server.properties

BDS's main configuration file, at the root of your server folder. Plain key=value lines, one per line. Most keys are re-read on every startup; a few are only consulted when a new world is created. Restart the server for changes to take effect.

Sample

Defaults from a fresh Endstone install:

server-name=Endstone Server
gamemode=survival
force-gamemode=false
difficulty=easy
allow-cheats=false
max-players=10
online-mode=true
allow-list=false
server-port=19132
server-portv6=19133
enable-lan-visibility=true
view-distance=32
tick-distance=4
player-idle-timeout=30
max-threads=8
level-name=Bedrock level
level-seed=
default-player-permission-level=member
texturepack-required=false

Common keys

Key	Default	Description
`server-name`	`Endstone Server`	Server name shown in the in-game server list. No semicolons.
`gamemode`	`survival`	Default gamemode (`survival`, `creative`, `adventure`). Applied to new players only unless `force-gamemode=true`.
`force-gamemode`	`false`	When `true`, the server overrides each client's saved gamemode with the value above.
`difficulty`	`easy`	World difficulty (`peaceful`, `easy`, `normal`, `hard`).
`allow-cheats`	`false`	Enable cheat commands like `/give`, `/tp`.
`max-players`	`10`	Concurrent player cap. Higher values have a performance impact.
`online-mode`	`true`	Require Xbox Live authentication. Always enforced for non-LAN clients; highly recommended for any server reachable from the Internet.
`allow-list`	`false`	Enforce `allowlist.json`. When `true`, only listed players can join.
`server-port`	`19132`	UDP port for IPv4 clients.
`server-portv6`	`19133`	UDP port for IPv6 clients.
`enable-lan-visibility`	`true`	Respond to LAN discovery. Binds to the default ports (19132 / 19133) even when `server-port` / `server-portv6` are non-default - turn off if running multiple servers on one host.
`view-distance`	`32`	Max chunks rendered around each player. Must be `>5`. Higher values have a performance impact.
`tick-distance`	`4`	Chunks actively ticked around each player. Range `[4, 12]`. Higher values have a performance impact.
`player-idle-timeout`	`30`	Minutes of inactivity before a player is kicked. `0` disables.
`max-threads`	`8`	Server worker-thread cap. `0` uses as many as possible.
`level-name`	`Bedrock level`	Folder name under `worlds/` for the active world.
`level-seed`	(empty)	World generation seed (used at world creation only). Empty means random.
`default-player-permission-level`	`member`	Permission tier for new players (`visitor`, `member`, `operator`).
`texturepack-required`	`false`	Force clients to load the server's resource packs.

Networking and content

Key	Default	Description
`compression-algorithm`	`zlib`	Network compression algorithm (`zlib`, `snappy`).
`compression-threshold`	`1`	Smallest raw payload (bytes) that will be compressed. Range `[0, 65535]`. Used to experiment with CPU/bandwidth tradeoffs.
`content-log-file-enabled`	`false`	Log content errors to a file.
`block-network-ids-are-hashes`	`true`	Send hashed (stable) block network IDs instead of zero-based sequential IDs.

Server-authoritative play

These keys tighten the server's checks against client-reported state. Stricter settings cost the player more latency tolerance.

Key	Default	Description
`server-authoritative-movement-strict`	`false`	Stricter player-position validation. Higher latency makes block-rider movement feel worse.
`server-authoritative-dismount-strict`	`false`	Stricter dismount position validation. May cause visible corrections under latency.
`server-authoritative-entity-interactions-strict`	`false`	Stricter entity-interaction validation. Affects PvP under latency.
`server-authoritative-block-breaking`	`false`	Server verifies that the client should be able to break a block. Incompatible with client-authoritative movement (auto-disabled in that mode).
`server-authoritative-block-breaking-pick-range-scalar`	`1.5`	When server-authoritative block breaking is on, multiplier (squared) applied to default break range. Must be `>1.0`.
`player-position-acceptance-threshold`	`0.5`	Allowed discrepancy between client and server player position. Higher = more lenient. Values above `1.0` increase the chance of missed cheating.
`player-movement-action-direction-threshold`	`0.85`	How far a player's attack vector can diverge from their look vector, as `cos(x)`. `1` = must be parallel, `0` = anything in front, `-1` = any direction.

Chat and client behavior

Key	Default	Description
`chat-restriction`	`None`	Chat policy. `None` = normal chat. `Dropped` = messages are silently dropped server-side; clients see a notice. `Disabled` = chat UI is hidden entirely for non-operators.
`disable-player-interaction`	`false`	Tell clients to ignore other players when interacting with the world. Not server-authoritative.
`client-side-chunk-generation-enabled`	`true`	Allow clients to generate visual chunks outside player interaction range.
`server-build-radius-ratio`	`Disabled`	When `Disabled`, the server dynamically splits chunk-generation work with the client. Set a value in `[0.0, 1.0]` to fix the server's share. Only valid if `client-side-chunk-generation-enabled=true`.
`disable-custom-skins`	`false`	Block custom-uploaded skins, allowing only Minecraft store / in-game skin assets. Useful for moderating offensive skins.

For Microsoft's authoritative reference, see the Bedrock Dedicated Server documentation.