How to OP yourself (server operators explained)

An operator ('OP') can run admin commands: changing the gamemode, teleporting, banning players, stopping the server. Your own player account doesn't start with these rights — you grant them through the server console.

Granting OP from the console

In your server's console, type (no slash needed in the console):

op YourUsername

Granting and removing OP in-game

Once you are OP yourself, you can manage others in-game:

/op FriendName
/deop FriendName

How it works under the hood

Operators are stored in the ops.json file in your server folder. The op-permission-level setting in server.properties (1–4) controls how much power OPs get — level 4, the default, includes everything up to /stop.

A warning from experience

OP is all-or-nothing. An OP'd player can ban people, delete builds with /fill, and generally end your server's day. For anyone who isn't a co-owner, use a permissions plugin like LuckPerms instead — it lets you grant exactly the commands you want (say, /tp and /kick) without handing over the keys.