server.properties explained
What each common server.properties setting does, its default, and how to change it on your server.
The main config file. Settings covers the common ones; edit the file in Files for the rest. Changes apply after a restart.
| Key | Meaning | Default |
|---|---|---|
motd | The line shown in the server list. § codes add color. | A jumphosting.cloud server |
max-players | How many can be on at once. Set it in Settings → Player slots, on any plan. | 20 |
difficulty | peaceful, easy, normal, hard. | normal |
gamemode | Mode new players start in. | survival |
pvp | Can players hurt each other. | true |
white-list | Only listed players may join. | false |
online-mode | Check accounts with the official login. Leave on unless you know why not. | true |
view-distance | Chunks sent to each player. Higher looks nicer, costs bandwidth and memory. | 5 on Jump (Minecraft's own default is 10) |
simulation-distance | Chunks that actually tick (mobs, crops, redstone). | 8 |
spawn-protection | Radius around spawn only ops can build in. 0 turns it off. | 16 |
level-seed | Seed for a new world. Only read when the world folder is empty. | random |
enable-command-block | Let command blocks run. | false |
Editing it
Open Files, click server.properties, change the value after the =, save, and restart. Keep one setting per line and don't add spaces around the =. If the server won't start afterwards, the console usually names the line it didn't like.
Paper's own settings
Paper's own options live in bukkit.yml, spigot.yml and config/paper-global.yml. The defaults are right for almost everyone. If the server lags, lowering simulation-distance in server.properties helps more than anything in those files.