The three tools that keep griefers out are a whitelist so only approved players can join, a permissions setup so trusted roles get power and everyone else does not, and regular backups so any damage can be undone in minutes.
Start with a whitelist
A whitelist (also called an allowlist) is the strongest single defense: only names you approve can join at all. On a Minecraft server you can turn it on from the input box at the bottom of the Console tab:
- Type whitelist on and press Enter.
- Add each trusted player with whitelist add PlayerName.
- Remove someone later with whitelist remove PlayerName.
- You can also flip whitelisting on through server.properties on the Files tab, or as a variable on the Startup tab.
For a private server with friends, this alone stops almost all griefing before it starts.
Set up permissions and roles
If you run a public or semi-public server, you cannot whitelist everyone, so control what people can do instead.
- Hand out operator (op) status very sparingly. An op can do almost anything, so treat it like a master key.
- Use a permissions plugin such as LuckPerms to build roles, giving trusted staff more power and new players very little.
- Turn off dangerous defaults where you can, such as TNT damage, fire spread, or command access for regular players.
Protect builds with claims
Land-protection plugins let players claim an area so only they and people they trust can build or break there. This is the most reliable everyday defense on survival servers, because even a griefer who gets in cannot touch a claimed base.
Back up before and often
No prevention is perfect, so make damage reversible. On the Backups tab you can create a snapshot at any time, and restoring it rolls the server back to that exact moment. Take one before you open the server to new players, and again before any big event. Remember that restoring overwrites current files, so snapshot the present state first if you might want it.
Automate with Schedules
The Schedules tab lets you run tasks on a timer without being online. Set up a regular restart and a routine backup so you always have a recent snapshot to fall back on. A griefing incident is far less stressful when your worst case is losing an hour, not a month.
Keep an eye on the Console
The Console tab logs every join, leave, and command. If something goes wrong, it is your record of who was on and what they did, which makes it easy to ban the culprit and know exactly which backup to restore.
Still stuck? Jump into our Discord at discord.gg/GuavaHost and the team will help you out.