How to Op Someone on a Minecraft Server (and Yourself)

To op someone on a Minecraft server, type op PlayerName in the server console, or /op PlayerName in game if you are already an operator. Operators can use commands like /gamemode, /tp and /give that normal players cannot. This guide covers making yourself op for the first time, what the permission levels mean, how to remove op, and when to use a permissions plugin instead.

Short answer

• Server console: op Steve (no slash needed).
• In game, as an op: /op Steve.
• Remove it: deop Steve.
• On GamezServers: click Make operator in the control panel and type the username.

The player gets the message "You are now op!" and can use operator commands right away, no restart needed.

Making yourself op the first time

There is a catch: in game, only an operator can op someone. On a new server nobody is op yet, so the first op has to come from the server console.

• Home server: click into the server window (or the terminal running it) and type op YourName, then press Enter.
• Hosted server: open the Console tab in your control panel and type the same command. On GamezServers you can also click Make operator.

You see Made YourName a server operator in the console. Use your exact Minecraft username. Capitals do not matter, but spelling does.

If the console says That player does not exist, the username is wrong, or the server is in offline mode and cannot look it up. Online mode servers look usernames up with Mojang, so the player does not need to be online.

What operators can do: permission levels

Every op has a permission level from 1 to 4. op-permission-level in server.properties sets the level new ops get, and the default is 4.

Level 4 means that player can stop your server and op anyone else. For friends who just want creative mode or teleports, level 2 is safer.

Give different ops different levels

op-permission-level changes the level for everyone who gets op after the change. To give one person a lower level, edit ops.json in the server folder. It looks like this:

[
  {
    "uuid": "069a79f4-44e9-4726-a5be-fca90e38aaf5",
    "name": "Notch",
    "level": 2,
    "bypassesPlayerLimit": false
  }
]

1. Op the player with the command first, so the server fills in their UUID.
2. Stop the server.
3. Open ops.json (in the Files tab on a hosted server) and change level to 1, 2, 3 or 4.
4. Set bypassesPlayerLimit to true if that op should be able to join when the server is full.
5. Save and start the server.

Always stop the server before editing ops.json. The server rewrites the file while it runs and can overwrite your changes.

How to deop someone

deop Steve

Run it in the console, or use /deop Steve in game as a level 3 or 4 op. The player loses operator commands straight away. Removing their entry from ops.json while the server is stopped does the same thing.

Common problems

• "Unknown or incomplete command": normal players do not see operator commands at all, so Minecraft calls them unknown. Op the player first.
• "You do not have permission to use this command": the player is op but their level is too low for that command, for example level 2 trying /ban.
• Op works, then disappears: someone edited ops.json while the server was running and the server overwrote it, or the server was restored from an older backup.
• Command blocks do nothing: set enable-command-block=true in server.properties and restart. Placing and editing them needs level 2 and creative mode.
• Cheats not allowed on a server: the singleplayer "Allow Cheats" option does not apply on servers. Being op is what allows commands.

Ops vs a permissions plugin

Op is all or nothing per level. On a server with more than a few friends, a permissions plugin gives much finer control. On Paper, LuckPerms lets you create groups such as member, helper and admin and choose exactly which commands each group can use. Many plugin commands use permissions instead of op levels anyway. Our list of the best Minecraft server plugins covers LuckPerms and the plugins that pair with it.

A good rule: op only yourself and one trusted friend, and give everyone else what they need through groups.

Keeping your server safe

• Never op someone just because they asked. An op at level 3 or 4 can ban you from your own server, since only the console is immune.
• Use the whitelist so only people you know can join in the first place.
• Keep backups. If someone with op griefs the world, restoring a backup undoes it.

On a GamezServers server, you always keep the console in your control panel, so you can deop anyone and fix permissions even if you are locked out in game. Backup is one click before handing out op. See Minecraft server hosting or how to host a Minecraft server.

FAQ

How do I op myself on my own Minecraft server?

Type op YourName in the server console. You cannot op yourself in game until you are already an op.

Do I need to restart after opping someone?

No. Op takes effect immediately. Changes to op-permission-level or manual edits to ops.json need a restart.

Can I op someone who is offline?

Yes, on an online mode server. The server looks up their UUID by username, so they do not need to be connected.

What op level should I give my friends?

Level 2 lets them use creative, teleport and give items without being able to ban people or stop the server. Keep level 4 for yourself.