# How to Change the Spawn Protection on a Minecraft Server

> Change or turn off the area around spawn that only operators can build in.

Source: https://www.beaconhosting.org/knowledgebase/how-to-change-the-spawn-protection-on-a-minecraft-server
Category: Minecraft
Last updated: 2026-10-22

Spawn protection stops players who aren't operators from placing or breaking blocks near the world spawn. By default it covers 16 blocks in each direction.

## Change it

1. Open your server and go to **Files**.
2. Click **`server.properties`**. It opens in the **Minecraft Server Properties** editor.
3. Use **Search for property name...** to find the setting.
4. Set **`spawn-protection`** to the number of blocks you want protected around spawn. `0` turns it off.
5. Save and restart the server from **Console**.

## Things to know

- **Operators can always build at spawn.** If you're an operator you won't notice it; test with a player who isn't.
- **It does nothing until there's an operator.** Minecraft only turns spawn protection on once the server has at least one operator.
- It protects the area around the **world spawn**, which you can move with `setworldspawn`.

> [!TIP]
> For proper protected areas (towns, builds, shops), use a plugin such as **WorldGuard** on Paper. Install it from **Package Manager**.