How to Manage a Minecraft Whitelist

A whitelist (or allowlist on Bedrock) is one of the most effective ways to control who can join your Minecraft server. By creating an approved list of players, you can create a private, secure environment for you and your community without worrying about random players joining.

Whether you are running a Java or a Bedrock server, securing your world is super easy. Let's walk through how to enable and manage your server's player list.

Important Note for Bedrock: For Minecraft Bedrock servers, you must enable the allowlist in your Server Properties first before the in-game commands will work properly!

How to Enable the Whitelist

You can turn the whitelist on directly from your panel or by using console commands.

Using the Server Properties Panel

This is the easiest method and is required for Bedrock servers to get things started.

1. Head to your MintServers panel and click Stop to turn off your server.
2. Navigate to Server Properties in your game panel's left sidebar.
3. Scroll down and find the White List (for Java) or Allow List (for Bedrock) option.
4. Toggle the setting to On (or type true if you are editing the file directly).
5. Click Save and restart your server for this to take effect!

Using a Command (Java Edition)

If your Java server is already running, you can enable it instantly with a command. As a server operator, type the following directly into the console or in-game chat:

• Type /whitelist on

Managing Java Edition Players

Once the whitelist is on, you can manage your Java player list with these simple commands:

• /whitelist add username - Adds a player to the list.
• /whitelist remove username - Removes a player from the list.
• /whitelist list - Shows all players currently on the whitelist.
• /whitelist reload - Reloads the whitelist from the file if you've made manual changes.

Managing Bedrock Edition Players

Bedrock Dedicated Servers use the allowlist command instead of whitelist. It is highly recommended to put quotation marks around the player's name!

• /allowlist add "username" - Adds a player to the list.
• /allowlist remove "username" - Removes a player from the list.
• /allowlist list - Shows all players currently on the allowlist.
• /allowlist reload - Reloads the allowlist from the file if you've made manual changes.

Best Practices & Troubleshooting

• Always double-check the spelling of a username or Gamertag before adding it.
• Keep a record of who you add to the list, especially on larger servers.
• If a player can't join, verify their username is spelled correctly on the list and that they have a legitimate Minecraft account.
• If changes don't seem to apply, use the reload command or completely restart the server.

Conclusion

Using a whitelist is a simple and powerful tool for any server owner. It gives you complete control over who enters your world, making it perfect for creating a private server for friends, family, or a dedicated community. By mastering a few basic commands, you can easily maintain a secure and exclusive Minecraft experience. No worries, you've got this locked down!