How to Set Up a Whitelist on Your Minecraft Server

A whitelist is the simplest way to keep a Minecraft server private. With it on, only approved players can join and everyone else is turned away. This guide covers turning it on, adding and removing players, and the details that catch people out.

What a whitelist does#

A whitelist is an allow list. When it is enabled, the server checks each player who tries to join against the list and blocks anyone who is not on it. This is different from a ban list, which blocks specific players while leaving the server open to the public.

Use a whitelist for private SMPs, friend groups, and any server you do not want strangers joining.

Step 1: Turn the whitelist on#

You can enable it with a command from the console or in game as an operator:

/whitelist on

You can also set it in server.properties and restart:

white-list=true

Both achieve the same result. The command is handy because it takes effect immediately.

Step 2: Add players#

Add a player by their username:

/whitelist add Notch

The server looks up the account and stores it by its unique ID, so the entry keeps working even if the player later changes their name. Repeat for everyone you want to allow.

Step 3: Remove players#

To revoke access, remove the player:

/whitelist remove Notch

If they are online when you remove them, run a reload to apply it (see below).

Step 4: Reload and review#

After editing the list, apply changes and kick anyone no longer allowed:

/whitelist reload

To see who is currently allowed:

/whitelist list

Operators and the whitelist#

Server operators can be configured to bypass the whitelist, but do not rely on that. The cleanest approach is to add your own account to the whitelist as well, so access does not depend on operator status. Be careful who you grant operator to, since operators have full command access.

The whitelist.json file#

Behind the scenes the server stores entries in whitelist.json. You can edit it directly when the server is offline, then start the server to load it. Each entry holds a player's unique ID and name. Editing in game with commands is safer, since it looks up IDs for you.

Common questions#

• A player on the list still cannot join. Confirm the whitelist is actually on, then run /whitelist reload. Double check the username was spelled correctly when added.
• You want to let everyone in temporarily. Turn the whitelist off with /whitelist off rather than deleting the list, then turn it back on later.

Layer in more protection#

A whitelist controls who joins, but it does not stop griefing from people you let in. Pair it with land protection plugins and clear operator hygiene. Our guide on installing plugins covers adding protection tools.

Managing access is easier from a proper control panel. Prism Nodes gives you live console and file access so you can edit the whitelist and run commands from anywhere. Use code IMSWITCHING for 15% off your first month.