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How to op players and set op permission levels in Minecraft

Give players operator status on your Minecraft Java server, understand op levels 1 to 4, and remove op with deop.

Updated · 2 min read

To make someone an operator, run op <name> in the Schokr console. Ops can use admin commands in-game. Their power depends on their op level, from 1 to 4, which defaults to 4 (full control).

Op yourself

The easiest way is from the console, since you do not need to be op yet:

  1. Open your server in the Schokr console and go to the console.
  2. Type the command without a slash:
op YourName
  1. You will see Made YourName a server operator.

To remove op:

deop YourName

Op levels

LevelCan do
1Bypass spawn protection
2Level 1, plus cheat commands like /gamemode, /give, /tp, /gamerule, and using command blocks
3Level 2, plus player management like /kick, /ban, /op, /deop
4Everything, including /stop, /save-all and /save-off

New ops get the level set by op-permission-level in server.properties:

op-permission-level=4

Change it to 2 or 3 before opping trusted helpers if you do not want them to be able to stop the server or op others. Existing ops keep their level until you change it.

Set a specific op's level

Each op's level is stored in ops.json in the server root:

[
  {
    "uuid": "069a79f4-44e9-4726-a5be-fca90e38aaf5",
    "name": "Notch",
    "level": 2,
    "bypassesPlayerLimit": false
  }
]
  1. Stop the server (it rewrites this file while running).
  2. Edit level for that player and save.
  3. Start the server.

bypassesPlayerLimit lets that op join even when the server is full.

Ops vs permission plugins

Op levels are coarse. On Paper, a permissions plugin like LuckPerms gives you groups (for example moderator, builder, member) with exactly the commands you choose. For anything beyond a small group of friends, use ops only for the owner and give everyone else permissions through a plugin.

Tips

  • Only op people you fully trust. Level 3 and 4 ops can op other people and ban you.
  • Keep online-mode=true. In offline mode anyone can join with your op name. See online-mode explained.
  • The Schokr console always has full command access, even if nobody in-game is op.
  • If you share server access with teammates on Schokr, you can limit their console, file and power access with team roles.