How to Configure Automatic Saving on Your Minecraft Server
Learn how auto-saving works and how to configure save intervals on your Minecraft server.
Minecraft automatically saves your world data periodically. Understanding how auto-saves work helps you protect your data and optimize performance.
How Auto-Saving Works
Minecraft saves world data (chunks, player data, entities) at regular intervals. On Paper/Spigot servers, this is controlled by the max-auto-save-chunks-per-tick setting which spreads saves across multiple ticks to reduce lag spikes.
Save Commands
Use these in Console on the XGamingServer panel:
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
/save-all | Force an immediate save |
/save-all flush | Save and flush all chunks to disk |
/save-off | Disable auto-saving (use for backups) |
/save-on | Re-enable auto-saving |
⚠️ Warning: If you disable auto-saving with
/save-off, always remember to re-enable it with/save-on. A crash with saving disabled means lost progress.
Paper Auto-Save Configuration
Go to Files and edit paper-world-defaults.yml:
chunks:
max-auto-save-chunks-per-tick: 24- Higher values = faster saves, but can cause tick lag
- Lower values = smoother gameplay, but saves take longer to complete
- Default (24) is fine for most servers
Auto-Save vs Panel Backups
| Feature | Auto-Save | Panel Backups |
|---|---|---|
| What it does | Writes world data to disk | Creates a full server snapshot |
| Frequency | Every few minutes (automatic) | On-demand or scheduled |
| Protects against | Server crashes | User error, corruption, rollback |
| Restoreable | No (overwrites current data) | Yes (restore any backup) |
💡 Tip: Auto-saves protect against crashes, but only panel
Backupslet you roll back to a previous state. Use both for full protection.
See also: Backups vs Auto-Save Explained | Performance Guide
If you need help, join our Discord.
How is this guide?
How to Use the Config Editor on Your Minecraft Server
Edit server.properties, spigot.yml, paper-global.yml, and other config files using the visual Config Editor in the XGamingServer panel.
How to Configure Your Minecraft Server
Complete server.properties reference for Minecraft Java Edition. All 50+ settings with defaults, valid values, and descriptions.