use the documented spelling and lowercase values where shown, and leave no trailing explanatory text. - Check world identity. Confirm that
level-nameexactly matches the intended folder beneathworlds/. - Save with the expected filename. Do not accidentally create a second extension such as
server.properties.txt. - Restart and read the console. Look for parsing errors, the selected world, bound ports, and warnings about unknown or invalid values.
- Test the intended path. Use a client on the LAN for LAN settings, and an external client or appropriate Internet route for public access. Confirm authentication, allowlist behavior, world identity, and gameplay rules.
- Roll back one change at a time. If the server fails to start or loads the wrong world, restore the backup, then reapply only verified edits.
Troubleshooting common failures
The server loads a new world
Stop the server and compare level-name character for character with the directory name under worlds/. Check that the folder was copied at the correct level and that the server account can read it. Restore the backup before generating anything else if the original world is valuable.
Players cannot connect after a port change
Confirm the value is between 1 and 65535, then update the host firewall, router forwarding, and client address. Test IPv4 and IPv6 separately if both are enabled. For local discovery problems, inspect enable-lan-visibility; direct connection testing distinguishes discovery failure from a blocked port.
Legitimate players are rejected
When allow-list=true, verify each account is present in allowlist.json. If authentication is also enabled, the client must pass Xbox Live authentication. Check the server log for the precise rejection reason instead of disabling online-mode as a shortcut.
Lag begins after changing distance settings
Lower the most recently changed value, restart, and reproduce the same activity. Treat tick-distance separately from view-distance: the former expands simulation, while the latter expands terrain delivery and maintenance. Also check whether max-players was raised and whether the machine is constrained by CPU, memory, or network capacity.
A setting appears to do nothing
Make sure the server was stopped before editing and restarted afterward. Recheck spelling, capitalization, accepted values, and duplicate lines. Read the startup output for an unknown-property or invalid-value warning; a property from another version may not be recognized by the installed build.
A sensible baseline for a small private server
Start with the documented defaults, keep online-mode=true, enable allow-list=true for a closed membership, retain default-player-permission-level=member, and leave allow-cheats=false unless the group explicitly wants commands. Keep the default ports unless your network requires different ones. If performance is poor, reduce view-distance or tick-distance one at a time before raising the player cap or thread limit. This baseline is a starting policy, not a guaranteed capacity profile.
Quick Recap
Key decisions before you publish the server
- Access: Decide whether Xbox Live authentication and an allowlist match the audience.
- Gameplay: Select the mode, difficulty, cheat policy, texture-pack requirement, and default permission deliberately.
- Reachability: Document the IPv4 and IPv6 ports, firewall rules, router forwarding, and LAN-discovery choice.
- World identity: Verify the exact
level-nameand back up the corresponding folder. - Resources: Set player, view-distance, tick-distance, idle, and thread values conservatively, then validate under real activity.
- Maintenance: Keep a known-good configuration and world backup so a bad edit can be reversed quickly.
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