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What a Minecraft flat server requires
A flat (Superflat) server creates new terrain from horizontal layers instead of the normal Overworld terrain generator. The procedure below is for Minecraft Java Edition dedicated servers. It assumes you can stop the server and edit its configuration files, either directly on the machine or through your hosting panel.
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- A stopped server: Never edit
server.propertieswhile the server is running. The process can overwrite your changes when it shuts down. - A backup: Copy the existing world folder before changing anything. Deleting a world folder is destructive; a backup is the only reliable way to restore it.
- A new world: The flat setting applies when terrain is generated. It does not convert already-generated chunks.
- The correct edition: Java and Bedrock dedicated servers do not expose exactly the same configuration options. Custom layer JSON described here is a Java procedure.
How to create a flat world on a Java Minecraft server
1. Stop the server and make a backup
- Stop the server from its console or hosting control panel.
- Wait until the process has completely stopped and the console is no longer writing save messages.
- Back up the folder named by
level-nameinserver.properties. If you are unsure which folder is active, read that property before moving anything.
Do not remove the old world until you have confirmed that the new one loads correctly. Keeping the original folder under a different name is safer than deleting it immediately.
2. Set the flat level type
Open the server’s server.properties file in a plain-text editor and find level-type. Replace the normal-world value with:
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level-type=minecraft:flatThe normal default is minecraft:normal. The minecraft: namespace is important on current Java server configurations. A hosting guide reports that older versions, including versions 1.18 and below, may use uppercase values such as FLAT, while newer versions use the namespaced value to avoid an “Unknown level type” error. Because this behavior is version-dependent and is not confirmed here by an official changelog, use the syntax required by your server version and check its startup log if the value is rejected.
3. Add a custom generator-settings value (optional)
If you only need the ordinary Superflat preset, you can omit generator-settings. The documented default is one bedrock layer, two dirt layers and one grass-block layer on the plains biome, with villages and strongholds generated when structures are enabled.
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level-type=minecraft:flat
generator-settings={"biome":"minecraft:plains","layers":[{"block":"minecraft:bedrock","height":1},{"block":"minecraft:dirt","height":2},{"block":"minecraft:grass_block","height":1}]}In an actual server.properties file, keep the JSON on one line. The example reproduces the classic grass-over-dirt-over-bedrock layout. Its layer order is bottom to top: the first object is the lowest layer, and each following object is placed above it.
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Understanding generator-settings
Layer order and height
Each item in the layers array contains a block and a height. Heights may be from 0 through 4064 inclusive. A block omitted from an item defaults to minecraft:air. A zero-height entry is therefore valid, although it contributes no blocks to the generated terrain.
| JSON property | Meaning | Constraint or default |
|---|---|---|
biome |
Biome assigned to the flat world | The example uses minecraft:plains |
layers |
Array of strata, read from the bottom upward | Each layer height is 0–4064 inclusive |
block |
Block used for that stratum | Defaults to minecraft:air when omitted |
height |
Number of blocks in that stratum | Integer from 0 to 4064 inclusive |
The generator-settings field was added in Java Edition 1.8. It has no useful effect when the server is not generating a flat level; set level-type to the flat preset as well.
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Examples of useful layer layouts
These examples show the structure of the value, not extra presets supplied by Mojang. Adjust the block IDs and heights to your project, and test on a disposable world before using a valuable map.
- Classic three-layer world: the bedrock, dirt and grass example above.
- Void-style starting area: use an air layer or omit
blockfor a layer, then add only the solid platform you need. You still need a safe spawn platform if players must survive their first login. - Thick building platform: increase the dirt, stone or other solid layer height. Remember that the array is read upward, so putting a material first places it at the bottom.
Use valid namespaced block and biome IDs for the server version you are running. A malformed JSON value can prevent the intended preset from loading, so keep punctuation, quotation marks and braces exact.
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4. Generate a new flat world
After changing level-type (and, if applicable, generator-settings), the server must create a new level. Choose one of these methods:
- Rename the existing world folder: Stop the server, rename the folder referenced by
level-name(for example, append-backup), and start the server. It will create a new folder with the original level name. - Change
level-name: Set the property to a new folder name, such asflat_world, then start the server. The old world remains available under its original name. - Delete the old folder: Only do this after making a verified backup. Start the server after deletion so it can generate the new level.
On first startup, generation can take longer than a normal restart because the server is creating the level data and spawn chunks. Watch the console for completion, then connect and inspect the spawn area. Do not copy chunks from the old world into the new one until you have confirmed that the flat generator and your layer settings are correct.
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Structures, villages and strongholds
Superflat presets can change which features generate. The world-creation interface has a separate Generate structures option; it must be enabled for structures to appear. If a new flat server has no villages or other expected structures, check that setting before changing the layer JSON.
Structure generation is separate from the physical layers. Adding a village-compatible biome or a solid surface does not by itself override a disabled structure setting. Conversely, enabling structures does not turn an existing normal world into a flat one; the world still has to be newly generated with the flat level type.
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Using a hosting control panel
Some game-server panels provide a web form for level-type instead of exposing server.properties directly. The labels vary, but the workflow is the same:
- Stop the server in the panel.
- Open the server properties, world settings or generation settings page.
- Choose the flat or Superflat level type. If the panel offers a raw value field, use the value appropriate to your Java version.
- If custom layers are supported, paste the JSON as one line into the generator-settings field.
- Rename the current world or set a new level name in the panel’s file manager.
- Save the settings and start the server.
Panel documentation takes precedence over a generic file-editing procedure because some panels regenerate, copy or lock configuration files during startup. If a panel has both a world-generation wizard and a text editor, do not configure conflicting values in both places.
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The server still loads the old map
This is the most common cause. A level-type change affects newly generated terrain only. Confirm that the active folder named by level-name was renamed, removed after backup, or replaced with a new level name. If the server log reports that it is loading existing chunks, it is reusing the old world.
The level-type value is rejected
Check the exact syntax for your server version. Current Java configurations use minecraft:flat; some older-version guides report uppercase FLAT. An “Unknown level type” message indicates that the server did not recognize the value it received. Correct the value, save the file while the server is stopped, and restart with a fresh world.
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Custom layers are ignored
- Verify that
level-typeis set to the flat preset as well asgenerator-settings. - Check that the JSON is on one line and has matching braces, brackets and quotation marks.
- Confirm that block and biome IDs are valid for the server version.
- Generate a new world after correcting the value; existing chunks will not be regenerated.
A community-maintained Minecraft Wiki discussion reports that colons in this field may not need escaping, but that is community guidance rather than official documentation. The namespaced example above uses the escaped form shown in the server property value. If your server rejects it, test the syntax documented for your exact version and inspect the startup log rather than changing several settings at once.
The world is flat but has no structures
Check whether structure generation was enabled when the world was created. A new setting will not add structures to chunks that already generated. Create another test world after enabling the option if you need to confirm the result.
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The server starts but players spawn unsafely
A custom preset can leave air beneath the spawn point or create a surface that does not provide a safe starting area. Test the first spawn on a backup or test level. If you are building a void or mostly-air map, include a platform in the layer definition or provide a controlled spawn area before inviting players.
Java and Bedrock: what differs
| Question | Java Edition dedicated server | Bedrock Edition dedicated server |
|---|---|---|
| Flat-world setting | Use the flat level type in server.properties; current syntax is minecraft:flat |
Third-party guidance conflicts on whether the value should be FLAT or flat; verify the current Bedrock documentation for your server build |
Custom layers through server.properties |
generator-settings supports a JSON layer definition |
No documented equivalent for custom layers was established here |
| Regeneration requirement | Always create a new world or change level-name |
Changing a setting likewise cannot remodel already-generated chunks |
| Default port noted in hosting guidance | Not specified by the flat-world setting | One guide mentions the default Bedrock port 19132, but that is unrelated to the layer definition |
If you run Bedrock, treat the exact level-type spelling as version- and implementation-dependent. The safe assumption is the default flat layout offered by the server, not Java’s custom layer JSON. Do not paste Java generator-settings into a Bedrock configuration unless the documentation for that specific Bedrock server explicitly supports it.
Version and syntax checklist
- Confirm whether the server is Java or Bedrock before editing anything.
- Record the Minecraft version and the active
level-name. - Stop the server and back up the current world.
- Set the flat level type using the syntax accepted by that version.
- Add only valid, one-line generator JSON if you need custom layers.
- Rename the old world or change
level-nameso new terrain is generated. - Enable structure generation if villages or strongholds are required.
- Start the server, read the console for parsing errors, and test spawn and several newly explored chunks.
- Keep the old world backup until the new map has passed your checks.
What the finished setup should look like
For a standard Java Superflat server, the essential configuration is the flat level type, a fresh level folder, and (optionally) a valid generator-settings object. The default preset supplies a plains biome with a grass, dirt and bedrock stack; custom JSON changes those layers only for the newly generated world. If the server continues to show ordinary terrain, the issue is almost always that it reused the existing level or rejected the level-type value before generation.
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