How to Grant OP Permissions on a Minecraft Server

OP (operator) permissions give a Minecraft player access to administrative commands on your server. Operators can use commands that regular players cannot, including commands for managing players, changing server settings, teleporting, and controlling the world.

This guide explains how to grant and remove OP permissions using the Beacon Hosting control panel.

Warning: Only give OP permissions to players you trust. An operator can access powerful administrative commands that can significantly affect your server.

How Do I Give Someone OP on a Minecraft Server?

The easiest way to give a player OP permissions through Beacon Hosting is to use the Players page or the server Console.

You can use:

• Players page — easiest when the player is online
• Console — works for players whether they are online or offline
• ops.json — advanced manual configuration

Open Your Minecraft Server

1. Log in to your Beacon Hosting account.
2. Open Your Servers.
3. Select the Minecraft server you want to manage.

For console commands and the Players OP button to work, the server must be online.

Option 1: Give OP Using the Players Page

The Players page is the easiest way to give an online player operator permissions.

1. Open your Minecraft server.
2. Select Players from the server sidebar.
3. Find the player in the live Players list.
4. Click OP next to their username.

Beacon Hosting will send the appropriate op <username> command to the server automatically.

Once successful, the player will appear on the server's OP list.

Can I OP an Offline Player From the Players Page?

No.

The live Players list only displays players who are currently connected to the server.

If the player is offline, use the Console method instead.

Option 2: Give OP Using the Console

You can give a player operator permissions directly from the Minecraft server console.

1. Open your Minecraft server.
2. Select Console.
3. Find the command input labelled Send a command to the server...
4. Enter:

op <playername>

Replace <playername> with the player's exact Minecraft username.

For example:

op ExamplePlayer

Press Enter to send the command.

The player's OP permissions should take effect immediately.

You do not need to restart the server after using the op command.

How Do I Remove OP Permissions?

You can remove operator permissions using either the Players page or the console.

From the Players page, use the DEOP option next to the player.

Alternatively, use the console command:

deop <playername>

For example:

deop ExamplePlayer

The player's operator permissions will be removed immediately.

A server restart is not normally required.

What Permissions Does OP Give a Player?

OP permissions give a player access to administrative Minecraft commands.

Depending on the server software and configured permission level, an operator may be able to:

• Change the game mode
• Teleport players
• Kick players
• Ban and unban players
• Change the weather
• Change the time
• Give items
• Change the difficulty
• Manage players
• Stop the server
• Change certain server settings
• Use other administrative commands

The exact commands available can depend on your Minecraft version and server software.

Because OP provides substantial control, it should only be granted to trusted administrators.

What Is the Minecraft OP Level?

Minecraft Java Edition supports different operator permission levels.

The op-permission-level setting in the server configuration determines the default permission level assigned to operators.

The levels provide progressively greater access to commands.

If you need fine-grained permissions rather than giving a player broad operator access, consider using a permissions plugin such as LuckPerms on compatible plugin-based server software.

Can I Give OP to Multiple Players?

Yes.

You can give OP permissions to multiple players by running the op command for each player.

For example:

op ExamplePlayer
op AnotherPlayer
op ServerAdmin

Each player will be added to the server's operator list.

Only give OP to players who genuinely require administrative access.

How Does Minecraft Store OP Players?

Minecraft stores operator information in the server's ops.json file.

The file contains information associated with operators, including their UUID, username, permission level, and related operator settings.

You normally do not need to edit this file manually. The op and deop commands automatically manage the operator list for you.

Option 3: Edit ops.json Manually

Advanced users can manually edit the server's ops.json file through the Beacon Hosting Files section.

This method can be useful when you specifically need to modify the stored operator information directly.

Before editing the file:

1. Stop the server if required by your server software or file editor.
2. Open Files in the Beacon Hosting control panel.
3. Locate ops.json.
4. Open it in the panel editor.
5. Add or modify the appropriate operator entry.
6. Save the file.
7. Start or restart the server so the changes are loaded.

An operator entry contains the player's UUID and name, along with their operator permission level.

Warning: ops.json uses JSON syntax. Invalid JSON can prevent Minecraft from correctly loading the operator list. If you are not comfortable editing JSON, use the op console command instead.

Why Is My Player Not Getting OP?

If the op command does not appear to work, check the following.

Check the Username

Make sure you entered the player's exact Minecraft username.

For example:

op ExamplePlayer

is different from entering an incorrect or outdated username.

Make Sure You Are Using the Server Console

The Beacon Hosting Console executes commands with server-level access.

If you are entering the command in the Minecraft chat, you may need sufficient permissions yourself to execute the command.

For server administration, using the Beacon Hosting console is usually the simplest approach.

Check the Server Logs

If the command produces an error, check the server console and logs for additional information.

The error may indicate a problem with the server software or configuration.

Check ops.json

If the player still does not receive OP after using the command, check whether the operator entry is being written correctly to ops.json.

Do not manually edit the file unless necessary.

Why Did OP Stop Working?

If a player previously had OP but no longer does, check whether:

• The player was deopped
• ops.json was changed
• The server world or files were restored from a backup
• The server was migrated
• The server software was changed
• The player is connecting with a different account

If the player is still supposed to have OP, use the console:

op <playername>

Then verify that they appear in the OP list.

Can I OP a Player Without Restarting the Server?

Yes.

Using:

op <playername>

takes effect immediately on a running server.

You do not normally need to restart Minecraft after granting or removing OP through the console.

Manual changes to ops.json are different. If you edit the file directly, the server needs to reload the operator information before the changes are reliably applied.

Is OP the Same as Giving a Player Every Permission?

No, not necessarily.

OP is Minecraft's built-in operator system and provides broad administrative permissions.

If you want detailed control over exactly what individual players or groups can do, a dedicated permissions system is usually more appropriate.

For example, a permissions plugin can allow you to create groups such as:

• Member
• Moderator
• Administrator
• Owner

and assign specific permissions to each group.

This is generally preferable to giving every staff member full OP access.

Quick Answer: How Do I OP Someone?

Open your Beacon Hosting server, go to Console, and run:

op <playername>

Replace <playername> with the player's exact Minecraft username.

To remove OP, run:

deop <playername>

Both commands take effect without requiring a normal server restart.

Beacon Hosting

Beacon Hosting provides Minecraft server management tools for common administrative tasks, including access to the server console, player management, and server files.

For the safest and simplest way to manage operator permissions, use the Players page when the player is online or the Console when they are offline.

Only grant OP permissions to trusted players and use a dedicated permissions system when you need more granular control over staff access.

For more Minecraft server administration, configuration, plugin, mod, and troubleshooting guides, explore the Beacon Hosting Knowledgebase.