Inviting Friends and Managing Players

How players connect to your server

Your server has a public address you can share with anyone. To find it:

1. Open your dashboard
2. Click your server’s manage page
3. Look at the Server Address at the top — something like node-12.witchly.host:25565 or a raw IP

Anyone you give that address to can connect with their own copy of the game. They don’t need a Witchly account, an invite code, or any special setup. Just the game itself and your server’s address.

For a friendlier address than the default hostname, see Server Address and Domains — it covers custom domains like play.yourcommunity.com.

Public vs whitelist-only

By default, anyone with your server’s address can connect. This is fine for friend groups but risky for public communities (random strangers, griefers, etc.).

To restrict access, enable a whitelist — a list of approved players. Only people on the list can connect.

Minecraft

In the Console tab, run:

whitelist on
whitelist add PlayerName

The whitelist is now active. Repeat the whitelist add command for every friend.

To remove someone: whitelist remove PlayerName. To list current entries: whitelist list.

Other games

• Rust: modlist via plugin (Oxide/uMod). The base game doesn’t have a built-in whitelist — use a permissions plugin.
• Hytale: in-game settings. Currently in beta — feature varies.
• Palworld: server.ini setting bWhitelist=true plus a whitelist file. See the Palworld settings doc.

Making someone an admin

You’ll usually want a few trusted friends to have admin powers — kick troublemakers, place blocks in protected areas, run management commands.

Minecraft

op PlayerName

op (operator) gives full admin access. Use sparingly — opped players can do anything you can.

To revoke: deop PlayerName.

For more granular control (e.g., “this person can ban players but can’t change game rules”), use a permissions plugin like LuckPerms. That’s beyond the scope of this guide, but the Plugin Installer makes installing one a one-click operation.

Other games

• Rust: add a player’s Steam64 ID to the owners.cfg or moderators.cfg file
• Palworld: admin password set in server.ini, players run /AdminPassword <pw> in chat to elevate

Earning coins by inviting friends (referrals)

When a friend signs up using your referral code, both of you get 250 coins once they complete their first few minutes of activity. There’s no cap — invite as many people as you want.

How to share your referral code

1. Open the dashboard
2. Click Referrals in the sidebar
3. Copy your unique referral link (something like https://dash.witchly.host?ref=YOURCODE)
4. Share it on Discord, in your community, in YouTube descriptions, anywhere

When someone clicks your link and signs up, the system automatically credits both of you 250 coins after they pass the new-account activity check.

You can see your referral stats (how many people signed up, total coins earned) on the same Referrals page.

Tips for referrals

• Share the link in your own community — your players are the most likely conversions, since they already trust you
• Streamer/creator partnerships work well — talk to us in Discord if you have an audience to share with
• Don’t spam unrelated communities — this can get accounts flagged

Common scenarios

”I want to host a server for me and 5 friends”

• Deploy your free server
• Share the server address in your group chat
• Optional: enable whitelist and add each friend by name (better safe than sorry)
• Optional: op trusted friends so they can help admin if you’re offline

”I want to host a public community server”

• Deploy your server
• Definitely enable whitelist or strong moderation tools (anti-cheat, role-based permissions)
• Set a memorable custom domain — easier to share
• Post your server on relevant subreddits, Discord communities, or wherever your audience lives
• Use your referral link in the post or in your server’s MOTD

”I want to give my friend admin access without ops”

Install a permissions plugin (LuckPerms is the standard for Minecraft) and configure granular permissions. The plugin lets you say “this person can /kick and /ban but can’t /op anyone or use cheats."

"Someone is causing trouble — how do I remove them?”

• Minecraft: kick PlayerName (temporary), ban PlayerName (permanent ban list), whitelist remove PlayerName (remove from approved list)
• Other games: check the server-specific docs — every game has a kick/ban command

For repeated offenders, IP-banning prevents them from rejoining with a new account. Most games support ban-ip <IP> or equivalent.

Related

• Server Address and Domains — custom domains, ports
• Server Security Basics — protecting your server
• Coin Economy — referral rewards