How to Give Yourself OP in Minecraft

To give yourself OP (operator) in Minecraft, type op YourUsername in the server console, or use /op YourUsername if you already have OP. OP gives you access to all server commands including /gamemode, /give, /tp, and /gamerule.

Method 1: Server Console

• Open the server console window (the terminal where you started the server).
• Type op YourUsername and press Enter.
• You’ll see “Made YourUsername a server operator.”
• This gives you default OP level 4 (full admin).

Method 2: In-Game (If You Already Have OP)

Open the chat and type /op PlayerName. This requires you to already be an operator or have cheats enabled in singleplayer.

Method 3: Editing ops.json

• Stop the server.
• Open ops.json in the server folder.
• Add your player entry with UUID, name, and level (4 for full admin).
• Save and restart the server.

Singleplayer Cheats

In singleplayer, open your world to LAN (Esc → Open to LAN → Allow Cheats: ON) to enable commands. Or create the world with cheats enabled from the start.

OP Levels Explained

Minecraft server OP has four permission levels. Level 1 allows bypassing spawn protection. Level 2 adds single-player cheats like /gamemode and /tp. Level 3 adds multiplayer management commands like /ban, /kick, and /op. Level 4 gives full access to all commands including /stop and /reload. By default, the /op command grants Level 4 to the target player. You can change this in the server.properties file by setting op-permission-level to your desired value. Most server admins give trusted moderators Level 3 and reserve Level 4 for themselves.

Using the Server Console

If you are locked out and cannot use in-game commands, access the server console directly. On a dedicated server, the console window accepts commands without the / prefix — just type op YourUsername and press Enter. On hosting providers like Apex or Shockbyte, use the web console panel. This is especially useful when starting a new server for the first time, since no one has OP by default and the first OP must be granted from the console. The ops.json file in the server directory stores all OP users and their permission levels.

Safety Best Practices

Only give OP to people you fully trust. A Level 4 OP can destroy the world, ban every player, and modify server files through command blocks. On public servers, use a permissions plugin like LuckPerms instead of raw OP to give players specific permission nodes without full admin access. Never leave the server console accessible without authentication. If you suspect an OP account is compromised, use /deop Username immediately from the console or another OP account.

Permissions Plugins vs Raw OP

For servers with more than a few players, permissions plugins like LuckPerms replace the all-or-nothing OP system with granular permission nodes. Instead of giving someone full Level 4 access, you can grant specific permissions like essentials.spawn (teleport to spawn), essentials.home (set and use homes), and worldedit.selection (use WorldEdit selection tools) without exposing dangerous commands. Permission groups let you create ranks like Member, Moderator, and Admin with escalating access levels. This is the standard practice for all public and semi-public servers, as raw OP provides far too much power for most staff members.

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