Server shows Online but nobody can join — why?

An Online status means the process is running, but a few things can still block joins. Here's how to find which one is stopping your players.

What "Online" really means

Online tells you the server process started — it doesn't guarantee the world has finished loading or that players are allowed in. Most "online but unreachable" cases come down to one of the items below.

What to check

1. Whitelist is on and players aren't added — check whitelist list in the Console.
2. Wrong address shared — a missing port, or a domain that hasn't propagated.
3. Version mismatch between clients and server.
4. Still loading — the server flipped to Online but is still generating the world; give it a minute.
5. server-ip is set in server.properties — it should be blank.

Warning: A non-empty server-ip line is a common cause of "online but unreachable." Leave it empty and restart.

Frequently asked questions

How do I check the whitelist? Run whitelist list in the Console, and add players with whitelist add <name>.

Where is the server-ip setting? In server.properties, editable from the Files tab. Clear the value, save, and restart.