AstroworldPlayers
Minecraft server commands every admin needs
Commands are how you run a Minecraft server from the inside: who may join, who is in charge, and what the world does. This page lists the ones admins actually use, grouped by the job they do, with an example you can copy.
Every command here is part of Minecraft Java Edition itself, so it works on vanilla, Paper, Purpur, Fabric, Forge and NeoForge without installing anything.
Where to type commands
There are two places, and the only difference is the slash.
| Where | How to type it | Who can use it |
|---|---|---|
| The Console tab of the control panel | Without a slash: op Steve | You, as the server itself, with every permission |
| The chat in the game | With a slash: /op Steve | Operators, and players a permissions plugin allows |
In the game, a slash opens the command line and Minecraft suggests every command and every part of it as you type. Press Tab to take the suggestion. It is the quickest way to find the exact spelling for your version.
In the lists below, <player> means you fill in a name and square brackets mean the part is optional.
Operators
| Command | What it does |
|---|---|
op <player> | Makes a player an operator, so they can use admin commands in the game. |
deop <player> | Takes operator status away again. |
How much an operator may do depends on their level. Level 4, the default, can use every command including stop. Whitelist and operator levels explained shows how to give a moderator a lower level.
Whitelist, kick and ban commands
| Command | What it does |
|---|---|
whitelist on and whitelist off | Turns the whitelist on or off. |
whitelist add <player> | Lets a player in while the whitelist is on. |
whitelist remove <player> | Takes them off the list. |
whitelist list | Shows everyone on the list. |
kick <player> [reason] | Disconnects a player. They can join again straight away. |
ban <player> [reason] | Keeps a player out until you lift the ban. |
pardon <player> | Lifts a ban. |
ban-ip <player or address> | Bans the connection a player uses, which also keeps out a second account from the same place. |
pardon-ip <address> | Lifts a ban on a connection. |
banlist | Shows who is banned. |
A reason is shown on the player's screen: kick Steve Spamming in chat. The same lists are in the Players tab of the panel if you prefer clicking.
Game mode and difficulty commands
| Command | What it does |
|---|---|
gamemode creative <player> | Switches one player to creative. The others are survival, adventure and spectator. |
gamemode survival @a | Puts every online player in survival. |
defaultgamemode survival | Sets the mode new players start in. |
difficulty hard | Sets the difficulty: peaceful, easy, normal or hard. |
Instead of a name you can use a target: @a is every player, @p the nearest player, @r a random player and @s yourself. @e means every entity, animals and dropped items included, so use it with care.
To make the difficulty or the default game mode stick after a restart, also set it in Settings under Server settings. The server reads those values every time it starts.
Teleport, time, weather and items
| Command | What it does |
|---|---|
tp <player> <other player> | Teleports a player to another player. |
tp <player> <x> <y> <z> | Teleports a player to coordinates. Press F3 in the game to see your own. |
time set day | Sets the time to morning. noon, night and midnight work too. |
weather clear | Ends rain or a storm. The others are rain and thunder. |
give <player> <item> [amount] | Gives items, for example give Steve minecraft:diamond 5. |
xp add <player> 10 levels | Gives experience levels. |
clear <player> | Empties a player's inventory. There is no undo. |
kill @e[type=item] | Removes every dropped item in loaded chunks, a quick relief when items pile up. |
Spawn, world border and seed
| Command | What it does |
|---|---|
setworldspawn | Makes the spot where you stand the world spawn. From the console, add coordinates: setworldspawn 0 70 0. |
spawnpoint <player> <x> <y> <z> | Sets where one player comes back after dying. |
worldborder set 10000 | Sets the world border to 10,000 blocks wide, with the centre in the middle. |
worldborder center 0 0 | Moves the centre of the border. |
seed | Shows the seed of the world. |
A world border goes well with pre-generating the land inside it, so nobody explores into terrain that still has to be made. See pre-generate your world. For a different seed, see change your server's seed.
Chat, saving and stopping
| Command | What it does |
|---|---|
list | Shows who is online. |
say <message> | Sends a message to everyone, shown as coming from the server. |
msg <player> <message> | Sends one player a private message. |
save-all | Writes the world to disk right now. |
stop | Saves the world and shuts the server down, like the Stop button in the panel. |
The Schedules tab runs any of these at set times, for example a say warning ten minutes before a nightly restart.
Leave reload alone on Paper and Purpur. It reloads plugins in a way many of them do not survive; restart the server instead. To reload only data packs, type minecraft:reload.
Game rules without typing
Game rules switch parts of the game on and off, such as keeping your inventory after death, mobs breaking blocks, PvP or the day and night cycle. The World tab has a Game rules card that lists them with their current values, so you do not need to know their names. The server has to be running to see them, and a change applies to the overworld, the Nether and the End.
You can also type gamerule <rule> <value>. In the game, type /gamerule and a space and Minecraft suggests every rule your version knows.
Questions
Why can I not use commands in the game?
Only operators can use admin commands. Type op and your exact Minecraft name in the Console tab of the panel, then try again in the game. A permissions plugin can also give commands to players who are not operators; see permissions with LuckPerms.
What does Unknown or incomplete command mean?
The command is misspelled, a part is missing, or it belongs to a plugin or mod that is not on the server. Type it in the game chat with a slash and follow Minecraft's suggestions for each part.
How do I use a command on a Bedrock player?
On a crossplay server, Bedrock names start with a dot, so a Bedrock player called Sam is .Sam in commands: op .Sam. See crossplay between Java and Bedrock.
Can I undo a command?
No. Commands such as clear and kill act at once. Make a backup in the Backups tab before a big change, so you can go back if something goes wrong.
Written for Minecraft Java Edition servers; the console steps checked against our control panel, September 2026. Written by the Cheapest Minecraft Hosting team, updated .