How to Make Yourself OP on a Minecraft Server

Direct answer

From the dedicated server console, run:

op YourPlayerName

To remove operator access later:

deop YourPlayerName

Console commands do not need a leading slash.

What OP gives you

Operator status grants access to powerful server commands. On a small private server, OP is convenient for the owner. On a larger server, give staff only the permissions they actually need through a permissions system instead of making everyone an operator.

If op is “unknown” in game

A player who is not already permitted to manage operators cannot usually grant themselves OP from chat. Use the server console or your hosting panel's console. Once you are OP, reconnect if a plugin or permission cache requires it.

Do not edit ops.json unless you need to

The command is safer than hand-editing ops.json because the server handles the player's identity and file format. Manual edits are mainly useful for recovery or automation, not normal setup.

For plugin servers

Permissions plugins such as LuckPerms can grant specific commands without giving a staff member every operator capability. This becomes increasingly important as a public server grows.

Official references

These references were checked while preparing this guide. Version-specific behavior can change, so use the project documentation for your exact release when a detail differs.

• PaperMC: Command reference

Related guides