Minecraft server.properties: recommended settings

The Properties page in the panel is the server.properties file as a form. Search for a setting name, change the value, save, then restart the server for it to take effect. See Minecraft server settings how-to for the basics.

The values below are starting points, not rules. Vanilla defaults are listed so you know what “unchanged” means. Paper, Purpur and other server software can override some of these in their own config files.

Settings that affect performance

Setting	Vanilla default	What it does	Starting point when the server lags
view-distance	10	Chunks around each player that are sent to their game.	6 to 8
simulation-distance	10	Chunks around each player that actually run (mobs move, crops grow).	4 to 6
entity-broadcast-range-percentage	100	How far away entities are sent to players, as a percentage.	70 to 80
max-players	20	Player slot limit. More players means more loaded chunks.	Match your plan, not the maximum

Lower simulation-distance first. It cuts server work the most, and players barely notice it. Lower view-distance second. Players see less far, but the world still feels normal at 8.

Steps

1. Open Properties in the panel.
2. Search for view-distance and set it (for example 8).
3. Search for simulation-distance and set it (for example 5).
4. Save, then restart the server.
5. Watch /tps in the Console while players are online. If it stays at 20, you can raise the values one step at a time. If it still drops, lower them further, or see Minecraft server lag and performance.

If a server keeps running out of memory, lowering these two is also the first fix. See Out of memory.

Settings that affect safety

• online-mode: keep it true (the default). It checks that every player has a real Minecraft account. Turning it off lets anyone join under any name, including an operator’s name. Only turn it off if you fully understand the risk.
• white-list and enforce-whitelist: use these for private servers. See the whitelist steps in the settings how-to.
• enable-command-block: default false. Turn it on only if you need command blocks.
• spawn-protection: default 16. Only operators can build within this radius of spawn. Set it to 0 to turn it off.

What to leave alone

If you are not sure what a setting does, leave it at the default. Changing level-name or level-seed will make the server load or generate a different world. Read Regenerate your world first, and take a backup before you change either.