A glossary of Minecraft server terms
Running a Minecraft server means learning a vocabulary: server types, file names, performance numbers and permission systems. This glossary explains the terms you will meet, and points to the guides that cover each topic in depth.
Server software
Vanilla. The official server from Mojang, with no modifications. Simple and accurate to the game, with limited tuning. See Choose a Minecraft server type.
Spigot, Paper, Purpur. Improved servers that run plugins and include performance fixes. Paper is the most common choice. Purpur adds extra configuration on top of Paper.
Fabric and Forge / NeoForge. Mod loaders, which let you run mods that change the game itself. See Install Fabric mods and Run a Forge or NeoForge modpack.
Velocity, BungeeCord. Proxies that connect several servers together so players can move between them. See Connect several servers with Velocity.
Geyser. A bridge that lets Bedrock players join Java servers. See Let Bedrock players join with Geyser.
Plugin. An add-on for Paper-type servers that changes server behaviour. Players use a normal client.
Mod. A change to the game itself. Players often need the same mods installed.
Modpack. A bundle of mods tested together.
Files and folders
server.properties. The main settings file. See Edit server.properties.
eula.txt. The agreement you accept before the server runs.
world, world_nether, world_the_end. The folders holding the three dimensions.
plugins / mods / config. Where add-ons and their settings live.
logs / latest.log. Text records of what the server did. See How to read your server logs.
crash-reports. Detailed reports written when the server crashes.
ops.json, whitelist.json, banned-players.json. Lists of operators, allowed players and banned players.
bukkit.yml, spigot.yml, paper-global.yml. Extra settings files for Paper-family servers. See Tune Paper config for performance.
Performance
TPS. Ticks per second. A healthy server runs 20. Lower means lag. MSPT. Milliseconds per tick; it must stay under 50. See Understanding TPS and MSPT.
Tick. One update step of the game world.
Chunk. A 16 by 16 column of the world, loaded and saved as a unit.
View distance and simulation distance. How many chunks are sent to players and how many are actively simulated.
Pregeneration. Creating terrain ahead of time to avoid lag when players explore. See Pregenerate your world with Chunky.
Entity. Anything that moves or acts: mobs, items, minecarts.
Garbage collection (GC). Java's memory cleanup, which can cause pauses.
Heap / -Xmx. The memory Java may use. See What the startup settings on a game server do.
Out of memory (OOM). The server tried to use more memory than available. See Fix Minecraft out-of-memory errors.
Ping. Network delay between a player and the server. See Bandwidth, latency and ping explained.
Permissions and administration
OP (operator). A player with administrator powers over commands. Grant it sparingly. See Whitelist players and OP permissions.
Whitelist. A list of players allowed to join.
Permission node. A named permission such as essentials.home. See Set up LuckPerms permissions.
Group / rank. A bundle of permissions assigned to players.
Console. The text interface where you type commands. See Use the server console.
RCON. A remote console protocol. Powerful and risky if exposed. See Use RCON safely.
Command block. An in-game block that runs commands.
Gamerule. A world setting such as keepInventory. See Minecraft gamerules explained.
Essential commands. See Essential Minecraft admin commands.
Network and joining
Port 25565. The default Minecraft Java port. Bedrock commonly uses 19132 over UDP. See How game server ports work.
MOTD. Message of the day, shown in the server list. See Change your server MOTD and icon.
Online mode. Whether the server checks accounts with Mojang. See Fix failed to verify username.
Slot. One player space.
Spawn. Where new players appear. See Set a world border and spawn.
World border. A boundary limiting the playable area.
Seed. The number that generates a world's terrain.
Resource pack. Custom textures and sounds sent to players. See Use a server resource pack.
Protection and community
Griefing. Destroying or stealing from other players' builds. See Protect builds from griefing.
Claim. An area a player or group protects.
Rollback. Undoing changes using logs or backups.
Backup. A copy of your world and settings. See Creating and restoring backups.
Wipe / reset. Starting a world again. See Reset the Nether or End.
For terms not specific to Minecraft, see the glossary of hosting terms.
Still stuck? Open a ticket on Discord - run /ticket in any channel, pick a department, and include your Server ID or Invoice ID so we can jump straight in.