The kinds of Minecraft server ranks
A rank is a group a player belongs to, with a name in chat and a set of permissions behind it. Most servers mix three or four kinds, and players read them differently: an earned rank says how long someone has been around, a paid rank says they support the server, and a staff rank says they can help.
| Kind of rank | How players get it | Example names | What it should give |
|---|---|---|---|
| Default rank | Automatically, on their first join | Member, Newcomer, Guest | The basic commands, such as /spawn, /msg and one home |
| Playtime rank | By playing a set number of hours | Regular, Veteran, Elder | Recognition, plus small conveniences anyone can reach |
| Progression rank | By reaching a goal in your game mode | Mine ranks, island levels, prestige | Access to the next mine, area or challenge |
| Supporter rank | By paying for it | VIP, Patron, Legend | Cosmetics only, such as a chat colour or a particle trail |
| Staff rank | Chosen by the owner or the admins | Helper, Moderator, Admin | Only the commands their job needs |
Default and playtime ranks: reward the players who stay
The default rank is what a stranger gets in their first minute, so it decides what they can do before anyone knows them. Make it generous enough to play properly and strict enough that a griefer cannot do much damage.
Playtime ranks then give regulars a title to show off. Because anyone can earn them just by playing, they can carry small practical perks such as an extra home or a nickname, which a paid rank could not.
Progression ranks: part of the game itself
On a prison server the ranks are the game: players mine, sell and pay in-game money to move from one mine to the next. Skyblock servers often rank players by island level, and factions servers by power or season wins. These ranks follow the rules of your game mode, not your shop, so keep them apart from paid ranks in chat and in your permissions.
Supporter ranks: paying for the server, not for power
Supporter ranks help cover the cost of running the server. Players buy them to say thank you and to look a little different, so the perks should be easy to see without changing who wins a fight, who mines faster or who gets rich first.
Staff ranks: separate from everything else
Staff ranks carry moderation commands, so never mix them into your playtime or supporter ladder, and never sell them. The guide to Minecraft server staff roles explains which staff ranks a team needs and what each one may do.
Minecraft rank name ideas
A good ladder of rank names tells a new player at once which rank is higher, without a table next to it. Choose one theme that fits your server and use it from the first rank to the last, instead of mixing a Knight with a Diamond and a Captain.
| Theme | Rank ladder, lowest to highest | Fits best on |
|---|---|---|
| Ores | Coal, Iron, Gold, Diamond, Netherite | Survival and prison, where players already know the order |
| Medieval | Peasant, Squire, Knight, Baron, Duke | Factions and roleplay servers |
| Nature | Seed, Sprout, Sapling, Oak, Ancient | Relaxed survival, SMP and creative servers |
| Sea and sky | Deckhand, Sailor, Captain, Commodore, Admiral | Skyblock and oneblock servers |
| Magic | Apprentice, Adept, Mage, Sorcerer, Archmage | Servers with custom enchantments or RPG plugins |
| Space | Cadet, Pilot, Navigator, Commander, Voyager | Networks and minigame servers |
| Plain | Member, Regular, Veteran, Elder, Legend | Servers that want names nobody has to learn |
Rank perks that stay within Minecraft's rules
Minecraft's usage guidelines let servers sell cosmetic extras, but nothing that gives a paying player an advantage in the game over players who did not pay. That rule shapes every paid rank. A simple test: if a player who never pays can still do everything the buyer can, only without the looks, the perk is fine.
- A chat prefix and a name colour
The perk every supporter expects. Show the rank in chat, in the tab list and above the player's head.
- Particle trails
A small trail of hearts, notes or flames behind the player, with a command to turn it off for anyone who finds it distracting.
- Hats
A banner, a flower or a player head worn with a hat command. It takes the place of a helmet, so it can never add protection.
- Pets that follow them
A small cosmetic mob that follows the player, cannot be hurt and does not fight, pick up items or carry anything.
- Win effects
A firework or a lightning strike when they win a duel or a round of bedwars. It changes how the win looks, not who wins.
- A join message
A short line in chat when they log in. Keep it to one line and let staff turn it off if it gets out of hand.
- A place in the supporters hall
Their own armor stand in a hall at spawn, dressed in dyed leather armor or an armor trim they choose.
- A thank you on Discord
A coloured role and a channel where supporters are thanked by name, which costs nothing and means a lot.
Perks to keep out of paid ranks
- Flying, god mode or instant healing in survival or PvP worlds.
- Kits with better tools, armor, food or enchanted books than other players can get.
- In-game money, crate keys that hold gear, or extra mob drops.
- Keeping their inventory on death while other players lose theirs.
- More claim blocks, homes or plot space than a player who does not pay can ever reach.
- Commands that act on other players, such as looking into someone's inventory or teleporting to anyone without asking.
Most of these can still belong to earned ranks, as long as every player can reach them by playing. An extra home in a playtime rank is a reward; the same extra home in a paid rank is an advantage you sold.
How many ranks to have, and how to space them
With too few ranks, regulars have nothing to aim for. With too many, the step from one rank to the next means nothing. Three to five playtime ranks and no more than three supporter ranks is enough for most servers, and it keeps a rank page short enough to read on a phone.
| Rank | Playtime needed | Earned perk |
|---|---|---|
| Newcomer | First join | The basic commands and one home |
| Member | 5 hours | A second home and a nickname |
| Regular | 24 hours | A third home and a coloured name in chat |
| Veteran | 100 hours | An armor stand of their own in the veterans hall at spawn |
| Elder | 300 hours | A title in the tab list and a vote on the next event |
The gaps grow on purpose. The first promotion should come on the first evening, so a new player sees the ladder work, while the top rank should take months, so it still means something when someone reaches it.
Promote players automatically
Handing out ranks by hand stops working after a few dozen players. A permissions plugin such as LuckPerms puts your ranks on a track, and one command, like lp user Steve promote playtime, moves a player one step up. A playtime plugin can run that command for you when a player reaches the hours you set.
The LuckPerms setup guide walks through groups, tracks and chat prefixes step by step.
What a good rank page shows
Players make up their mind on a rank page in a few seconds. The page should answer what each rank gives, which one is worth it and what happens after they pay, before anyone has to ask in Discord.
- One card per rank, from the lowest to the highest, with the same features in the same order on each card.
- One sentence per rank that says who it is for, instead of repeating its name.
- One rank highlighted as the one most players choose.
- Prices in one currency and written the same way on every card.
- A short line saying the ranks are cosmetic, so nobody expects an advantage they will not get.
- What happens after paying: how the rank arrives in game and how long that usually takes.
- Where to go with a problem, such as a ticket channel on your Discord.
How to set up the ranks on your server website
Each template in the website builder comes with rank cards already in place, starting with three example ranks. Most templates show them on the home page and again on a page with the full list, called Shop in most of them. This is how you make those ranks your own.
Open the website editor
In the server panel of Astroworld Hosting or minecrafthosting.cc, open Website and start the editor.
Go to the rank cards
Pick the Shop page in the page list, or Store or Support in the templates that use those names, and click the section with the rank cards.
Fill in each rank
Select a rank to change its title and icon. Under Description & perks, write one sentence, the price the way you want it shown and the features, one per line. A section holds up to 12 ranks with up to eight features each.
Highlight one rank and choose the layout
Turn on Highlight this rank for the rank players should look at first. Under Section heading & layout, choose two, three or four columns and whether prices and features show on the cards.
Point the buttons to your store
Under Button, set the button text for all cards and the link for this rank. Selling through Tebex? Link your store once under Store & checkout, then pick a Tebex package for each rank under Checkout, so players pay on the Tebex checkout and Tebex delivers the rank in game.
Match the home page and publish
Update the rank cards on the home page the same way, then press Publish. After the automatic content check and a review by our team, usually within a few hours, the new ranks go live.
Questions about Minecraft server ranks
Can you sell ranks on a Minecraft server?
Yes, as long as a paid rank only changes how a player looks and not how they play. Minecraft's usage guidelines allow cosmetic extras such as chat colours, particles and hats, but not paid perks like flying, better kits or in-game money.
What perks should a VIP rank have?
A coloured chat prefix, a particle trail, a few hats or a pet and a mention on a supporter wall make a VIP rank feel worth it without making the player stronger. List them clearly on the rank card so buyers know exactly what they get.
How many ranks should a Minecraft server have?
Three to five earned ranks and up to three supporter ranks work for most servers. With more than that, players stop seeing the difference between one rank and the next.
How do I give players a rank automatically?
Put your earned ranks on a LuckPerms track and let a playtime plugin promote players when they reach the hours you set. For paid ranks, a store such as Tebex runs a command like lp user Steve parent add vip in your console once the payment is in.
What is the difference between a rank and a permission?
A permission is one thing a player may do, such as using /home. A rank, also called a group, is a bundle of permissions with a name and a prefix. You give players ranks and give ranks permissions, so changing one rank changes it for everyone in it.
Should staff ranks be on the rank page?
No. Staff ranks are not for sale and not earned by playing, so show your staff on a team page instead and keep the rank page for the ranks players can reach themselves.
More server website guides
Minecraft server staff rolesOwner, admin, moderator, helper and builder explained, how many staff a server needs and how to choose and show them.
Minecraft server rules24 example rules sorted by topic, the rules each type of server needs first, and how to build a rules page players read.
Get players on a Minecraft serverServer lists, voting, Discord, a website and a first hour that makes people stay: twelve ways to find players and keep them.
Minecraft server name ideasSixty name ideas sorted by game mode, what makes a server name easy to remember and how to check it is still free.
Minecraft server event ideasTwenty five event ideas sorted by type of server, with a plan for announcing, running and rewarding each event.
Minecraft server game modes30 game mode ideas in five groups, which modes suit your player count, how to plan a network and how to add a new mode.
Minecraft server economyWhere money enters and leaves, economy types per game mode, the plugins to use, how to price items and how to keep inflation down.
Minecraft prison serverPlan a prison server: mines from A to Z, rank up prices that grow, selling blocks, prestige bonuses, pickaxe upgrades, cells and gangs, and rules that keep it fair.