How to make a Minecraft Bedrock server
Bedrock servers are simpler than Java servers in some ways and more awkward in others. The software is a single executable with no Java to install, but the plugin ecosystem barely exists and consoles make joining harder.
Bedrock Dedicated Server, and what it is not
Mojang publishes a free Bedrock Dedicated Server for Windows and Linux. It is a plain executable: unzip it into its own folder and run it. There is no Java runtime and no eula step.
What you do not get is plugins. The official server supports no plugin API, so features like homes, claims and economies either come from a community server implementation, or from running a Java server with Geyser instead. Decide which of those you want before you build anything on top.
First run and the files that matter
Run the executable once and it generates a world and its config. The three files worth knowing:
server.propertiesholds the name shown in the server list, the gamemode, the difficulty, the port and the player cap.allowlist.jsonis the whitelist. Setallow-list=truein the properties file and add players by gamertag.permissions.jsongrants operator status by XUID rather than by name.
Stop the server with stop before editing any of them.
Ports: UDP, not TCP
This is the step that costs people an afternoon. Bedrock uses UDP on port 19132 by default, and a second port for IPv6. Forwarding TCP 19132 does nothing at all.
Forward UDP 19132 to the machine, allow it through the firewall, and if you are running both a Java and a Bedrock server on one box remember they use different protocols on different ports and do not conflict.
Once it is open, our status checker will tell you whether the Bedrock port answers from outside your network, which is the only test that counts.
Getting console players in
Mobile and Windows players can add a custom server directly under the Servers tab. Xbox can too. Switch and PlayStation only expose the featured partners, so players on those platforms typically use a Bedrock DNS service that maps a featured slot to your address.
Nothing you do on the server changes that: it is a platform restriction. Publish clear instructions for each device on your site or Discord and you will lose far fewer new players.
When Geyser is the better answer
If you want plugins, an economy, claims and a real community toolkit, run a Java server with Geyser and Floodgate. Bedrock clients then join your Java world, share one player base with Java players, and you get the entire plugin ecosystem.
The trade offs are real: some menus built for Java clients behave oddly, and combat feels different between editions. Most large cross play servers accept that, which is why the cross play list is mostly Java servers with Geyser rather than native Bedrock servers.
Listing a Bedrock server
When you list a server here, give the Bedrock address and port explicitly. We verify it with a real Bedrock ping on that port rather than trusting a checkbox, and we only display Bedrock support once it answers more than once, because a single probe produces false positives.
Once verified the listing appears on the Bedrock server list and on the gamemode pages you select.