Minecraft blocks non-op players from building or breaking anything within a radius of spawn, 16 blocks by default. This is normal, not a bug, and it's an easy fix.
How to fix it
- Open Server Properties.
- Find spawn-protection.
- Set it to
0to turn it off completely, or a small number to keep a protected safe zone for OPs only. - Save.
- Restart the server.
- Have a regular (non-op) player test breaking a block near spawn to confirm it worked.
Spawn protection only affects the area around the original world spawn point, nowhere else. If you can't edit blocks far from spawn, this isn't the cause, see Still Stuck below.
Still stuck?
Already set to 0 and players still can't build: the cause is probably a permissions plugin, a claims plugin, or a gamemode setting instead. Check How to Give Yourself Operator Permissions to rule out OP status, or Gamerule and Gamemode Settings.
This is a fresh world or a modpack: confirm the world's version actually matches your server's version. A mismatch can cause similar-looking block issues. See How to Upload Your Own World.
Still stuck after that: open a support ticket and we'll check your config directly.
Did this solve it?
If you are still stuck, our team can look at your server directly.