How to Set Up Maintenance Mode for Your Server

What Is Maintenance Mode?

Maintenance mode minecraft server operators use lets you temporarily block player connections while you update plugins, apply patches, or perform server maintenance. Instead of seeing "Connection refused," players see a custom message explaining that the server is undergoing maintenance and will return soon. Staff members with the right permission can still join and test changes.

Plugin Options

Maintenance Plugin (by kennytv)

This is the most popular maintenance mode plugin, available for BungeeCord, Velocity, Spigot, and Paper. It provides:

• A custom MOTD displayed in the server list during maintenance
• A custom kick message for players who try to connect
• A custom server icon swap (optional)
• A whitelist override so staff can join
• Toggle on/off with a single command

Installation

Download the correct version for your platform and place it in the plugins folder. Restart the server.

Configuration

Open plugins/Maintenance/config.yml:

enable-maintenance-mode: false
maintenance-motd:
  - "&c&lMaintenance"
  - "&7We are updating. Check back soon!"
kick-message: "&cThe server is currently under maintenance.\n&7Please try again later."
whitelisted-players:
  - "your-uuid-here"

Add staff UUIDs to the whitelist. These players can join during maintenance mode minecraft server downtime while everyone else sees the kick message.

Enabling and Disabling

Toggle maintenance mode with a command:

/maintenance on
/maintenance off

When you turn it on, all non-whitelisted players are kicked with the custom message. The server list shows the maintenance MOTD. When you turn it off, the server returns to normal operation.

Proxy vs. Backend Maintenance

If you run a network, install the maintenance plugin on your proxy (BungeeCord or Velocity) to block connections at the entry point. This is cleaner than installing it on each backend, because players never reach any backend during maintenance.

For maintaining individual sub-servers while the network stays online, install the plugin on specific backends. Players who try to transfer to that sub-server see the maintenance message, but the rest of the network stays accessible.

Scheduled Maintenance

Some plugins support scheduled maintenance with a timer:

/maintenance schedule 10m

This announces to all players that maintenance mode minecraft server downtime starts in 10 minutes, giving them time to save progress and log off gracefully. Countdown messages appear at intervals (10 minutes, 5 minutes, 1 minute).

Without a Plugin

If you prefer not to use a plugin, the built-in whitelist can serve as a simple maintenance mode:

/whitelist on
/whitelist add YourName

This blocks all non-whitelisted players. The downside is that there is no custom MOTD or kick message, so players just see a generic "You are not white-listed" error.

For more on managing your server during updates, see ViaVersion for version compatibility so you can keep players connected even during version transitions. A proper maintenance mode minecraft server setup keeps your players informed and your staff productive during downtime.

See a polished network in action: Astroworld MC, IP play.astroworldmc.com, Java + Bedrock.