How to Fix Server is Full
"The server is full!" means the players online reached max-players. Wait for a free slot, or as the admin raise the limit or let staff bypass it in ops.json.
Quick Fix
Try again when someone leaves. If you run the server, raise max-players in server.properties and restart, or set bypassesPlayerLimit to true for trusted operators in ops.json.
Error Message
The server is full!How to Fix
As a player: wait a minute and try again. The server only checks the count at the moment you join.
As the admin: stop the server, raise max-players in server.properties and start it again. The limit is read when the server starts.
To let staff in when the server is full, stop it, open ops.json and set bypassesPlayerLimit to true on their entry, then start it again. Running /op on them later keeps that setting.
Players with bypassesPlayerLimit still count toward the total, so with staff online the server can show more players than max-players.
A higher max-players also means more players to simulate, so check that the server has the memory and CPU for it.
Common Causes
- The number of players online has reached max-players, which is 20 by default.
- max-players was set low on purpose, for example on a small private server.
- You are joining a singleplayer world that was opened to LAN. Those allow 8 players.
Diagnostic Steps
- Look at the player count in the multiplayer server list.
- If it shows the maximum, wait or ask the admin.
- Admin: check max-players in server.properties.
- Admin: set bypassesPlayerLimit for staff in ops.json if needed, then restart.
FAQ
Can certain players bypass the player limit?
Yes, on a vanilla Java server. Operators whose entry in ops.json has bypassesPlayerLimit set to true can join when the server is full. They still count toward the player total.
What is the default max-players?
20 on a dedicated server. A singleplayer world opened to LAN allows 8 players.
Does changing max-players need a restart?
Yes. The server reads it at startup, so stop the server, edit server.properties and start it again.
