How to enable the Hytale server whitelist

Restrict who can join a Hytale server with the whitelist. Check Patchline and /help whitelist first. Update 5 still uses the whitelist provider and whitelist.json; Update 6+ grants and revokes hytale.server.join and migrates the old file. Grant yourself access before you require it.

A Hytale whitelist limits who may join. The commands and the file behind them depend on the server's Patchline and build, so read this server's /help whitelist output before you enable anything.

On berrybyte, Patchline defaults to release, which includes Update 6. If a server is still on an older build, it uses the Update 5 whitelist provider and whitelist.json. Check Patchline and /help whitelist instead of assuming which mechanism you have.

Confirm Patchline and run /help whitelist on this server before you copy any command from a guide. Update 5 uses the old whitelist provider and whitelist.json. Update 6+ grants and revokes hytale.server.join instead.

Check the patchline and live help

Confirm Patchline

On berrybyte, open the dashboard and go to Settings → Game Settings. Patchline (HYTALE_PATCHLINE) is release or pre-release. Auto Update (HYTALE_AUTO_UPDATE) defaults to on, so a restart can move the server to the latest build on that channel.

Start the server and open Console

Start the server from Overview if it is stopped, then open the Console tab. You need a running server so help reflects this build, not last week's notes.

Run /help whitelist

Type /help whitelist and read the subcommands this build actually exposes. That list is the one to use. Official docs do not publish a stable, version-proof command signature beyond that help text.

/help whitelist

Check current status if help lists it

If help shows a status or list subcommand, run that next so you know whether the whitelist is already required and who is already allowed.

berrybyte Console keeps working even when the game client cannot join. Do not close it until you have confirmed you can still connect.

Update 5 servers

An Update 5 dedicated server uses a whitelist provider and a whitelist.json file. The Hytale Server Manual lists whitelist.json next to config.json, permissions.json, and bans.json as "Whitelisted players". Auto-update backups can include that file with the other config files.

Prefer Console (or in-game commands if you are already an admin) over hand-editing the file. The manual says configuration files are read on startup and written when in-game or console actions run, so an edit while the server is online is likely to be overwritten.

Read /help whitelist on this build

Use only the subcommands this build's help prints. Do not assume Minecraft-style on / off names, or any other host's command list, unless this server's help shows them.

Grant access before you require it

Add yourself and every administrator who must still join. Then enable the whitelist with the subcommand help names. Official Update 5 notes do not document a guaranteed operator bypass.

Confirm a join

Connect yourself using Join your Hytale server. If you cannot get in, disable the whitelist from Console using the matching help subcommand, then fix the membership list.

If you inspect whitelist.json in Files, treat it as the Update 5 provider's on-disk list, not a documented schema to invent keys for. Stop the server before a manual edit, and re-check /help whitelist after the next start.

Update 6 and later

Update 6 notes change the mechanism:

HytaleWhitelistProvider is removed.
The whitelist runs on the hytale.server.join permission.
The same whitelist commands grant and revoke that permission.
An existing whitelist.json is migrated to whitelist.json.migrated.
Enable and disable now persist immediately: the new state is written before the command returns, and rolls back to the previous value if the save fails. Membership and state writes share one lock.

If the server is still on an older build, skip this section and use the Update 5 steps.

Confirm you are on Update 6+

Check Patchline and the boot lines in Console. If help still describes a provider list and whitelist.json as the live file, stay on the Update 5 section.

Grant hytale.server.join before you require it

Run /help whitelist again on this build. Use the add/grant form it prints to allow your own account and every administrator first. The commands grant and revoke hytale.server.join; they are not a second, separate list beside permissions.

Enable the requirement

Use the enable form help prints. On Update 6+, that enable or disable is written before the command returns. If the save fails, the server keeps the previous state.

Do not revive the old file

whitelist.json.migrated is the leftover Update 5 file. Do not rename it back to whitelist.json and expect Update 6 to read it as a live list.

Official Update 6 notes do not say that administrators, console operators, or any role stay allowed automatically once hytale.server.join is required. Grant those people access first. Treat any "ops are exempt" claim as unconfirmed unless Hypixel documents it for your build.

Avoid locking yourself out

Requiring the whitelist before you are on it can block every game-client join, including yours.

Grant yourself and your administrators access before you require the permission or enable the list.
Keep Console open. Console commands do not need a successful join.
If you use in-game chat instead, you already need admin on that session. See admin commands for the rest of the command surface.
After you enable the requirement, join once yourself before you tell anyone else the server is locked down.

Whitelist, password, and public Discovery

These are three different controls. They do not replace each other.

Control	What it does	Who gets in
Whitelist	Per-player allow list (Update 5 file/provider; Update 6+ `hytale.server.join`)	Only the players you granted
Password	Shared secret, when you set one	Anyone who knows the password and can still pass the other checks
Server Discovery	Official public in-game list	Anyone who can find and join a listed server that is otherwise open

A public Discovery listing advertises the server. It does not disable the whitelist. A password does not add a player to the whitelist. For password setup, see Configure Hytale server settings. For listing, see List a Hytale server on Server Discovery.

Next steps

Add a Hytale admin

Give yourself a role that can run privileged commands in-game.

Hytale admin commands

The command surface beyond whitelist help.

Join your Hytale server

Confirm you can still connect after you require the whitelist.

Hytale guides

Setup, authentication, Discovery, and the rest of the hub.

Frequently asked questions

How do I enable the Hytale server whitelist?

Open Console on a running server, run /help whitelist, and use only the enable or on subcommand that help prints for this build. Add yourself and any other players who should still join before you require the whitelist. On berrybyte, keep the Console tab open so you can undo the change if nobody can connect.

How do I know which Hytale whitelist commands my server supports?

Check Game Settings → Patchline (release or pre-release), then run /help whitelist in Console. The help text for that server is the command list to trust. Do not copy syntax from an older patchline or from a different game.

What changed in the Hytale whitelist in Update 6?

Update 6 removes HytaleWhitelistProvider. Whitelist commands then grant and revoke the hytale.server.join permission instead of maintaining the old provider list. An existing whitelist.json is renamed to whitelist.json.migrated. Enable and disable now write to disk before the command returns, and roll back if that save fails. If the server is still on an older build, the Update 5 provider and file still apply.

Can I lock myself out of a Hytale server with the whitelist?

Yes. If you require the whitelist before you have granted yourself and your administrators access, the game client can refuse every join. Official Update 6 notes do not promise that operators stay exempt. Keep Console access so you can still run whitelist commands if nobody can get in.

Is the Hytale whitelist the same as a password or Server Discovery?

No. A whitelist is a per-player allow list. A password, when you set one, is a shared secret anyone who knows it can use. Server Discovery is the official public in-game list. You can use any of these together; listing a server does not open it, and a password does not replace a whitelist.