How to Configure Your Starbound Server Settings

Aug 14, 2026 3 min read

Almost every setting for your Starbound server, from player limits to admin permissions, lives in one configuration file. This guide covers how to access it and explains the most useful settings you can change.

⚠️ Important Warning
Always make sure your server is completely stopped on your MintServers panel before editing this file. The file is in JSON format, so a single missing comma or bracket can stop your server from starting. Save a copy of the original file before making changes if you are unsure.

Step 1: Accessing The Configuration File

Log into your MintServers panel and click Stop to safely shut down your server.

Navigate to the Files tab on the left-hand sidebar.

    📁 storage (or your main server directory)
            📄 starbound_server.config (Click to edit this file)
        

Click on the starbound_server.config file to open the text editor.

💡 Tip
The full storage folder is only created after the server has started at least once. If you don't see it yet, start your server, let it fully boot, then stop it again before continuing.

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Step 2: Key Settings To Know

There are dozens of options inside this file. Below are the ones players and admins ask about most.

Player & Team Settings

maxPlayers
Sets the maximum number of players who can be connected at once. Enter this as a plain number, without quotes.

maxTeamSize
Sets the maximum number of players who can be grouped together on the same team.

Admin & Access Settings

allowAdminCommands
Turns in-game admin commands on or off for accounts flagged as admin.

allowAdminCommandsFromAnyone
When enabled, lets any connected player use admin commands, not just accounts flagged as admin. We recommend leaving this set to false and granting admin only to specific accounts instead.

allowAnonymousConnections
When set to true (the default), anyone can join without a username or password. Set this to false if you are setting up a whitelist of specific players.

anonymousConnectionsAreAdmin
When enabled, anonymous (non-account) connections are automatically treated as admins. This should almost always stay set to false.

Bans & Other Settings

bannedIPs
A list of IP addresses blocked from joining your server.

bannedUuids
A list of player UUIDs blocked from joining your server.

tutorialMessages
When set to true, sends the game's tutorial hints to new players as they join.

📄 starbound_server.config (example)

"maxPlayers" : 8,
"maxTeamSize" : 4,
"allowAdminCommands" : true,
"allowAdminCommandsFromAnyone" : false,
"allowAnonymousConnections" : true,
"anonymousConnectionsAreAdmin" : false,
"bannedIPs" : [],
"bannedUuids" : [],
"tutorialMessages" : true

Step 3: Save And Restart

Once you're done editing, save the file.

Navigate back to the Console tab and click Start.

Related Guides

How to Whitelist Players on Your Starbound Server
Full walkthrough for a player whitelist once anonymous connections are off.

🛠️ Troubleshooting Common Config Issues

Server won't start after editing

This almost always means a syntax error, like a missing comma or bracket. Compare your edits closely against the example above.

Changes don't seem to apply

Make sure the file was actually saved before restarting, and confirm the server was fully stopped, not just restarted, while you made your edits.

Your server is now configured exactly how you want it.

Still stuck?

Our team is happy to help. Open a ticket through the live chat button in the bottom-right corner of our website, or join our Discord and open a ticket there.

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