How to Configure a Minecraft Server
Main Configuration Files
In this section, we’ll go over recommended settings for the bukkit.yml and spigot.yml files to help reduce server load and improve performance.
bukkit.yml — Recommended Settings
Spawn Limits
If you don’t need bats at all, you can set ambient to 0:
spawn-limits:
monsters: 35
animals: 10
water-animals: 3
ambient: 1
Autosave and Spawn Rates
autosave— controls automatic world saving.ticks-per— intervals (in ticks) for various processes.
ticks-per:
animal-spawns: 400
monster-spawns: 3
autosave: 16000
Chunk Garbage Collection
Auto-cleanup of inactive chunks can significantly improve performance. If you don’t have a load-threshold option, don’t add it.
chunk-gc:
period-in-ticks: 600
load-threshold: 300
Disable Plugin Auto-Updates
auto-updater:
enabled: false
spigot.yml — Recommended Settings
Reduce Spawner Load
nerf-spawner-mobs: true
Entity Activation Range
Reducing the distance at which entities become active helps lower server load:
entity-activation-range:
animals: 8
monsters: 10
misc: 2
Hopper Optimization
hopper-transfer— delay between item transfers.hopper-check— frequency of hopper checks.hopper-amount— items transferred per operation.
ticks-per:
hopper-transfer: 24
hopper-check: 24
hopper-amount: 3
Minimize Entity Collisions
Limit how many entities can occupy the same block:
max-entity-collisions: 1
Item & XP Merge Radius
Increase the radius within which items and experience orbs merge:
merge-radius:
item: 4
exp: 6
Limiting World Size
World size is a crucial factor in server performance. To set world boundaries, run these commands at the spawn point, standing on any block:
/worldborder center ~ ~ # Set the border center to your current position
/worldborder set 18000 # Limit the world radius to 18,000 blocks