Most of what you want to change about how your Minecraft Java server plays lives in one file called server.properties. The panel shows it as a list of labelled switches, menus and boxes, so you never have to edit the file by hand.
In the list on the left, click Server Properties (Java).
Change what you need. Switches and menus are the only choices the game accepts, and number boxes show the limits the panel enforces.
Click Save only to store the changes, or Save & restart to store them and restart the server at once. The panel tells you how many changes are unsaved. Revert discards them.
Changes take effect the next time the server starts, so warn players before you use Save & restart. See How to change your server settings.
Three things are good to know:
The page only lists settings that exist in your Minecraft version. If a setting from an older guide is missing, your version no longer has it (see the section on game rules below).
On a brand new server, Server Properties (Java) is not listed until the first start, because the file does not exist yet. Start the server once and it appears.
Open in Files at the top right opens the raw file. The panel only rewrites the lines you changed, so comments and settings you added by hand are kept. You can edit the file in Files instead, but use the page when you can, because it cannot save a value the game would reject.
The page does not offer the server port, the server address or the query port. The panel sets the port for you on every start, so players always use the Server Address from the Overview page. Do not change them in the file.
Settings, then Game Settings is a different page. For Java it only holds options about the software itself, such as the server file name, and on a Paper server the version, build and Auto-update server. Gameplay options are on the page described here.
Who can join and what they can do
Setting
What it does
Allowed
Default
Max players
How many players can be online at once. The limit of your plan is the highest value
a number from 1 up to your plan's limit
20
Whitelist
Only players on the whitelist can join. The Minecraft Wiki records that a 26.3 snapshot turned it on by default, so check the switch on your own server
on or off
off in most versions
Enforce whitelist
Kick players who are online and not on the whitelist, instead of only refusing new joins
on or off
off
Online mode
Checks players against Mojang. Off lets anyone join with any username, including yours
on or off
on
Require signed chat
Only lets players join if their chat can be signed. Off allows clients that disable chat reporting
on or off
on
Operator level
What operators may do: 1 bypasses spawn protection, 2 adds most cheat commands and command blocks, 3 adds player management, 4 adds stop and server control
1, 2, 3 or 4
4
Function level
The operator level that commands inside datapack functions run at
1, 2, 3 or 4
2
Idle timeout
Minutes before an inactive player is kicked. 0 never kicks anyone
0 or more
0
Spawn protection
Size of the area around spawn that non-operators cannot build in, as a radius in blocks. 0 turns it off
0 or more
16
Show console commands to operators
Shows operators the commands run from the console
on or off
on
The world and how it plays
Setting
What it does
Allowed
Default
Difficulty
How hard the game is
peaceful, easy, normal, hard
easy
Game mode
The mode players start in when they join
survival, creative, adventure, spectator
survival
Force game mode
Puts players back into the default game mode every time they join
on or off
off
Hardcore
One life per player. Set it before the world is created
on or off
off
World name
The folder your world is stored in. A name with no folder creates a brand new world and leaves the old one on disk, unloaded
text
world
World seed
The seed for a new world. It does nothing for a world that already exists
text, empty for random
empty
World type
The kind of world made when a new one is created. Amplified is much heavier to generate
normal, flat, large biomes, amplified, single biome surface (shown with a minecraft: prefix)
normal
Generate structures
Whether villages, strongholds and other structures generate in new chunks
on or off
on
World border radius
Blocks from the centre of the world that players can travel
1 to 29999984
29999984
Allow flight
Allows flight in survival. Without it, players who fly are kicked, and some mods and plugins need it on
on or off
off
Performance
Setting
What it does
Allowed
Default
View distance
How many chunks players can see. High values are one of the most expensive settings
2 to 32 in the panel (the Minecraft Wiki documents 3 to 32, so stay at 3 or more)
10
Simulation distance
How many chunks stay active around a player. Lower values reduce lag on a busy server
2 to 32 in the panel (the Minecraft Wiki documents 3 to 32, so stay at 3 or more)
10
Entity view range
How far entities are sent to players, as a percentage of normal
10 to 1000
100
Pause when empty after
Seconds with nobody online before the server stops ticking the world. It wakes when someone joins. 0 keeps it running always
0 or more
60
Compression threshold
Packets larger than this many bytes are compressed. -1 turns compression off
-1 or more
256
Watchdog limit
Milliseconds one tick may take before the server decides it has hung and shuts itself down. -1 turns it off
Replies to server list pings. Off makes the server look offline in the list, though players who know the address can still join
on or off
on
Hide player list
Keeps the list of who is online out of the public listing
on or off
off
Enable query
Answers queries that server list websites and monitoring tools use to read your player count
on or off
off
Command blocks
Whether command blocks work. Only on older versions; newer ones use a game rule, see below
on or off
off
Resource pack URL
A direct download link to a resource pack players are offered when they join. It must point at the file, not a download page
a web address
empty
Resource pack checksum
The SHA-1 hash of the pack. Without it, players download the pack again every join
text
empty
Require resource pack
Disconnect players who decline the pack
on or off
off
Enable remote console
Allows remote console access, which some Discord bots and monitoring tools use. Leave it off unless something needs it
on or off
off
Remote console password
The password for remote console access. Anyone holding it can run any command, so make it long and unique
text
empty
Settings that moved to game rules
Newer Minecraft versions removed a few settings from server.properties and made them game rules instead. If your version has done this, PvP, Allow the Nether, Spawn monsters and Command blocks are no longer on the Server Properties page, and Spawn animals and Spawn villagers are gone altogether. Older versions still have them as switches. PvP, the Nether and mob spawning are on by default.
Command blocks are now the game rule Command blocks work (command_blocks_work). The Minecraft Wiki lists it as on by default, so on these versions command blocks work unless you switch the rule off. To switch it off, open Settings, then Game Rules, and switch Command blocks work off, or type gamerule command_blocks_work false in the Console. The Game Rules page shows the value your world really has, so check it there if you are unsure.
On a server with a world, you will find Game Rules in the same list on the left, below the files. It holds switches such as pvp, mob spawning, fire spread, keep inventory and the daylight cycle. A game rule applies immediately on a running server and is saved with the world, so it needs no restart.
If the server will not start after a change
Put the last value back and start again. A setting the game rejects can stop the start. If the Console shows an error you cannot read, see How to fix a server that will not start, or open a ticket with the last lines of the Console.
Bedrock servers have their own list, Server Properties (Bedrock), with different settings, and the Game Settings page holds the basics. A Pocketmine server is a different program from the Bedrock type. Its list is called Server Properties (PocketMine), and it has a separate PocketMine Settings page. See How to run a Minecraft Bedrock server.
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