How to op yourself on a Minecraft server

Op yourself from the dashboard Players tab or from the console with /op. Vanilla, Paper, Forge, Fabric, and NeoForge all use the same flow.

The short version

Open the Players tab on your server dashboard, find your username, and grant operator. Or run /op <username> from the console. Vanilla, Paper, Forge, Fabric and NeoForge all use the same mechanism. Op takes effect immediately; you do not need to restart or rejoin.

"Opping" a player on a Minecraft server grants them operator permissions: access to commands like /give, /tp, /gamemode, server-side cheats, and (depending on the op level) the ability to op or de-op other players. On Hostd, you can do it from the dashboard or the console.

#From the dashboard

Open Dashboard → your server → Players. Find the player's row and click Op. We add them to ops.json and the server picks it up within a second; no restart needed. De-op is the same row, opposite button.

#From the console

The vanilla command works:

/op YourUsername

Run from the dashboard's Console panel (you are already authorised there because you own the server) or from in-game once you are opped through the dashboard the first time. To remove:

/deop YourUsername

#Op levels

Vanilla Minecraft has four operator levels (set in server.properties as op-permission-level):

1: bypass spawn protection. Almost no use on its own.
2: edit blocks in spawn, use /clear, /difficulty, /gamemode, /give, /tp, and similar. The common "owner" level.
3: /ban, /kick, /op, /deop. The "admin" level.
4: /stop, full server control. Reserved for one or two trusted people.

We default to level 4 when you op from the dashboard, because you are the owner. To set a friend at a lower level, edit Files → /data/ops.json and set their "level" to the value you want.

#Modded servers

Forge, Fabric, and NeoForge respect vanilla op levels. Some mods (Bukkit/Spigot-only permissions plugins on hybrids like Mohist, or Forge perms via FTB Ranks) add their own permission system on top; the vanilla op still works as a fallback.

#Where to go next

Whitelist your server to lock the door before you start handing out op.
Console command blocked if a specific command is refused.

#Frequently asked questions

Why does /op say the player does not exist?

On an online-mode server the name is resolved against Mojang's account service, so a typo or a since-changed username will not resolve. Check the spelling against the exact Minecraft account name. If the player has never joined, joining once first makes the lookup reliable.

What do the four op levels do?

Level 1 bypasses spawn protection, level 2 unlocks the singleplayer cheat commands and command blocks, level 3 adds player management such as kick and ban, and level 4 adds server management including /stop. Most owners want level 4; most moderators want level 3.

Does op work on modded servers?

Yes, op works the same way on Forge, NeoForge and Fabric. Individual mods may add their own permission systems on top for their own commands, but the vanilla op level still governs vanilla commands.

Written and maintained by the Hostd engineering team. Last updated 2026-05-23. Notice a mistake? Tell us.