# How to Edit Level Data on a Minecraft Server

> Edit your world's level.dat (spawn point, time, game rules and more) in the panel's NBT editor.

Source: https://www.beaconhosting.org/knowledgebase/how-to-edit-level-data-on-a-minecraft-server
Category: Minecraft
Last updated: 2026-11-05

`level.dat` stores a world's settings: its spawn point, time, weather, game rules, difficulty and more. The panel can open it in an NBT editor, so you don't need a tool on your computer.

> [!WARNING]
> A mistake in `level.dat` can stop the world loading. Create a backup in **Backups** before you edit it.

## Edit it

1. In **Console**, click **Stop**. The server rewrites `level.dat` when it saves, which would undo your changes.
2. Go to **Files** and open your world folder (usually `world`).
3. Click **`level.dat`**. It opens in the NBT editor, with everything under a `Data` tag.
4. Use **Search NBT tags** or **Search tags and values** to find what you want.
5. Change the value and save.
6. Start the server from **Console**.

## Useful tags

| Tag | What it is |
|---|---|
| `SpawnX`, `SpawnY`, `SpawnZ` | The world spawn point |
| `DayTime`, `Time` | Time of day and total world age, in ticks |
| `raining`, `thundering` | Current weather |
| `GameRules` | Every game rule, e.g. `keepInventory` |
| `Difficulty`, `hardcore` | Difficulty and hardcore mode |
| `LevelName` | The name shown for the world |

Most of these are easier to change with commands while the server runs (`setworldspawn`, `time set`, `gamerule`). Use the NBT editor for what commands can't reach, or when the server won't start.