How to Fix You Are Not Whitelisted Error

You are not whitelisted means the server is intentionally blocking players who are not on the whitelist. The fix is usually simple, but proxy and authentication changes can make it confusing.

#Confirm Whitelist State

Check from console:

whitelist list
whitelist on
whitelist off

If whitelist is enabled for maintenance, do not turn it off just to test. Add a test player correctly instead.

#Add Players With Commands

Use commands instead of editing whitelist.json directly:

whitelist add PlayerName
whitelist list

The command path lets the server resolve the account identity correctly. Editing JSON by hand can introduce formatting mistakes or stale identifiers.

#Username and UUID Problems

Whitelist uses player identity, not just what a name looks like in chat. Problems can appear after:

1. Username changes.
2. Switching online-mode.
3. Moving behind a proxy.
4. Restoring old whitelist files.
5. Using offline-mode identity plugins.

Read what online-mode does before changing authentication settings.

#Proxy Networks

On Velocity or BungeeCord, decide where access control should happen: proxy, backend, or both. If the proxy lets a player through but the backend whitelist rejects them, your network may feel inconsistent.

For private networks, many admins whitelist at the proxy or use a dedicated auth/access plugin, then firewall backend servers so players cannot bypass the proxy.

#Whitelist vs Permissions

Whitelist answers "can this player join?" LuckPerms and other permission tools answer "what can this player do?" If a player can join but cannot use commands, use the LuckPerms permission audit checklist.