Minecraft Whitelist, Ops and Bans: Fix "Not White-listed"
Starting with Minecraft Java 26.3, the white-list property is true by default in a newly generated server.properties. On a new server, everyone who is not an operator is turned away with "You are not white-listed on this server" until you add them. Add players with whitelist add NAME on the Console tab, or turn the whitelist off with whitelist off.
This guide covers the whitelist, operator (op) levels and bans for Minecraft Java servers on ChicagoServers. It was checked in November 2026 against Mojang's 26.3 release notes, the Minecraft Wiki and host documentation. Existing servers keep whatever value they already had, so this mainly affects new and reset servers.
- On 26.3 and later, a new
server.propertieshaswhite-list=true. Existing files are not changed. - Add players on the Whitelist tab or with
whitelist add NAMEon the Console tab. To open the server to everyone, usewhitelist off, which is saved toserver.properties. - Operators join even when they are not whitelisted. Give yourself access with
op YourNameon the Console tab. - After editing
whitelist.jsonby hand, runwhitelist reload. The server keeps the list in memory. - Keep
online-mode=trueon any server the public can reach. In offline mode anyone can type any username, which defeats whitelists, ops and bans.
On this page
Why players see "You are not white-listed on this server"
Mojang's 26.3 release notes say the white-list property is now true by default. A server that creates its server.properties from scratch, such as a new server or one whose files were reset, now starts with the whitelist on. Anyone who is not an operator and not on the list is refused, usually with the message "You are not white-listed on this server". Plugin servers such as Paper may word the message slightly differently.
Existing servers are not affected, because server.properties is not rewritten. Keep an eye on this after you reset a world or reinstall a server, as the new file has the new default.
Add players to the whitelist
- Open the Whitelist tab
Sign in at panel.chicagoservers.co, open your Minecraft server and go to the Whitelist tab. Add each player's Minecraft username and save.
- Or use the console
On the Console tab, run the command for each player. The slash is optional there. In game, an operator uses
/whitelist add NAME.whitelist add Steve - Check the list
Run
whitelist listto see who is on it.whitelist list
A name has to belong to a real Minecraft account. If the server answers "That player does not exist", check the spelling. The server looks the name up with Mojang's account service, so a name lookup can also fail when that service is unreachable.
Turn the whitelist off
To let anyone join, run whitelist off. The server writes the change to server.properties, so it persists across restarts. Setting white-list=false on the Configs tab (Server properties), then saving and restarting, does the same thing.
Whitelist commands and files
| Command | What it does |
|---|---|
whitelist on / whitelist off | Turns the whitelist on or off. The change is saved to server.properties. |
whitelist add NAME | Adds a player. |
whitelist remove NAME | Removes a player. |
whitelist list | Shows everyone on the list. |
whitelist reload | Re-reads whitelist.json after you edit it by hand. |
The list is stored in whitelist.json, where each entry has a uuid and a name. You can edit it in the Configs tab or the Files tab, but the server keeps the list in memory, so run whitelist reload afterwards or your edit is ignored. UUIDs use the hyphenated form (8-4-4-4-12 characters) in that file.
enforce-whitelist(defaultfalse): when the list reloads, players already online who are not on it stay connected until they leave. Set it totrueto kick them instead.- Online mode: with
online-mode=trueaccess follows the player's Minecraft account, so a player who renames their account keeps access. Withonline-mode=falsethe UUID comes from the typed name, anyone can use any name, and whitelists and bans can be bypassed. - Bedrock: on a Bedrock server, operators are not exempt, so they must be on the allowlist too.
Operators, /op and permission levels
An operator can run commands and, on Java, joins even when the whitelist is on. Make someone an operator with op NAME on the Console tab, and remove it with deop NAME. Operators are stored in ops.json, together with a permission level from 1 to 4.
| Level | In general |
|---|---|
| 1 | Can bypass spawn protection. |
| 2 | Gamemaster commands: command blocks and the cheat commands such as gamemode and give. |
| 3 | Multiplayer management commands, such as banning and kicking players. |
| 4 | Everything, including server-management commands. |
op-permission-levelinserver.propertiesis 4 by default. It is the level given to newly created operators, and operators who already have an entry keep the level stored for them.- Give people the lowest level that does their job: level 2 for builders or event staff, level 3 for moderators, and level 4 only for owners.
- Plugin servers often manage who can do what with a permissions plugin, instead of giving everyone a high op level.
- On Bedrock, permissions work differently: there is no
ops.json, and players are Visitors, Members or Operators.
Ban, kick and pardon players
| Command | What it does |
|---|---|
kick NAME [reason] | Removes a player from the server. They can rejoin. |
ban NAME [reason] | Bans an account. Without a reason the player sees "Banned by an operator." |
ban-ip ADDRESS|NAME [reason] | Bans an IP address, or the IP of an online player. A shared network can catch other people. |
pardon NAME / pardon-ip ADDRESS | Lifts a ban. |
banlist [players|ips] | Lists the bans. |
- The ban commands need permission level 3.
- Bans are stored in
banned-players.jsonandbanned-ips.json. There is no reload command for them, and the server rewrites the files whenever a ban changes, so stop the server before editing them by hand or your changes are lost. - Vanilla bans cannot expire on their own. A plugin such as EssentialsX adds timed bans with
/tempbanon plugin servers. - Ban by account, not just by IP, whenever you can: players change IP addresses easily.
Fix common whitelist and op problems
| What you see | Likely cause |
|---|---|
| Nobody can join a new 26.3 server | white-list=true is the new default. Add players or run whitelist off. |
| You cannot join your own server | You are not an operator or on the list. Run op YourName or whitelist add YourName on the Console tab. |
| "That player does not exist" | A misspelt name, or a name that is not a Minecraft account. |
Edits to whitelist.json do nothing | The list is held in memory. Run whitelist reload. |
| A removed player is still online | enforce-whitelist is false. Kick them, or set it to true. |
| Ban edits disappear | The file was edited while the server was running. Stop the server first. |
For the rest of the settings in the file, see server.properties explained. Starting a new map? See the Minecraft server seed guide. Looking for a server? See Minecraft server hosting.
Frequently asked questions
Why does my new Minecraft server say "You are not white-listed on this server"?
Since Minecraft Java 26.3 the white-list property is true by default in a newly generated server.properties. Add players with whitelist add NAME, or turn it off with whitelist off. Existing servers keep their old value.
How do I turn off the whitelist on a Minecraft server?
Run whitelist off on the Console tab, or set white-list=false in server.properties and restart. The whitelist off command is saved to server.properties, so it persists.
How do I add someone to a Minecraft whitelist?
Use the Whitelist tab in the panel, or run whitelist add NAME on the Console tab. In game, an operator can use /whitelist add NAME.
Do operators need to be on the whitelist?
On Java Edition, no. Operators can join even when they are not on the whitelist. On Bedrock, operators must also be on the allowlist.
What do Minecraft op levels 1 to 4 do?
Level 1 bypasses spawn protection, level 2 adds gamemaster commands such as command blocks and the cheat commands, level 3 adds multiplayer management such as banning, and level 4 allows everything including server-management commands.
How do I ban a player on a Minecraft server?
Run ban NAME with an optional reason, which needs permission level 3. Use pardon NAME to lift it. Bans are saved in banned-players.json, and the server must be stopped before you edit that file by hand.