Docs › Minecraft

How to whitelist players on a Minecraft server (Java and Bedrock)

1 min readUpdated Nov 3, 2026Copy link

A whitelist lets only the players you name join. It's the simplest way to keep a friends server private, and it takes two console commands.

Java server: turn it on and add players #

Open your server's console (on ESN: Console in the panel) and type these without the slash. In-game, an operator can run the same commands with a / in front.

whitelist on
whitelist add Steve
whitelist add Alex
whitelist list
whitelist remove Alex
whitelist off

• whitelist on turns it on and saves white-list=true in server.properties.
• whitelist add needs the player's exact Java username. The server looks up their account, so the name must be spelled right.
• The list is saved in whitelist.json. If you edit that file by hand in Files, run whitelist reload.

Operators aren't blocked by the whitelist, so add yourself as op first if you need to (op YourName).

Kick players who are already online #

Turning the whitelist on only stops new joins. To also kick online players who aren't on the list, set enforce-whitelist=true in server.properties (in Files), restart, then run whitelist reload whenever you remove someone.

Bedrock players on Geyser and Floodgate #

If Bedrock players join your Java server through Geyser and Floodgate, the normal command can't look up their Xbox gamertag. Use Floodgate's command instead:

fwhitelist add GamertagHere
fwhitelist remove GamertagHere

Floodgate players show up with a prefix (a dot by default, like .Gamertag) in the player list and in whitelist.json.

Bedrock Dedicated Server #

On a pure Bedrock server the feature is called the allowlist. Set allow-list=true in server.properties, then use allowlist add GamertagHere, allowlist remove and allowlist list in the console. The list lives in allowlist.json.

"You are not whitelisted on this server" #

• Typo or old name. Check the exact current username, then whitelist remove and whitelist add again.
• Bedrock player added with the Java command. Use fwhitelist add as above.
• Offline-mode servers (online-mode=false) store different player IDs, so names added while the server was in online mode won't match. Keep online-mode=true unless you run a proxy that handles login.
• File edited but not reloaded. Run whitelist reload.

More commands in Minecraft server commands. Setting up a private server for your group? See a Minecraft server for friends.

FAQ #

How do I whitelist someone on my Minecraft server?

Type whitelist add PlayerName in the server console (or /whitelist add PlayerName in-game as an operator). Turn the whitelist on with whitelist on.

How do I whitelist a Bedrock player on a Java server?

If you use Geyser and Floodgate, run fwhitelist add with their Xbox gamertag. The normal whitelist command can't find Bedrock accounts.

Do I need to restart after adding someone?

No. whitelist add takes effect immediately. Only edits made by hand to whitelist.json need whitelist reload.

Sources: Minecraft Wiki: whitelist · GeyserMC: Floodgate

Still stuck? Use the live chat on the panel or ask in the ESN Systems Discord. Last updated November 3, 2026.