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To enable cheats on a Minecraft Bedrock dedicated server, set allow-cheats=true in server.properties, save the file, and restart the server. Then grant your Microsoft account operator status with op YourGamertag from the server console, or add your XUID to permissions.json. Verify the result with permission list. Enabling cheats disables achievements for that world, so make a backup before changing the setting.

What you need to change

Bedrock separates the ability to use commands from the permission to use them. The allow-cheats setting enables cheats for the world; operator status then determines which connected player can run administrative commands. Changing only one of those controls is a common reason commands appear not to work.

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Control Where it is configured What it does
Cheats server.properties Enables command and cheat functionality for the world. The default is false.
Operator permission op command or permissions.json Grants a player operator privileges so they can use permitted administrative commands.
Allowlist Allowlist configuration Controls who may join. It is separate from operator status; an operator who is not allowlisted can still be refused entry when an allowlist is enabled. See the Bedrock allowlist and permissions guide.

The instructions below assume a Bedrock Dedicated Server installation or a hosted panel that exposes these files. Panel labels differ, but the underlying values and commands are the same. The server.properties reference shows how hosting panels commonly expose the property.

Before you enable cheats

Back up the world

Enabling cheats disables achievements on that world. If achievements matter to you, stop the server and copy the world directory (or use your host’s backup function) before changing allow-cheats. The setting is a world-impacting choice, not merely a permission toggle for one player.

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Confirm that you control the server files

You need access to the server’s configuration editor, file manager, or host panel. If you only have an in-game player account and no server-console or file access, another administrator must perform the change.

Know which identity you will grant

The online op method uses the exact in-game gamertag. The persistent file method uses the Microsoft/Xbox user ID (XUID), a 16-digit identifier associated with the account. A display-name typo or the wrong account’s XUID grants permission to somebody else or grants it to nobody.

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Method 1: Turn on cheats in server.properties

  1. Stop the server if your host requires the server to be offline while editing files. Do not edit a file while the server is actively rewriting it.
  2. Open the Bedrock server’s server.properties in the panel editor or a plain-text editor.
  3. Find the line allow-cheats=false. Change only the value to allow-cheats=true, preserving the hyphen and lowercase spelling.
  4. If the line is absent, add allow-cheats=true on its own line. Keep each property on a separate line and do not add quotation marks.
  5. Save the file, then start or restart the server. The restart is required for the server to load the changed property; simply leaving the editor open does not apply it.

Several Bedrock server guides describe this same sequence: edit allow-cheats, save, and restart (Oxygenserv’s walkthrough, Shockbyte’s guide, and SquadNox’s guide). The setting is normally false by default.

Hosted-panel variation

On a managed host, open the server’s configuration or startup-settings page, locate the cheats setting, select enabled or enter true, save, and use the panel’s restart control. Some panels hide the raw file but write the same server.properties value. If the panel and file disagree, check the file after restarting and use the panel’s documented editor rather than creating a second properties file.

Method 2: Make yourself an operator with the console

Once the server has restarted with cheats enabled, the fastest route is to join the server and then issue an operator command from its live console. This route requires you to be online so the server can resolve your gamertag.

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  1. Start the server and wait until it finishes loading.
  2. Join it with the Microsoft account you want to administer.
  3. Open the host panel’s live console, or the terminal window running the Bedrock server.
  4. Enter op YourGamertag, replacing YourGamertag with the account’s exact gamertag. Do not type a leading slash in the server console.
  5. Watch for the success response, then run permission list to inspect the live operator list.

The command syntax and console workflow are documented by xgamingserver, Nodecraft, and DoomHosting. In chat, Bedrock commands are entered with a leading slash, such as /gamemode creative; in the server console, enter the command without that slash. Mixing those two forms can produce an “unknown command” response even when the permission is correct.

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When the op command fails

If the console rejects op, first confirm that the server was restarted after changing allow-cheats. Then check the exact gamertag, including capitalization and spaces as the server reports it. The account must be authenticated; a guide covering Bedrock permissions notes that operator commands can fail while cheats remain disabled and that authenticated identity data is what gets written to the permissions file (GameServerKings).

Method 3: Grant persistent permission in permissions.json

Use the file method when you need the operator entry to remain in the server configuration across restarts, or when you cannot conveniently issue op while the player is online. The file stores an array of permission objects keyed by XUID.

Find the account’s XUID

  1. Join the server once with the Microsoft account that should become an operator.
  2. Stop or leave the server running according to your host’s file-access rules, then open the server’s logs directory.
  3. Open latest.log and search for the line containing the player’s gamertag and XUID.
  4. Copy the complete 16-digit XUID without spaces or quotation marks outside the JSON value.

The XUID is tied to the authenticated Microsoft account, not to a local nickname. If the player changes their visible name, the XUID remains the reliable identifier.

Edit the JSON array

Open the server-root permissions.json. Add an object with the operator role inside the top-level array. For example, a file containing one operator can look like this:

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[
  {
    "permission": "operator",
    "xuid": "1234567890123456"
  }
]

Replace the example digits with the real XUID. If the array already contains an entry, separate objects with a comma:

[
  {
    "permission": "operator",
    "xuid": "1234567890123456"
  },
  {
    "permission": "operator",
    "xuid": "9876543210987654"
  }
]

Keep the quotation marks, braces, brackets, and commas exactly balanced. Do not add comments, trailing commas, or a second top-level array. The CreeperHost Bedrock instructions and EmeraldHost’s permission guide show the same XUID-based structure.

Apply and verify the file

Save the file, restart the server if your setup requires a reload, join with the matching account, and run permission list in the console. Bedrock’s permission-list command prints the active operator list and the entries in permissions.json, making it the most useful confirmation that the server accepted the change.

Console commands versus in-game commands

Where you type Correct form Example
Server console or terminal No leading slash op YourGamertag
In-game chat Leading slash /op YourGamertag or another permitted command

Use the console for initial promotion when you are not yet an operator. Once promoted, you can run permitted commands in game. A slash copied from chat into a host console is interpreted differently from the same command entered in the game client.

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Verify that cheats and operator status are active

  1. Check that the server completed a restart after the property change.
  2. Run permission list in the console and confirm the intended XUID or player appears as an operator.
  3. Join with that exact Microsoft account, not a second account on the same device.
  4. Test a harmless command in chat, using the slash required by in-game syntax.
  5. If the command is denied, return to the troubleshooting branches below instead of repeatedly editing unrelated settings.

Verification should be done with the same account whose XUID is in the file. Being listed as an operator does not bypass an allowlist, and being allowlisted does not grant operator permissions.

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Troubleshooting by symptom

“Cheats are not enabled” or commands are unavailable

  • Reopen server.properties and confirm the exact line is allow-cheats=true, not allow-cheats = true, allow-cheat=true, or a quoted value.
  • Confirm the edited file belongs to the running Bedrock server and not an unused backup or another instance.
  • Perform a full stop and start if a panel’s quick reload did not reread properties.
  • After the restart, promote the account again with op YourGamertag if it was never added to the operator list.

The op command says the player is unknown or fails

  • Join first with the intended account so the server has an authenticated identity.
  • Copy the gamertag exactly as shown in the player list or logs.
  • Use the console form without /; reserve /op for in-game chat.
  • Check that allow-cheats was enabled before issuing the command.

“Failed to parse permissions.json” appears

This error means the server cannot read the JSON syntax. Restore the last known-good backup, or correct the file systematically:

  • Ensure the file begins with [ and ends with ].
  • Put double quotes around both property names and string values.
  • Close every { with } and separate adjacent objects with one comma.
  • Remove comments and the comma after the final object.
  • Keep the XUID as a quoted string so leading or significant digits are not altered by an editor.

Restart after saving, then run permission list. A malformed file can prevent the intended operator entry from loading, so do not leave the broken version in place while testing.

The operator can connect only sometimes or cannot connect at all

Check the allowlist separately. Operator status and join permission are independent controls; an enabled allowlist can reject an operator whose XUID is not included. Review the allowlist entries and add the same authenticated account through the server’s documented allowlist procedure before testing commands.

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The file looks correct but the old permissions remain

Make sure the server process has reloaded the file. Stop and start it if your host does not document a live permissions reload, then confirm the result with permission list. A single guide mentions a permission reload command, but that behavior is setup-specific and is not established as a universal Bedrock procedure; use it only if your host or server build documents it.

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Choosing between the two operator routes

Factor Console op permissions.json
Best for Quick promotion while you are online Explicit, persistent XUID-based administration
Prerequisite Cheats enabled and the player connected Cheats enabled, file access, and the player’s XUID
Identity used Exact gamertag Authenticated 16-digit XUID
Editing risk Low; one console command Higher; invalid JSON can stop the file from loading
Verification permission list after the command permission list after saving and reloading

For a one-time setup, use the console command. For controlled administration of several accounts or recovery after a restart, keep a correctly formatted permissions.json backup and manage entries by XUID.

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Safety and administration considerations

Achievements are permanently affected for the world

Cheats disable achievements on the affected world. Make the backup before enabling the setting, not after, if you may want an achievement-preserving copy.

Limit who receives operator status

An operator can execute powerful commands that alter players, inventory, gameplay mode, and the world. Grant the role only to accounts you trust, and remove stale XUID entries when staff access ends.

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Keep configuration backups readable

Back up both server.properties and permissions.json before edits. Label backups with the date and server instance so you can restore the correct file if a panel creates multiple worlds or installations.

Do not confuse a setting change with a live reload

The reliable, broadly documented sequence is save the property, restart, grant the operator role, and verify. Runtime commands reported by individual hosting guides may depend on a particular panel or build and should not replace that sequence unless your environment documents them.

Quick checklist

  • Back up the world because enabling cheats disables achievements.
  • Set allow-cheats=true in the active server.properties.
  • Save and restart the Bedrock server.
  • Join with the intended Microsoft account.
  • Run op YourGamertag in the console without a slash, or add the account’s XUID to permissions.json.
  • Run permission list to confirm the operator entry.
  • Use a slash for commands typed in game and no slash in the console.
  • Check the allowlist separately if the account cannot join.
  • Repair or restore permissions.json if the server reports a parse failure.

Sources and command references

The configuration and permission procedures are cross-described in the Bedrock server documentation pages from GameServerKings, GameServerKings’ properties reference, Oxygenserv, xgamingserver, Nodecraft, Shockbyte, SquadNox, DoomHosting, CreeperHost, and EmeraldHost. Their publication dates and the exact Bedrock build targeted are not stated on the referenced pages, so build-specific behavior should be checked against the documentation for the server version you run.

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