Minecraft server commands
The full list of commands for admins and players: vanilla commands, EssentialsX, WorldGuard and LuckPerms. With permissions, examples and an explanation of how the console differs from the game. Everything you need to run your own server.
Console vs in-game: what's the difference
Before we get to the command lists, it's worth understanding the fundamental difference between the two ways of issuing commands on a Minecraft server.
In-game commands
You type them in chat, always starting with a slash /, for example /gamemode creative. The command runs in the context of your player: if you type /tp without a name, you teleport yourself. They require the right permissions: server operator (OP) status or a properly configured permissions plugin.
Server console commands
You type them without the slash, directly in the console panel (for example in Pterodactyl or Multicraft, or in a terminal). They run with full administrator permissions, and you don't have to be logged in to the server. ban PlayerName Reason works even while the server is still starting and players can't connect yet.
Tip: RCON (Remote Console) commands work just like the server console: you can run them remotely with tools like mcrcon. That's useful for automation or for managing the server with scripts.
Vanilla Minecraft commands
The commands below are built into the Minecraft engine, so they work on every server, whatever plugins it runs. They require OP status or the right permission level set in ops.json.
| Command | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
/gamemode | Changes a player's game mode. Available modes: survival (0), creative (1), adventure (2), spectator (3). | /gamemode creative PlayerName |
/tp | Teleports a player to another player or to the given coordinates. | /tp PlayerName 100 64 200 |
/give | Gives a player an item. Optionally with an amount and extra item data. | /give PlayerName diamond 64 |
/time | Sets or displays the time in the world. You can use the values day, noon, night and midnight. | /time set day |
/weather | Changes the weather in the world. Options: clear, rain, thunder. Optionally with a duration. | /weather clear 6000 |
/difficulty | Sets the difficulty. Options: peaceful (0), easy (1), normal (2), hard (3). | /difficulty hard |
/ban | Bans a player so they can't join the server. Optionally with a reason. | /ban PlayerName Ban reason |
/kick | Kicks a player from the server. Optionally with a message. | /kick PlayerName Come back later |
/op | Gives a player operator status (full admin permissions). | /op PlayerName |
/deop | Takes operator status away from a player. | /deop PlayerName |
/whitelist | Manages the server whitelist. Subcommands: on, off, add, remove, list, reload. | /whitelist add PlayerName |
/gamerule | Changes the game rules of the world, for example keepInventory, doDaylightCycle, mobGriefing. | /gamerule keepInventory true |
/effect | Gives a player a status effect or removes one, with a duration and an effect strength. | /effect give PlayerName speed 60 2 |
/enchant | Enchants the item the player is holding. You specify the enchantment ID and the level. | /enchant PlayerName sharpness 5 |
/fill | Fills the area between two points with the block you choose. A powerful building tool. | /fill 0 60 0 100 60 100 stone |
/clone | Copies an area of blocks from one place to another. | /clone 0 60 0 10 70 10 20 60 0 |
/setblock | Places a single block at the given coordinates. | /setblock 100 64 200 chest |
/summon | Summons an entity (a mob, an item, a projectile) at the given coordinates. | /summon zombie 100 64 200 |
Useful gamerule commands
gamerule commands let you fine-tune the server's mechanics without any plugins:
/gamerule keepInventory true: players don't lose their inventory when they die/gamerule doDaylightCycle false: stops the day-night cycle/gamerule doWeatherCycle false: turns off random weather changes/gamerule mobGriefing false: creepers and endermen don't destroy terrain/gamerule pvp false: turns off PvP between players/gamerule naturalRegeneration false: turns off natural health regeneration/gamerule announceAdvancements false: hides advancement announcements in chat
EssentialsX commands
EssentialsX is the most popular Minecraft server management plugin, installed on literally millions of servers. It extends vanilla with hundreds of commands for players and admins. Here are the most important ones.
| Command | Description | Permission |
|---|---|---|
/home | Teleports a player to the home they've set. Players can have several homes (depending on their permissions). | essentials.home |
/sethome | Sets the player's home at their current location. | essentials.sethome |
/tpa | Sends a teleport request to another player, who has to accept it with /tpaccept. | essentials.tpa |
/tpaccept | Accepts a teleport request from another player. | essentials.tpaccept |
/warp | Teleports a player to a public warp point. Without arguments it shows the list of warps. | essentials.warp |
/setwarp | Creates a new warp point at the current location. Available to players with the right permission. | essentials.setwarp |
/spawn | Teleports a player to the server's spawn point. | essentials.spawn |
/kit | Claims a set of items (a kit). The admin configures kits in the kits.yml file. | essentials.kit.[kitname] |
/heal | Heals a player to full health and fills their hunger bar. An admin can heal other players. | essentials.heal |
/fly | Turns flight mode on or off for a player. You can optionally name another player. | essentials.fly |
/god | Turns on god mode (invulnerability) for a player. Useful while building or testing. | essentials.god |
/msg | Sends a private message to another player. Aliases: /tell, /w, /pm. | essentials.msg |
/mail | Sends a message to a player who's offline. They'll see it when they log in. | essentials.mail |
/back | Teleports a player back to their previous location (before their last teleport or death). | essentials.back |
/balance | Shows a player's account balance (requires Vault and an economy plugin). | essentials.balance |
/pay | Transfers money from your own account to another player. | essentials.pay |
/nick | Changes a player's display name in chat and above their head. | essentials.nick |
/list | Shows a list of all connected players. | essentials.list |
EssentialsX aliases: Many commands have short versions. /msg works the same as /tell, /w and /pm. You can call /home with /h. The full list of aliases is in the plugin's config.yml file.
Moderation commands
Managing how players behave is a key part of running a server. EssentialsX and dedicated moderation plugins give you far more powerful tools than the vanilla ban.
| Command | Description | Syntax |
|---|---|---|
/ban | A permanent ban on the player's account. In EssentialsX it supports a reason and banning offline players. | /ban PlayerName [reason] |
/tempban | A temporary ban for a set time. Time format: 1d (1 day), 2h (2 hours), 30m (30 minutes). | /tempban PlayerName 7d Griefing |
/unban | Removes a player's ban. Alias: /pardon. | /unban PlayerName |
/banlist | Shows the list of banned players and IP addresses. | /banlist [players|ips] |
/ban-ip | Bans an IP address, which stops new accounts from connecting from it. Be careful with dynamic IPs. | /ban-ip 123.456.789.0 [reason] |
/mute | Mutes a player so they can't write in chat. Available in EssentialsX. | /mute PlayerName [time] [reason] |
/unmute | Unmutes a player. | /unmute PlayerName |
/jail | Puts a player in jail (a special location). The jail has to be set up beforehand. | /jail PlayerName [jailname] [time] |
/unjail | Releases a player from jail before their time is up. | /unjail PlayerName |
/warn | Sends a player a warning and logs it. After a set number of warnings it can ban them automatically. | /warn PlayerName Don't grief! |
/vanish | Hides an admin from players. The admin is invisible and doesn't show up in /list. | /vanish |
Good moderation practices
A few rules worth following on any serious server:
- Always give a reason when you ban someone: players have a right to know what they were punished for
- Escalate punishments step by step: warning → kick → tempban → permanent ban
- Log your moderation: use plugins like CoreProtect to track changes to the world and DiscordSRV to log the chat
- Check the IP before an IP ban: players behind NAT or a VPN may share an address with other people
WorldGuard commands
WorldGuard is a land protection plugin: it lets you create regions where players can't build or break blocks without the right permissions. It's essential on every PvE and survival server.
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
/region define [name] | Creates a new WorldGuard region in the area selected with WorldEdit (//wand). The basic command for protecting land. |
/region addowner [name] [player] | Adds an owner to a region. An owner can modify the terrain and manage the region. |
/region addmember [name] [player] | Adds a member to a region. A member can build and break blocks in the region, but can't manage it. |
/region info [name] | Shows detailed information about a region: owners, members, flags, priority. |
/region list | Shows a list of all regions in the current world. |
/region delete [name] | Deletes a region. The terrain isn't changed: only the protection is removed. |
/region flag [name] [flag] [value] | Sets a flag for a region, for example pvp deny, mob-spawning deny, greeting "Welcome!". |
/region select [name] | Selects the region with WorldEdit, so you can modify it or see its boundaries. |
/region setpriority [name] [number] | Sets a region's priority. When regions overlap, the one with the higher priority wins. |
Useful WorldGuard flags
Flags define what's allowed in a given region:
pvp deny: turns off PvP in the region (ideal for spawn)mob-spawning deny: stops mobs from spawning naturallyfire-spread deny: fire doesn't spreadbuild deny: nobody can build (the default protection)interact deny: players can't use levers, buttons or chestsgreeting "Message": shows a message to a player who enters the regionfarewell "Message": a message shown when a player leaves the region
LuckPerms commands
LuckPerms is the best and most popular permissions plugin for Minecraft servers. It replaced the older PEX and GroupManager. It lets you manage player and group permissions precisely through an inheritance hierarchy.
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
/lp user [player] info | Shows information about a player: groups, permissions, metadata (prefix, suffix, weight). |
/lp user [player] group add [group] | Adds a player to a group. The player inherits all of the group's permissions. |
/lp user [player] group remove [group] | Removes a player from a group. |
/lp user [player] permission set [permission] [true/false] | Gives a player a specific permission or takes it away, without changing their groups. |
/lp group [name] permission set [permission] [true/false] | Gives a permission to a whole group or takes it away. The change automatically applies to every member of the group. |
/lp group [name] meta setprefix [priority] "[prefix]" | Sets the prefix shown in chat before a player's name, for example [Admin] or [VIP]. |
/lp group [name] parent add [parentgroup] | Makes the group inherit the permissions of another group (a hierarchy). |
/lp editor | Opens the LuckPerms web editor, a convenient graphical interface for managing permissions in your browser. |
/lp sync | Syncs data with the database. Useful in a network setup (BungeeCord/Velocity). |
LuckPerms web editor: Instead of memorizing the command syntax, type /lp editor. LuckPerms generates a link to a web interface where you can drag and drop permissions in a convenient graphical editor. It's the fastest way to set up your groups.
Permissions and player groups
The permissions system is the foundation of every Minecraft server. Set up well, it separates what players can do from what moderators and admins can do.
A typical group hierarchy
Most survival servers use a similar structure:
- Player (default): the basic permissions /home, /tpa, /warp, /spawn, /back and /kit starter
- Regular / Trusted: extra /sethome (more homes), /nick, /fly in specific areas
- VIP / Donator: /fly, /kit premium, colored names, queue priority
- Helper: /kick, /mute, /warn, /vanish, access to logs
- Moderator: /ban, /tempban, /ban-ip, /jail, administrative teleports
- Admin: /op or full LuckPerms permissions, console access, WorldGuard admin
- Owner: full access to everything
How to check which permission you need
Every plugin documents its permissions. For LuckPerms, that's luckperms.net/wiki. For WorldGuard, it's enginehub.org/worldguard.
If a player reports that they can't use a command, check the log in the console: LuckPerms often shows the missing permission right in the error message.
Tips for server admins
Back up before you make changes
Before you start experimenting with fill, clone or setblock on a live server, make a backup. The /fill command can destroy hours of a player's work in a fraction of a second. On serious servers, a backup every 6 hours is the minimum.
Use the console instead of the game
Type moderation commands (ban, kick, op) in the server console, especially if the player who attacked you may try to distract you. In the console you don't have to be in the game, so you can act quickly and effectively.
Document your server rules
Players need to know the rules to know what they can be punished for. Set up /rules with EssentialsX, create a #rules channel on Discord and show the rules when players join the server, through the MOTD or a welcome plugin.
Command aliases for players
EssentialsX lets you create your own command aliases in config.yml. For example, you can make /tele redirect to /tpa, or /pm to /msg. It makes life easier for players who are used to other servers.
TAB and autocomplete: In the game, you can press TAB after typing the start of a command or a player name, and Minecraft suggests the available options. Autocomplete works in the server console too (depending on how the panel implements it).
Commands you should never type on a live server without double-checking
/fill ~ ~ ~ ~100 ~100 ~100 air: deletes everything in a 100-block area/op @a: gives OP to every player online/kill @a: kills all players at once/gamerule keepInventory falsewithout a warning: players will lose their inventory when they die- WorldEdit commands with
//set airacross the whole world: they can wipe out the map in seconds
