/kick

Disconnects a player from the server. Unlike /ban, the player can rejoin immediately.

Overview

Disconnects a player from the server. Unlike /ban, the player can rejoin immediately. In vanilla Minecraft Java Edition it is one of the server commands and has been available since version 1.0.

It is invoked as /kick [] and accepts one required argument () and one optional argument ([reason]).

The kick is immediate. The reason message is shown in the player's disconnect screen.

Unlike /ban, a kicked player can reconnect immediately; the reason text appears on their disconnect screen.

Syntax & Arguments

/kick <targets> [<reason>]

The full syntax is /kick []. Angle brackets < > mark required arguments and square brackets [ ] mark optional ones; a vertical bar | between words means you pick exactly one of those literals. You must always supply . The argument [reason] may be omitted, in which case the documented default applies.

targets: Required, of type an entity. The player to kick.
reason: Optional, of type a message. The reason for the kick, displayed to the kicked player.

Parameters

Name	Type	Required	Description
targets	entity	Required	The player to kick.
reason	message	Optional	The reason for the kick, displayed to the kicked player.

Examples

The 2 examples below are ready to copy and adapt. For instance, /kick Steve AFK too long kicks Steve from the server with the message "AFK too long". Each example varies the arguments to show a different real use of /kick; read the note under every snippet to see exactly what changes.

/kick Steve AFK too long

Kicks Steve from the server with the message "AFK too long".

/kick @a Server restarting

Kicks all players with the message "Server restarting".

Permission Level & Requirements

/kick sits at permission Level 3 - Admin, which means it needs permission level 3 (administrator).

Requires level 3 and only affects currently connected players.

This reference describes the Java Edition 1.21 form of the command; Bedrock Edition may use slightly different argument formats.

Common Mistakes

Using /kick instead of /ban when you want a permanent removal, kicked players can immediately rejoin.
Trying to kick offline players, /kick only works on currently connected players.

Notes

The kick is immediate. The reason message is shown in the player's disconnect screen.

Related Commands

If /kick is part of your toolkit, the commands below are the ones you will most often reach for alongside it: /ban, /whitelist, and /list. They cover closely related tasks, so the links above jump straight to each one.

/ban

/whitelist

/list

Frequently Asked Questions about /kick

What does the /kick command do in Minecraft?

Disconnects a player from the server. Unlike /ban, the player can rejoin immediately. It belongs to the server command group and was added in Java Edition 1.0.

What is the correct syntax for /kick?

/kick []. The required argument is targets, and the optional one is reason.

What permission level does /kick need?

It requires permission Level 3 - Admin. On a server the player must be an operator at that level, or have cheats enabled in single-player.

What is a common mistake when using /kick?

Using /kick instead of /ban when you want a permanent removal, kicked players can immediately rejoin.

Can you give an example of /kick in use?

Yes. /kick @a Server restarting — kicks all players with the message "Server restarting".

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