Minecraft Server Gamerules Cheatsheet
Not all 60+ gamerules matter day to day — here are the ones server owners actually touch, what each default means, and when to flip it.
Looking for ops/permissions instead? See the ops and permissions guide.
Death-heavy RPG/adventure packs like DawnCraft are where keepInventory gets flipped most often — boss fights there are punishing enough without a full inventory wipe on top.
How to set a gamerule
Run `/gamerule <ruleName> <value>` as an op or from console — e.g. `/gamerule keepInventory true`. Changes apply immediately to the running world and persist in the world's `level.dat`, so you only need to set it once, not every restart. Check the current value of any rule with `/gamerule <ruleName>` (no value).
keepInventory — default: false
Set `true` and players stop dropping their inventory and XP on death. The single most commonly changed gamerule on survival servers that want a gentler death penalty — common on cooperative/family servers, almost never used on hardcore or PvP-focused ones where death stakes are the point.
mobGriefing — default: true
Controls whether mobs can modify the world — Creepers blowing up blocks, Endermen picking up blocks, Ravagers destroying crops. Set `false` to stop griefing-adjacent mob behavior entirely without disabling the mobs themselves. Note this also disables some mob *behaviors* players might want, like Villagers farming crops — it's a broad switch, not just "no explosions."
doDaylightCycle — default: true
Set `false` to freeze the time of day where it currently is — useful for builder servers that want permanent daylight, or for locking a specific time for a themed event. Doesn't stop mob spawning on its own; pair with difficulty or mobSpawning rules if you also want a permanently safe night-free server.
randomTickSpeed — default: 3
Controls how often random block ticks happen (crop growth, leaf decay, fire spread, etc.) per chunk per game tick. Raising it (commonly to 10-50 on farming-focused servers) speeds up crop/sapling growth dramatically, but also speeds up fire spread and leaf decay proportionally — it's a global multiplier, not selective to crops.
doMobSpawning / doPatrolSpawning / doTraderSpawning — default: all true
`doMobSpawning` is the master switch for all natural hostile+passive mob spawns. The more targeted rules — `doPatrolSpawning` (pillager patrols), `doTraderSpawning` (wandering traders), `doInsomnia` (phantoms from not sleeping) — let you turn off specific annoyances without killing general mob spawning. Prefer the targeted rule over the master switch unless you genuinely want zero mobs.
commandBlockOutput / sendCommandFeedback — default: true
These two together control how much command-execution spam shows in chat and logs. On servers running lots of command blocks or datapacks (common in minigame or adventure-map servers), set both `false` to stop every executed command from flooding chat/logs — purely a noise-reduction setting, doesn't change command behavior.
announceAdvancements — default: true
Set `false` to stop advancement unlocks from broadcasting to the whole server in chat. Common on servers where constant advancement pop-ups in chat get annoying with a large player count, or on servers running a lot of custom datapack advancements as internal triggers rather than player-facing achievements.
FAQ
Do gamerule changes persist across restarts?+
Yes — gamerules are saved into the world's level.dat file the moment you set them, so they persist across restarts automatically. You only need to run the command once, not add it to a startup script.
Can I set gamerules before the world is created?+
Not directly via server.properties in vanilla — gamerules are set via the /gamerule command after the server is running (or via a datapack's data/minecraft/tags). Many panel hosts, including CoalHost, let you set initial gamerules at world-creation time through the UI instead of needing console access.
What does mobGriefing actually turn off?+
It's broader than just explosions — it disables any world-modifying mob behavior, including Creeper block destruction, Enderman block pickup, Ravager crop/block destruction, and Villager crop farming. If you only want to stop explosions specifically, there's no narrower vanilla gamerule — mobGriefing is all-or-nothing for that category.
Does keepInventory also keep XP on death?+
Yes — keepInventory=true prevents both item drops and experience point loss on death, as a single combined setting. There's no vanilla way to keep items but still lose XP, or vice versa, through this gamerule alone.
What's a safe randomTickSpeed to speed up farming without breaking fire spread?+
There's no setting that affects crops without also affecting fire/leaf decay — randomTickSpeed is a single global multiplier. Common values for faster farming are 10-20 as a moderate bump; values above 50-100 noticeably accelerate fire spread risk and can be a real hazard near wooden builds.
Set gamerules at world creation, no console needed
CoalHost's dashboard lets you configure the common gamerules right from the UI when you create your world. From €10.69/month.
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