Setting up your Bedrock Minecraft server

Bedrock is Microsoft's cross-platform version of Minecraft, used on Windows 10/11, Xbox, PlayStation, Switch, and mobile. This guide covers setting up Bedrock Edition on your Minecraft hosting plan.

For the PC-only Java Edition (with its much larger plugin and mod ecosystem), see Java: Getting Started. To run a Java server that Bedrock players can also join, see Geyser Cross-Play.

First Boot

1. Open your Minecraft Bedrock server in the panel.

2. Click Start.

3. First boot downloads bedrock_server (about 100 MB; very small), which takes 2 to 5 minutes.

To connect:

• Console / Mobile: Add the server in the Friends > Servers tab. Enter the IP and port from the Address at the top left of your panel.
• Windows 10/11: Same, in the Servers tab.

Always use the port shown in your panel

Bedrock connects over UDP. The game's default port is 19132, but on our plans your server runs on the port assigned in the panel's Network tab, which is often different, so always use the panel value.

server.properties (Bedrock)

Bedrock's config is a flat server.properties file, similar in spirit to Java's but with different keys:

server-name=My GSK Bedrock Server
gamemode=survival
difficulty=easy
allow-cheats=false
max-players=10
online-mode=true
allow-list=false
server-port=19132
server-portv6=19133
view-distance=10
tick-distance=4
player-idle-timeout=30
max-threads=8
level-name=Bedrock level
level-seed=
default-player-permission-level=member
texturepack-required=false
content-log-file-enabled=false
compression-threshold=1
server-authoritative-movement=server-auth
player-movement-score-threshold=20
player-movement-distance-threshold=0.3
player-movement-duration-threshold-in-ms=500
correct-player-movement=false

Leave the port keys to the panel

server-port and server-portv6 are managed by the panel allocation, so leave them alone; the panel binds your assigned port on boot.

After editing, restart.

Bedrock Admins

Bedrock uses XUIDs (Microsoft's player IDs) for operator permissions. Edit permissions.json:

[
  {
    "permission": "operator",
    "xuid": "1234567890123456"
  }
]

To find a player's XUID:

• Check the server log after they connect (the console logs the XUID on join), or
• Use an online XUID lookup site (search the player's gamertag)

Restart after editing permissions.json.

Bedrock Add-Ons

Bedrock supports behavior packs (gameplay logic) and resource packs (textures, models, sounds), distributed as .mcpack or .mcaddon files.

1. Upload the pack to behavior_packs/ or resource_packs/ on the server.

2. Reference the pack in the world's pack manifest:

   • worlds/<world>/world_behavior_packs.json for behavior packs
   • worlds/<world>/world_resource_packs.json for resource packs

3. Restart.

Add-ons can change mob behavior, add custom items, and reskin the game, but the scope is more limited than Java's Forge ecosystem. There is no equivalent of large content mods like Create or Twilight Forest on Bedrock.

Performance

tick-distance (default 4) has a big impact: it controls how many chunks simulate around each player. Lower it on crowded servers to save CPU.

Backups

The world folder (under worlds/, named per level-name) is the only critical data. Use the panel's Backups tab daily. Bedrock worlds are small, so backups are cheap and fast.

Common Issues

• Players cannot find the server in the Friends tab: Bedrock's server listing can be finicky. Have players add it manually with the exact IP and port from your panel page.
• "Unable to connect to world": Confirm the port matches the panel's Network tab and that the server is fully started.
• Slash commands do not work: Set allow-cheats=true in server.properties and restart.
• Add-on not applying: The pack must be referenced in the world's world_behavior_packs.json or world_resource_packs.json, not just uploaded.
• Cross-play confusion: Bedrock and Java are separate games. A Bedrock client cannot join a Java server directly; that requires Geyser on the Java side.

What to Read Next

• Geyser Cross-Play if you would rather run one Java server that both editions can join
• Java: Getting Started for the larger-ecosystem alternative
• Performance and Backups for general tuning advice
• Minecraft Server Commands — the Java command set, and how Bedrock differs

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