Minecraft Whitelist Application: 20 Questions and a Template

What a whitelist application is for

With the whitelist switched on, only players whose names are on the list can join. Everyone else sees a message that they are not whitelisted. The application is the step before the list: it is how a player asks to be added, and how you decide whether to say yes.

Behind the scenes the server keeps the list in a file called whitelist.json, with the username and the account ID of each player. Because the ID is stored, a player who changes their name later keeps their place on the list.

It keeps out griefers and players who only join to cause trouble, because they rarely take the time to fill in a form.
It tells new players what kind of server they are joining before they spend an evening on it.
It proves the rules were read, so nobody can say later that they did not know.
It gives staff a first impression of each player, which helps when a question or a dispute comes up.
It makes getting in feel like being welcomed, which is a big part of why small communities stay together.

20 whitelist application questions to ask

Pick the questions that fit your server rather than using all twenty. Each one below comes with what the answer tells you, so you can decide whether it is worth the space on your form.

About the player

What is your Minecraft username?
The one question you cannot leave out. Ask for the exact spelling, and whether they play Java or Bedrock, because you add the two in different ways.
How old are you, roughly?
Ask for a range such as under 13, 13 to 17 or 18 and over instead of a date of birth. It tells you enough to match players to the community without collecting more than you need.
Which timezone are you in, and when do you usually play?
A player who is online when nobody else is will find the server empty. This helps you set expectations, not reject people.
How did you find the server?
A friend, a server list or a video. It shows you which places bring in good players, and a named friend already on the server is a useful reference.
What is your Discord username?
Only ask if applications or replies happen on Discord. It lets you contact the player and check they have joined your Discord server.

Experience and play style

What do you enjoy doing in Minecraft?
Building, farming, redstone, exploring or trading. Answers here tell you more about fit than any rule question, and they help you introduce the player to neighbours with the same interests.
Have you played on other SMP servers, and why did you leave?
A calm answer such as the server closed or friends stopped playing is normal. A long story about unfair staff on three servers in a row is worth a second look.
Can you share a screenshot of something you built?
Useful for build focused servers. Make it optional elsewhere, because new players may not have anything to show yet.
Have you ever been banned from a server?
Honesty counts more than the answer. A player who explains an old ban and what changed is often a better choice than one who hides it.
Which version and edition do you play on?
Catches players who cannot join at all before you accept them, for example someone on an older version your server does not support.

Fit with the community

Why do you want to join this server in particular?
The best answers mention something specific: the no reset world, the market, a friend or the kind of community you describe. A generic answer is not a reason to reject, but a specific one is a good sign.
What would you like to add to the server?
A shop, a public farm, help with events or simply a nice house near spawn. It shows whether the player thinks of the server as a shared place.
How would you handle a disagreement with another player?
You are looking for talking first and asking staff second. Answers about getting even are the clearest warning on the whole form.
What makes someone a good neighbour in Minecraft?
Asking before building close to someone, returning borrowed items, not taking from chests. Players who have thought about it tend to act on it.
Do you know anyone on the server already?
Friends often join together and help each other settle in. If they name a player, you can ask that player for a quick word.

Rules check

Have you read the rules?
Almost everyone answers yes, so do not rely on this alone. Pair it with the next question.
What is the secret word in the rules?
Hide a word somewhere in the middle of your rules page, such as a line saying the word is lantern. Players who skipped the rules will not know it.
What do you do if you find a chest that is not yours?
A short scenario question. The answer you want is leave it alone, even if the base looks abandoned, and ask staff when in doubt.
Which language will you use in public chat?
Only ask if your server has one chat language. It avoids a rule break on day one that nobody meant.
Do you agree that staff can remove you from the whitelist for breaking the rules?
A yes here makes removals simple later, because the player already agreed to how it works.

A whitelist application template to copy

This template uses ten of the questions above, which fits most small survival and SMP servers. Paste it into a form, a pinned message in your application channel or a ticket bot, and change the wording to sound like your server.

A ten question whitelist application template
Question on the form	Type of answer
Minecraft username, exactly as it appears in game	Short text, required
Java or Bedrock	Choice, required
Age range: under 13, 13 to 17, 18 and over	Choice, required
Timezone and the times you usually play	Short text
How did you find us?	Short text
What do you enjoy doing in Minecraft?	Two or three sentences
Why do you want to join this server?	Two or three sentences
How would you handle a disagreement with another player?	Two or three sentences
What is the secret word in our rules?	One word, required
Do you agree to follow the rules and accept removal if you break them?	Yes or no, required

How to review whitelist applications fairly

Reviewing is where most whitelisted servers lose good players: an application waits a week, or one tired moderator says no without a reason. A few simple habits keep reviews quick and fair.

Reply within a day or two, and say on the form how long a reply usually takes.
Let two staff members read each application, and ask a third when they disagree.
Check that the username exists and is spelled correctly before you accept.
Judge the answers, not the grammar. Younger players and players writing in a second language often write short answers that are perfectly honest.
Keep a short note with each decision, so the next staff member knows why a player was accepted or turned down.

A single oak lectern standing on grass in a forest of birch and oak trees, with colourful book spines on the front of its base — A lectern waiting for something to read. Read each application the same way, from the first answer to the last, before you decide. Image: New Lectern.jpg from minecraft.wiki, CC BY-NC-SA 3.0.

Warning signs in a whitelist application and what to do about them
What you see	What it can mean	What to do
The secret word is wrong or missing	The rules were not read	Ask them to read the rules and apply again
Answers of one or two words everywhere	Low effort, or a very young or shy player	Ask one follow up question before deciding
The same answers as another application	Copied from a friend or a template	Ask both players to answer in their own words
The username does not exist	A typo, or a Bedrock player who needs a prefix	Check the spelling and the edition with the player
Talk of getting revenge on other players	Trouble on day one	Decline politely with a reason

Who reviews is a choice worth making on purpose. On a small server the owner can do it alone, but once several applications arrive each day, give the job to helpers or moderators. The guide to staff roles shows how to split that work.

How to add accepted players to the whitelist

Once a player is accepted, add them straight away and tell them they can join. There are four ways to do it, depending on how many players you add and where you manage the server.

With commands

Run these commands in the server console, or in game as a player with operator rights. Type the username exactly, because a single wrong letter adds a different account or none at all.

Whitelist commands in Minecraft Java Edition
Command	What it does
/whitelist on	Turns the whitelist on, so only listed players can join
/whitelist add <username>	Adds a player to the whitelist
/whitelist remove <username>	Takes a player off the whitelist
/whitelist list	Shows every player on the whitelist
/whitelist reload	Reads whitelist.json again after you changed the file
/whitelist off	Turns the whitelist off, so anyone can join

The whitelist itself only checks players when they join. To remove players who are already online but no longer on the list, set enforce-whitelist to true as well as white-list, and they are kicked instead of playing on until they log out. You can set both values with the server.properties generator.

In the server panel

In the server panel of Astroworld Hosting and minecrafthosting.cc, open Settings and switch on Whitelist in the Access group. Turn on Enforce whitelist immediately as well if players who are not on the list should be kicked straight away. Then open Players, choose the Whitelist tab and press Add to whitelist for each accepted player.

Two iron golems covered in vines and two small copper golems standing on a mossy cobblestone path beside a village bell that hangs from a wooden frame, with a red flower above one of the copper golems — Golems guard a village without asking anyone's name. On a whitelisted server the list does that job, so keep it up to date. Image: Golems with flower.png from minecraft.wiki, CC BY-NC-SA 3.0.

Many players at once

Starting a new season with a long list of names? Paste them into the Minecraft whitelist manager, which looks up the account ID for each name and marks the ones that do not exist. Copy the finished whitelist.json into the server folder, replacing the old file, and run /whitelist reload.

Bedrock players

Bedrock players who join a Java server through Geyser have a Bedrock account instead of a Java one, so /whitelist add often cannot find them. Use /fwhitelist add with their name from Floodgate instead. Floodgate puts a prefix in front of Bedrock names, so ask the player how their name shows in game.

Reply to every applicant

A player who hears nothing assumes the server is dead. A player who gets a clear no with a reason often applies again a month later and turns out to be a regular. Save three short replies so staff can answer quickly.

Example replies to a whitelist application
Decision	Example reply
Accepted	Welcome! You are on the whitelist now. Copy the address from our website, and say hello in chat when you join.
Need more information	Thanks for applying. Could you tell us a bit more about why you want to join? We will look again as soon as you reply.
Declined	Thanks for applying. This time it is a no, because the secret word from the rules was missing. You are welcome to apply again after reading them.

Questions that come up again and again before players apply, such as how long a reply takes or whether friends can join, belong in a short FAQ next to the form. The guide to writing a server FAQ has examples you can adapt.

How to set up the join steps on your server website

The SMP template in the website builder is made for a whitelisted server. Its home page has a How to join button and three steps to the whitelist, and its Join page has its own steps and a set of questions to read before applying. This is how you make them match your application.

Open the website editor
Go to Website in the server panel of Astroworld Hosting or minecrafthosting.cc and open the editor of a site that uses the SMP template.
Open the Join page
Pick the Join page and click the steps section below the heading Come and play with us.
Write the steps players follow
Change the Title and Text of each step to match how players apply here: where the form is, what to fill in and how long a reply takes. A steps section holds up to 6 steps, each with its own Icon.
Answer questions before they apply
Click the FAQ section Before you apply and replace the example questions about waiting time, versions and friends with the ones your applicants really ask.
Match the home page
On the home page, change the section Three steps to the whitelist so it says the same as the Join page. The first button, How to join, uses the action Go to a page and opens the Join page.
Publish the page
Press Publish. After the automatic content check and a review by our team, usually within a few hours, players see the new join steps on your live site.

Questions about whitelist applications

How do I make a whitelist application for my Minecraft server?

Choose eight to twelve questions, put them in a form, a pinned message or a ticket bot, and link it from your website and Discord. Include the exact username, the edition and a secret word from your rules, then reply to every applicant within a day or two.

What questions should a whitelist application ask?

The username and edition, a rough age range, how the player found the server, what they enjoy in Minecraft, why they want to join, how they handle disagreements and the secret word from the rules. Leave out anything you will not use to decide.

How long should a whitelist application be?

Short enough to finish in five to ten minutes, which usually means eight to twelve questions. Longer forms put off good players as much as bad ones.

Does a whitelist stop griefing?

It stops most of it, because random players cannot join. It does not stop an accepted player from causing trouble, so keep land claims, logs and clear rules as well.

Can Bedrock players be added to a whitelist?

Yes. On a Java server that Bedrock players join through Geyser, add them with /fwhitelist add from Floodgate, because their Bedrock account is not found by the normal whitelist command.

Should a whitelist application ask for age?

Ask for an age range rather than a date of birth, and only if it affects your decision. Never ask for a real name, address, school or photos of the player.

Minecraft whitelist application: questions, a template and a fair review