Build a Great Spawn for Your Minecraft Server

Q: How do I set the spawn point?

Use /setworldspawn in the console or in-game. This sets the point where new players appear. For a specific respawn point after death, use EssentialsSpawn.

The spawn is the first thing players see when they join your server. A good spawn immediately shows that your server is professional and active. A bad spawn (or none at all) gives the impression that the server is abandoned or unfinished. In this article, we discuss how to build a spawn that impresses.

What should a good spawn have?

Clear navigation: players should immediately see where they can go. Signs, NPCs, or holograms pointing to the most important locations.
Information: server rules, commands, staff list, and links (Discord, website).
Protection: players should not be able to destroy the spawn. Use WorldGuard or a similar plugin.
Performance: not too many entities, redstone, or command blocks causing lag.

Popular spawn styles

Hub/lobby: a central building with portals or NPCs to different gamemodes. Ideal for networks.
Open square: a large square with shops, information boards, and paths to the wilderness. Good for SMP servers.
Themed: a castle, space station, village, or fantasy world that fits your server theme.
Minimalist: a simple platform with essential information. Let the world do the work.

Building tools

WorldEdit: select, copy, fill, and transform large areas. Essential for professional spawns. Read our WorldEdit guide for all commands.
VoxelSniper: for organic terrain work like hills, caves, and rivers.
goBrush: for painting terrain with a brush.
Axiom: a client-side building mod with real-time preview. Works on Paper servers.

Protecting the spawn

Use WorldGuard to protect the spawn:

//pos1                         Select corner 1
//pos2                         Select corner 2
//expand vert                  Expand selection from bedrock to sky
/rg define spawn               Create the "spawn" region
/rg flag spawn pvp deny         No PvP in spawn
/rg flag spawn block-break deny No breaking blocks
/rg flag spawn block-place deny No placing blocks
/rg flag spawn mob-spawning deny No mobs

Holograms and NPCs

Holograms (floating text) and NPCs make your spawn interactive:

DecentHolograms: create floating text and images. Use it for server info, welcome messages, and signposts.
Citizens: create NPCs that players can click. Combine with Denizen for scripts that make NPCs execute commands.
FancyNpcs: a lighter alternative to Citizens, made for Paper 1.20+.

Ready-made spawns

Not creative enough or short on time? Buy a professionally built spawn:

MC-Market: paid and free Minecraft builds.
Planet Minecraft: free builds from the community.

Download the schematic and load it with WorldEdit (//schem load, //paste).

How big should a spawn be?

That depends on your server type. An SMP server needs a spawn of about 50x50 to 100x100 blocks. A network hub can be larger (200x200+). Do not make it too big: players want to get to the gameplay quickly, not walk through a spawn for ten minutes.

How do I set the spawn point?

Use /setworldspawn in the console or in-game. This sets the point where new players appear. For a specific respawn point after death, use EssentialsSpawn.

Should I build the spawn on the server or offline?

Both work. Building on the server is more convenient for collaborating builders. Building offline (in singleplayer) prevents players from seeing the unfinished spawn. Upload the result as a schematic.

Build your professional spawn on a Minecraft server at HostValues with WorldEdit and WorldGuard.