Articles in this section
Modifying Existing Servers
After you've created your server, you can come back to the admin portal and make modifications, such as changing the name, changing the passcode, enabling or disabling the server, setting broadcast server, or deleting the server. You can also modify some advanced settings using the server.properties files.
Important Links
Editing settings in the Admin Portal
Once you create your servers you can edit their properties, such as enabling or disabling servers, their broadcast status, add or edit your passcode, and more. To do so:
- Navigate to the Admin Portal
- Login using your Global Admin account.
- If you are not on the Server List page, navigate to this page using the Servers List button
- Each server is represented by a server card that displays editable server properties
- Use the search box, filter or sort features to find the server that you want to edit
- Use the Server Name input box to change the server name
- Use the Server Passcode input box to add or edit a passcode
- When a passcode has been set for the server, all players who launch the server will be required to enter the passcode before they can join
- After editing either of these properties, click Save to ensure your changes are saved
- The Save button will only activate when there are changes to save
- Set the Enabled toggle to the On position to allow players to join the server
- Set the Broadcast toggle to the On position to force the server to show up in all player's server list. If this setting is off, players will need to manually add the server to their list with the server ID.
- The toggle properties are set at the time you change them, you do not need to press Save for these properties.
Editing servers with server.properties
Additional server settings can be configured directly in the server.properties file on the server. Any changes made through this file require the server to be restarted before they take effect.
Some settings are swappable, meaning they can be modified after the server has been created. Others are non-swappable and can only be configured before the server is started for the first time. While swappable settings can be updated later, a server restart is still required for the change to be applied.
The server.properties file contains many configurable options; however, the most commonly used settings are listed below.
| Property | Values | Description | Can be configured in Admin Portal? | Swappable? |
| server-ip | Any IP Address or URL | The IP Address or URL of the Server. | Yes | Yes |
| server-port | Any integer between 1 and 65535 | On which IPv4 port the server should listen for connections. | Yes | Yes |
| allow-list | true false |
If true then all players' usernames must be specified in the allowlist.json file. Additional configuration required. Steps can be found in this article: Dedicated Server Advanced Setup
|
No | Yes |
| allow-commands | true false |
Allows manipulating the world by using slash commands in the chat. If false, then commands are only accessible in the server console and not to users in the client (even if they are teachers or operators). |
No | Yes |
| level-name | Any string without semicolon symbol or symbols illegal for file name: /\n\r\t\f`?*\\<>|\": | The filename for the world to use. Default is Bedrock level
|
No | Yes |
|
default-player-permission-level |
Visitor Member Operator |
Permission Level for new players joining for the first time. | No | No |
| chat-restriction | None Dropped Disabled |
The chat setting controls how much players can use chat on the server.
None (default): Normal chat works freely.
Dropped: Chat messages are blocked from being sent, and players are notified. MakeCode still works, but chat can’t be used to interact with it.
Disabled: Chat UI is hidden for non-operators, with no feedback shown. MakeCode still works, but players can’t send or see chat-based output.
Operators: Even when chat is disabled, operators can open chat to run commands, but messages won’t be visible to others.
|
Partially - Only Disabled and None are available |
Yes |
| allow-command-blocks | true false |
Enable or disable the use of Command Blocks (Note: Operator status will still be required if true.) |
No. | No |
| chat-logging-enabled | true false |
Enable Chat Logging. If true, all messaged sent by users will be sent to /chat_logs/ChatLog_<Date>.txt for later review. |
Can only be initially enabled or disabled on server creation. Can only be edited later in server.properties. |
Yes |
| max-players | Any Positive Integer | The maximum number of players allowed to join at one time. | No | Yes |
| view-distance |
Positive integer equal to 5 or greater Default = 32 |
The maximum allowed view distance in number of chunks (Equal to Render Distance in Peer-2-Peer sessions) |
No | Yes |
| tick-distance |
Any Integer from 4 to 12. Default = 4 |
The world will be ticked (or "Simulated") this many chunks away from any player. Similar to Simulation Distance in Peer-2-Peer sessions |
No | Yes |
| player-idle-timeout |
Any Positive Integer 0 to disable |
The amount of time a player can be inactive before being kicked from the server. | No | Yes |
| max-threads | Any Positive Integer |
The number of threads the server is allowed to use. Setting to 0, or removing this property, allows the server to use as many as possible. |
No | Yes |
| allow-code-builder | true false |
Enables or disables the use of CodeBuilder for all users. | No | No |
Removing a Server
If a server has served it's purpose, you can remove it from your admin portal. This will make it no longer joinable and will need to be reregistered in the future.
- Use the search box, filter or sort features to find the server that you want to Remove
- Press the Remove Server button
- Press the Remove button on the confirmation screen
- Press the Cancel button if you've changed your mind
Note: The files will remain on your device should you need to access world files, or other configuration information.