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How to Whitelist Players on a Minecraft Bedrock Server

Set up a Minecraft Bedrock Dedicated Server allowlist with the exact property, commands, JSON fields, reload process and troubleshooting steps.
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To whitelist players on a Minecraft Bedrock Dedicated Server, enable enforcement with allow-list=true in server.properties, restart or otherwise apply the configuration, then add approved Xbox Live gamertags with /allowlist add <GamerTag>. Check the active entries with /allowlist list. Bedrock’s current term is allowlist; /whitelist remains a documented alias.

What a Bedrock allowlist does

An allowlist limits access to the players recorded in the server’s separate allowlist.json file. When the setting is enabled, every connected player must appear in that file. This is the Bedrock Dedicated Server equivalent of what many administrators still call a whitelist.

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Microsoft’s current Bedrock documentation uses allowlist. The commands use that spelling, while /whitelist is documented as an alias for /allowlist. Guides, control panels and older discussions may therefore use both terms for the same feature.

The allowlist is an access-control list, not a permissions system. It determines who may be admitted to the server; it does not make a player an operator, grant gameplay permissions or change their account. Those are separate administrative controls.

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Before you change the server

Use the Bedrock Dedicated Server files

This procedure applies to a Minecraft Bedrock Dedicated Server and its server.properties and allowlist.json files. The files are in the server’s Bedrock Dedicated Server directory. A hosted control panel may expose the same settings through a file manager, but the underlying property and JSON names remain the important part.

Have the required authority

The command reference lists Owner as the required permission level and says the command requires cheats. On a dedicated server, run commands from the server console or from an account that has the necessary administrative privileges and command access. If a command is rejected, fix the permission or cheats setting before changing files repeatedly.

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Pause administration while editing

Stop the server, or pause administration long enough to make a controlled configuration change. Editing while the server is writing its files can leave you unsure which version is active. For a routine one-player change, command-based administration is safer and quicker; reserve direct file editing for bulk or scripted changes.

Fastest method: enable the allowlist and add players

Use this sequence when you are configuring a server for the first time or want a reliable one-off setup.

  1. Open server.properties in the Bedrock Dedicated Server directory.
  2. Find the property named allow-list and set it exactly to allow-list=true.
  3. Save the file, then start the server or use the server’s normal restart process so the property is applied.
  4. From the server console or an authorized command context, add each approved player with /allowlist add <GamerTag>.
  5. If the gamertag contains spaces, enclose the complete name in quotation marks, for example /allowlist add "Gamer Tag".
  6. Run /allowlist list and compare the displayed entries with your intended player list.

The gamertag must match the player’s Xbox Live gamertag. Check spelling, capitalization and spaces against the name the player actually uses to connect. A nearly identical name is a different entry.

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Enabling enforcement in server.properties

The exact property

The setting is allow-list=true, including the hyphen and the lowercase value. Microsoft describes this setting as requiring all connected players to be listed in the separate allowlist.json file. Do not substitute a Java Edition property name or a differently punctuated variation.

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Applying the change

Save the property and restart the server through its normal administration process. A text-file change is not useful until the running server has loaded it. If your installation supports changing enforcement from the command interface, /allowlist on enables it and /allowlist off disables it; use one administration method consistently so the running state and the file state do not diverge.

Checking whether enforcement is active

Use /allowlist list to inspect the server’s active entries. This verifies membership, but it is also a useful diagnostic when a player reports that an edit did not work. If the expected name is absent, the problem is the loaded list rather than the player’s connection.

Adding, removing and checking players with commands

Task Command Important detail
Add a player /allowlist add <GamerTag> Quote the name if it contains spaces.
Remove a player /allowlist remove <GamerTag> Use the exact gamertag stored in the list.
Display entries /allowlist list Shows the server’s active allowlist membership.
Enable enforcement /allowlist on Turns allowlist enforcement on.
Disable enforcement /allowlist off Turns allowlist enforcement off without deleting entries.
Reload an edited file /allowlist reload Required after an external edit to allowlist.json.

The command form is the best default for individual changes. It avoids hand-writing JSON, applies the change through the server’s own command handling and makes the action easy to perform from a console session. After adding or removing someone, run /allowlist list if you need immediate confirmation.

To use the legacy wording, replace /allowlist with /whitelist; it is a documented alias. Keeping the current spelling in scripts and documentation makes the Bedrock terminology clear, while recognizing the alias helps when following older instructions.

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Editing allowlist.json directly

Direct editing is useful when you are importing many players, generating the list with a script or maintaining configuration as a file. It is less forgiving than the command method: the file must remain valid JSON, and the running server must be told to reload it.

Documented entry fields

Field Required? Purpose
name Yes for a normal entry The player’s gamertag.
xuid Optional The player’s XUID, when supplied.
ignoresPlayerLimit Optional Marks selected players to join without counting toward the configured maximum; the documentation also describes that maximum as a soft connection limit.

The file is a JSON array of objects. A minimal illustrative file can look like this:

[
  {"name":"BuilderOne"},
  {"name":"Gamer Tag","ignoresPlayerLimit":true}
]

The names above are examples of JSON values, not accounts you should add automatically. Replace them with the exact gamertags you intend to authorize. Keep double quotes around field names and string values, separate objects with commas, and do not leave a trailing comma after the final object.

What happens when xuid is omitted

Microsoft documents that an omitted XUID can be filled when a matching name connects. You can therefore create an entry with the gamertag alone, but the name still has to match the account that attempts to join. Supplying an XUID is optional according to the documented file format.

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Reloading the file

  1. Stop or pause administration while you edit allowlist.json.
  2. Make the intended changes without altering the documented field names.
  3. Save the file as valid JSON.
  4. With the server running and your administrative command context available, execute /allowlist reload.
  5. Run /allowlist list to confirm that the running server sees the entries.

Microsoft explicitly requires /allowlist reload after an external modification. Merely saving the file does not establish that the running process has loaded your new contents.

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Commands versus direct JSON editing

Administration method Ease of use Automation and bulk work JSON syntax needed Reload step Auditability
Commands Highest for one-off additions and removals Suitable for scripted command execution, but repetitive for a large batch No No separate file reload Each action can be recorded in console or host logs
Direct allowlist.json editing More error-prone for a single change Useful for scripted or bulk administration Yes; the file must be valid JSON Yes: /allowlist reload One file shows the resulting complete list; keep your own change history if you need a detailed record

Choose commands when a trusted administrator is adding or removing a few people. Choose file editing when another system already produces the list or when a large set of entries must be changed together. In either case, finish by checking the active list rather than assuming the command or file write succeeded.

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Why an edited allowlist does not take effect

The property is misspelled or still disabled

Open server.properties and verify the exact line is allow-list=true. Look for a missing hyphen, a different property name, extra characters or a value that remains false. Restart through the server’s normal process after correcting it. Do not copy a Java Edition allowlist property into a Bedrock configuration.

You edited the file but did not reload it

After any external change to allowlist.json, execute /allowlist reload. Then run /allowlist list. If the new entry is not listed, the running server has not accepted the file contents; inspect the JSON syntax and the file location before trying another player connection.

The JSON is invalid

Check that the top level is an array, every object uses the documented field names, strings are enclosed in double quotes, objects are separated by commas and there is no trailing comma. A malformed file can prevent the intended entries from loading. Restore valid JSON, reload, and verify with /allowlist list.

The gamertag does not match

Use the exact Xbox Live gamertag. A spelling difference, an omitted space or an extra character creates a mismatch. When adding through a command, quote a gamertag containing spaces: /allowlist add "Gamer Tag". Then inspect the resulting entry with /allowlist list.

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The command lacks authority

The command reference identifies Owner as the permission level and requires cheats. Run the command from the dedicated-server console or an account with the required administrative access. If the server rejects the command before it changes anything, changing the JSON will not solve the permission problem; use the proper administrative context first.

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You changed one state but are checking another

Bedrock has both a configuration property and command toggles. The property controls the server configuration, while /allowlist on and /allowlist off control enforcement through the command interface. Confirm the active entries with /allowlist list and make sure enforcement has not been turned off after you enabled it.

Understanding ignoresPlayerLimit

The optional ignoresPlayerLimit field is for selected players who should be allowed to join without counting toward the configured maximum. Microsoft’s material also characterizes the connection limit as a soft limit, so this field should not be treated as a general capacity guarantee or as a replacement for server-capacity planning.

Use the field only when that exception is intentional. For ordinary approved players, a name entry is sufficient. If you include the field, keep its value a JSON boolean such as true, not a quoted text value such as "true".

A safe operating routine

  • Keep the approved gamertag spelling in a separate administrator-maintained list so commands and scripts use a consistent value.
  • Use /allowlist add and /allowlist remove for ordinary individual changes.
  • When importing or scripting a large list, validate the JSON structure before replacing the live file.
  • Apply every external file change with /allowlist reload.
  • Run /allowlist list after changes and compare the active entries with the intended roster.
  • Do not disable enforcement with /allowlist off as a workaround for a missing player unless you deliberately accept open access while correcting the list.
  • Keep the documented names name, xuid and ignoresPlayerLimit unchanged when editing JSON.

Complete setup example

Suppose a new Bedrock Dedicated Server should admit only three approved gamertags. First, set allow-list=true in server.properties and restart the server. From the console, add each exact name:

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/allowlist add BuilderOne
/allowlist add "Gamer Tag"
/allowlist add RedstoneCrew

Now run:

/allowlist list

If all three entries appear, enforcement and membership are aligned. If you instead build the list in allowlist.json, save a valid array of objects, run /allowlist reload, and perform the same list check. The verification command is the common final step because it reports what the running server currently recognizes, not merely what a text editor displayed.

Bedrock terminology in older guides

Searching for “whitelist” may return older tutorials and commands. In Bedrock’s current documentation, /allowlist is the primary command family, while /whitelist is an alias. The underlying file remains allowlist.json, and the enabling property remains allow-list=true. Knowing both terms helps you translate older instructions without replacing Bedrock’s current names with Java Edition settings.

Command reference at a glance

Goal Use
Turn access restriction on /allowlist on or set allow-list=true in server.properties and apply the configuration
Turn access restriction off /allowlist off
Authorize a gamertag /allowlist add <GamerTag>
Unauthorize a gamertag /allowlist remove <GamerTag>
See active membership /allowlist list
Load an externally edited file /allowlist reload
Use legacy command wording /whitelist as the documented alias for /allowlist

The dependable workflow is therefore: enable allow-list=true, add exact gamertags, reload after direct file edits, and verify with /allowlist list. Permission and cheats requirements still apply to command execution.

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