Minecraft Server Automation - AFK Prevention and Bot Utilities

Understanding Server Automation

Server automation handles repetitive tasks without human intervention. From keeping players active to maintaining server uptime, automation frees staff to focus on community building rather than mundane maintenance.

Why Automate?

Common pain points:

Players kicked for AFK, lose progress
Server restarts disconnect everyone
Manual world backups at 3 AM
Repetitive admin commands
Server monitoring requires constant attention

Automation benefits:

Reduced workload: Scripts handle routine tasks
Consistency: No forgetting to backup or restart
Availability: Automated actions work 24/7
Faster response: Instant reaction to events
Better player experience: Seamless AFK handling, auto-reconnect

AFK Prevention Systems

AFK (Away From Keyboard) detection kicks inactive players to free slots. While necessary for active servers, it frustrates players who need to step away briefly.

Server-Side AFK Detection

Most servers use plugins to detect and handle AFK players.

Download and install AFK plugin

Choose an AFK detection plugin (AntiAFK or AFK+) and download it from SpigotMC or Bukkit.

Configure plugin settings

Edit the plugin's config.yml file to set timeout duration, detection methods, and actions to take when players are AFK.

Set permissions

Configure permissions to allow certain players or ranks to bypass AFK detection using permission nodes like afk.bypass.

Test the system

Join your server and test the AFK detection by remaining idle for the configured timeout period.

Monitor and adjust

Review logs and player feedback to fine-tune detection sensitivity and timeout durations.

Popular AFK Plugins

AntiAFK

config.yml

detection:
  # Time in seconds before player marked AFK
  timeout: 300  # 5 minutes

  # What counts as activity?
  movement: true  # Moving
  looking: true   # Looking around (mouse movement)
  interact: true  # Clicking blocks/entities
  chat: true      # Sending chat messages

actions:
  # What happens when AFK detected?
  - type: MESSAGE
    message: "&eYou are now AFK"

  - type: KICK
    delay: 600  # Additional 10 minutes before kick
    message: "&cKicked for being AFK too long"

  # Optional: move to spectator mode instead of kick
  - type: SPECTATOR
    delay: 300

AFK+

config.yml

afk:
  # Detection time
  auto-afk-time: 300

  # Kick time (after being marked AFK)
  auto-afk-kick-time: 900

  # Exempt players with permission
  bypass-permission: "afk.bypass"

# Freeze player when AFK
freeze-afk-player: true

# Commands to run when player goes AFK
commands-on-afk:
  - "broadcast %player% is now AFK!"

# Commands when player returns
commands-on-return:
  - "broadcast %player% is back!"

Client-Side AFK Prevention

Players can use client-side methods to avoid AFK kicks.

Minecraft Client Options

Simple methods:

Place object on jump key: Constant jumping (easily detected)
Circular mouse movement: Mouse tracing circle (obvious pattern)
Auto-clicker: Clicking repeatedly (detectable)

Issues: Most are detectable by sophisticated AFK detection using pattern analysis.

Fabric/Forge Mods

Anti-Anti-AFK Mods

These mods add randomized behavior to avoid detection:

Anti-AFK Movement Pattern

// Randomized movement pattern
void avoidAFK() {
    // Random interval: 30-90 seconds
    int interval = 30000 + random.nextInt(60000);

    // Random action
    int action = random.nextInt(4);
    switch(action) {
        case 0: jump();
        case 1: lookAround(random.nextFloat() * 360);
        case 2: sneakBriefly();
        case 3: swingArm();
    }
}

Features:

Randomized timing (not every 30 seconds exactly)
Varied actions (jump, look, sneak, swing)
Human-like delays
Pauses occasionally (humans don't act constantly)

Bot-Based AFK Prevention

Bots can keep accounts active for specific purposes.

Legitimate use cases:

Chunk loading for farms
Keeping free servers online (Aternos-style hosts)
Testing server uptime
Maintaining party/guild slots

Basic AFK bot behavior:

afk_bot.py

# Pseudocode for AFK bot
import time
import random

def afk_bot():
    while True:
        # Wait random interval (2-5 minutes)
        delay = random.randint(120, 300)
        time.sleep(delay)

        # Perform random action
        action = random.choice([
            jump,
            look_around,
            walk_forward_5_blocks,
            sneak_briefly
        ])

        action()

Advanced behaviors:

Pathfinding (walk to random locations)
Chat responses (appear semi-active)
Inventory management (organize items)
Entity interaction (attack nearby mobs)

Ethical Considerations: Bot-based AFK prevention may violate server Terms of Service. Always obtain permission from server administrators before using bots. Unauthorized bot usage can result in permanent bans and may be considered cheating depending on the context and server rules.

Auto-Reconnect Systems

Connection drops happen—network issues, server restarts, crashes. Auto-reconnect ensures minimal downtime.

Server-Side Auto-Reconnect

Plugins can reconnect players automatically after kicks/disconnects.

Auto Reconnect Plugin

config.yml

reconnect:
  # Enable auto-reconnect
  enabled: true

  # Reasons to trigger reconnect
  reasons:
    - "Server closed"
    - "Server is restarting"
    - "Internal server error"
    - "Timed out"

  # Don't reconnect on ban/kick
  ignore-reasons:
    - "Banned"
    - "Kicked by administrator"

  # Reconnect delay (seconds)
  delay: 5

  # Max reconnect attempts
  max-attempts: 3

  # Show reconnect UI to player
  show-message: true
  message: "&eReconnecting in %seconds% seconds..."

Client-Side Auto-Reconnect

Clients can automatically reconnect after disconnect.

Fabric/Forge Mods:

ReconnectMod: Auto-reconnects after disconnect
Auto Reconnect: Configurable reconnect delay and attempts

Configuration example:

auto-reconnect-config.json

{
  "enabled": true,
  "delay": 5,
  "maxAttempts": 10,
  "reconnectOnKick": true,
  "reconnectOnCrash": true,
  "blacklistedReasons": [
    "Banned from this server",
    "Kicked by an operator"
  ]
}

Bot-Based Auto-Reconnect

Bots can handle reconnection with customizable logic.

Reconnect strategies:

reconnect_backoff.py

# Simple exponential backoff
def reconnect_with_backoff():
    attempt = 0
    max_attempts = 10

    while attempt < max_attempts:
        try:
            connect_to_server()
            return  # Success
        except ConnectionError:
            attempt += 1
            # Exponential backoff: 1s, 2s, 4s, 8s, ...
            delay = 2 ** attempt
            print(f"Reconnect attempt {attempt} failed. Retry in {delay}s")
            time.sleep(delay)

    print("Max reconnect attempts reached")

Smart reconnection:

smart_reconnect.py

def smart_reconnect():
    while True:
        try:
            connect()
            break  # Connected successfully
        except ServerOfflineError:
            # Server offline, wait longer
            time.sleep(60)
        except AuthenticationError:
            # Auth issue, stop trying
            print("Authentication failed")
            break
        except ConnectionTimeout:
            # Network issue, retry quickly
            time.sleep(5)

Automated Monitoring and Alerting

Automation detects issues before players complain.

Server Health Monitoring

Create monitoring script

Write a shell script to check server process status, TPS, and other health metrics.

Set up alerting

Configure Discord webhooks, email notifications, or SMS alerts for critical issues.

Schedule monitoring

Add the monitoring script to cron to run every 5-10 minutes.

Configure auto-restart

Add logic to automatically restart the server if it crashes or becomes unresponsive.

Review alerts

Monitor alert frequency and adjust thresholds to avoid alert fatigue.

Shell script monitoring:

monitor-server.sh

#!/bin/bash
# monitor-server.sh

# Check if server process running
if ! pgrep -f "paper.jar" > /dev/null; then
    echo "ERROR: Server not running!"
    # Send alert via Discord webhook (https://discord.com/developers/docs/resources/webhook)
    curl -X POST "https://discord.com/api/webhooks/YOUR_WEBHOOK" \
      -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
      -d '{"content": "🚨 Minecraft server is DOWN!"}'

    # Auto-restart (optional)
    cd /path/to/server
    ./start.sh
fi

# Check TPS via RCON (requires rcon-cli: https://github.com/itzg/rcon-cli)
TPS=$(rcon-cli "spark tps" | grep -oP "TPS: \K[0-9.]+")
if (( $(echo "$TPS < 18" | bc -l) )); then
    echo "WARNING: Low TPS ($TPS)"
    curl -X POST "https://discord.com/api/webhooks/YOUR_WEBHOOK" \
      -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
      -d "{\"content\": \"⚠️ Server TPS low: $TPS\"}"
fi

Run with cron:

crontab

# Check every 5 minutes
*/5 * * * * /path/to/monitor-server.sh

Player Count Monitoring

Track player counts over time:

player-monitor.py

# Requires mcstatus library: pip install mcstatus
# Documentation: https://pypi.org/project/mcstatus/
import requests
from mcstatus import JavaServer
import time

SERVER_ADDRESS = "play.yourserver.com"

def check_player_count():
    try:
        server = JavaServer.lookup(SERVER_ADDRESS)
        status = server.status()

        players_online = status.players.online
        max_players = status.players.max

        print(f"Players: {players_online}/{max_players}")

        # Alert if server full
        if players_online >= max_players:
            send_discord_alert("Server is full!")

        # Alert if server empty for 6+ hours
        if players_online == 0:
            check_empty_duration()

        # Log to database for analytics
        log_player_count(players_online)

    except Exception as e:
        print(f"Error checking server: {e}")
        send_discord_alert(f"Server check failed: {e}")

# Run every 5 minutes
while True:
    check_player_count()
    time.sleep(300)

Automated Backups

Regular backups prevent data loss:

Create backup script

Create a shell script that saves the world, creates a compressed archive, and manages old backups.

Configure RCON

Set up RCON in your server.properties to allow the script to send commands to the running server.

Test backup manually

Run the backup script manually to ensure it works correctly and doesn't corrupt world data.

Schedule with cron

Add the backup script to your crontab to run at desired intervals (daily, hourly, etc.).

Verify backups

Regularly test backup restoration to ensure backups are valid and complete.

backup-server.sh

#!/bin/bash
# backup-server.sh

DATE=$(date +%Y-%m-%d_%H-%M-%S)
SERVER_DIR="/path/to/server"
BACKUP_DIR="/path/to/backups"

# Create backup directory
mkdir -p "$BACKUP_DIR"

# Warn players
rcon-cli "say Server backup starting in 30 seconds..."
sleep 30

# Disable world saving
rcon-cli "save-off"
rcon-cli "save-all flush"

# Wait for save to complete
sleep 10

# Create backup
tar -czf "$BACKUP_DIR/backup_$DATE.tar.gz" \
  -C "$SERVER_DIR" world world_nether world_the_end

# Re-enable saving
rcon-cli "save-on"
rcon-cli "say Backup complete!"

# Delete backups older than 7 days
find "$BACKUP_DIR" -name "backup_*.tar.gz" -mtime +7 -delete

echo "Backup created: backup_$DATE.tar.gz"

Schedule with cron:

crontab

# Daily backup at 4 AM
0 4 * * * /path/to/backup-server.sh

# Hourly backups during peak times
0 14-22 * * * /path/to/backup-server.sh

Automated Server Restarts

Regular restarts clear memory leaks and apply updates.

Graceful Restart Script

restart-server.sh

#!/bin/bash
# restart-server.sh

# Warn players
rcon-cli "say Server restarting in 5 minutes!"
sleep 240  # 4 minutes

rcon-cli "say Server restarting in 1 minute!"
sleep 30

rcon-cli "say Server restarting in 30 seconds!"
sleep 20

rcon-cli "say Server restarting in 10 seconds!"
sleep 5

rcon-cli "say Server restarting in 5..."
sleep 1
rcon-cli "say 4..."
sleep 1
rcon-cli "say 3..."
sleep 1
rcon-cli "say 2..."
sleep 1
rcon-cli "say 1..."
sleep 1

# Stop server gracefully
rcon-cli "stop"

# Wait for server to stop
sleep 30

# Start server
cd /path/to/server
./start.sh

Schedule restarts:

crontab

# Restart daily at 5 AM (low traffic time)
0 5 * * * /path/to/restart-server.sh

# Restart every 6 hours
0 */6 * * * /path/to/restart-server.sh

Update and Restart Automation

update-and-restart.sh

#!/bin/bash
# update-and-restart.sh

SERVER_DIR="/path/to/server"
# Paper API documentation: https://docs.papermc.io/misc/downloads-api
PAPER_API="https://api.papermc.io/v2/projects/paper"

# Get latest Paper build
LATEST_VERSION="1.21"
BUILDS=$(curl -s "$PAPER_API/versions/$LATEST_VERSION/builds")
LATEST_BUILD=$(echo "$BUILDS" | jq -r '.builds[-1].build')

CURRENT_BUILD=$(cat "$SERVER_DIR/paper-version.txt" 2>/dev/null || echo "0")

if [ "$LATEST_BUILD" != "$CURRENT_BUILD" ]; then
    echo "New Paper build available: $LATEST_BUILD (current: $CURRENT_BUILD)"

    # Download new build
    wget "$PAPER_API/versions/$LATEST_VERSION/builds/$LATEST_BUILD/downloads/paper-$LATEST_VERSION-$LATEST_BUILD.jar" \
      -O "$SERVER_DIR/paper-new.jar"

    # Warn players
    rcon-cli "say Server update available. Restarting in 10 minutes!"
    sleep 600

    # Stop server
    rcon-cli "stop"
    sleep 30

    # Backup old jar
    mv "$SERVER_DIR/paper.jar" "$SERVER_DIR/paper-old.jar"

    # Use new jar
    mv "$SERVER_DIR/paper-new.jar" "$SERVER_DIR/paper.jar"

    # Save version
    echo "$LATEST_BUILD" > "$SERVER_DIR/paper-version.txt"

    # Start server
    cd "$SERVER_DIR"
    ./start.sh
else
    echo "Paper is up to date (build $CURRENT_BUILD)"
fi

Bot Automation Use Cases

Bots excel at repetitive, long-duration tasks.

Use Case 1: Chunk Loading

Scenario: Mob farm needs chunks loaded 24/7

Bot solution:

Bot stays logged in near farm
Keeps chunks loaded
Minimal movement (just AFK prevention)

Configuration:

chunk-loader-config.yml

Bot Name: ChunkLoader_Farm1
Location: X: 1000, Y: 64, Z: 2000 (near farm)
Behavior: Anti-AFK (jump every 3-5 minutes)
Reconnect: Yes (on disconnect)

Use Case 2: Free Server Uptime

Scenario: Aternos/Minehut-style hosts shut down when empty

Bot solution:

Bot stays connected 24/7
Keeps server online
Responds to /list (appears active)

Ethical note: Check host Terms of Service (e.g., Aternos ToS, Minehut Terms)—some prohibit this.

Use Case 3: Economy Automation

Scenario: Automated shop restocking

Bot workflow:

Shop Restocking Workflow

1. Bot joins server
2. Walks to storage area
3. Collects items from chests
4. Walks to shop
5. Restocks shop chests
6. Returns to storage
7. Repeat every hour

Implementation requires:

Pathfinding
Inventory management
Chest interaction
Error handling (path blocked, items missing)

Use Case 4: Resource Gathering

Scenario: Automated mining or farming

Bot workflow:

Resource Gathering Workflows

Mining:
1. Walk to mine
2. Break blocks in pattern
3. Collect drops
4. Return to storage when inventory full
5. Deposit items
6. Repeat

Farming:
1. Walk to farm
2. Break mature crops
3. Replant
4. Collect drops
5. Deposit in storage
6. Repeat

Ethical consideration: This may be considered cheating on many servers. Always check rules.

Use Case 5: Server Testing

Scenario: Test server stability over 24 hours

Bot workflow:

Server Testing Workflow

1. 10 bots connect
2. Bots perform varied actions:
   - Walking around
   - Breaking/placing blocks
   - Opening chests
   - Sending chat messages
3. Monitor server TPS, errors
4. Bots reconnect if disconnected
5. Run for 24 hours
6. Generate report

Metrics tracked:

Total uptime
Disconnect count
Average TPS
Errors encountered
Memory usage over time

Automation with SoulFire

For advanced automation scenarios, dedicated bot tools like SoulFire provide more control than simple scripts. SoulFire offers a comprehensive platform for Minecraft server automation, stress testing, and bot management.

Why Use Bots for Automation?

Script limitations:

Can't join Minecraft servers directly
No access to game mechanics
Limited to external monitoring

Bot capabilities:

Full Minecraft client functionality
In-game actions (movement, interaction)
Real-time response to events
Realistic player behavior

Automation Scenarios

Scenario 1: AFK Prevention for Testing

afk-testing-config.yml

Purpose: Keep test accounts logged in during development

Configuration:
- Bots: 5
- Plugins: Anti-AFK, Auto-Respawn, Auto-Reconnect
- Join Delay: 5000-10000ms (stagger logins)

Benefits:
- Simulates players being online
- Tests AFK detection systems
- Validates session persistence
- Tests auto-reconnect flows

Scenario 2: 24/7 Server Population

population-config.yml

Purpose: Maintain minimum player count

Configuration:
- Bots: 10
- Plugins: Anti-AFK, Auto-Chat (occasional messages), Auto-Reconnect
- Behavior: Random movement every 2-5 minutes

Use case:
- Make server appear active
- Keep free hosting services online
- Test long-term stability

Scenario 3: Automated Event Participation

minigame-config.yml

Purpose: Fill minigame lobbies during low-traffic periods

Configuration:
- Bots: 8 (enough to start minigame)
- Plugins: Auto-Respawn, Anti-AFK
- Behavior: Follow commands, basic gameplay

Workflow:
1. Bots join minigame lobby
2. Minigame starts when enough players present
3. Bots participate (basic movement, actions)
4. Real players can join anytime
5. Bots leave when enough real players join

Scenario 4: Stress Test Automation

nightly-test.sh

Purpose: Automated nightly stress tests

Script:
#!/bin/bash
# nightly-test.sh

# Start 50 bots at 2 AM
start_bots 50

# Run for 2 hours
sleep 7200

# Stop bots
stop_bots

# Collect metrics
generate_report

# Email results
mail -s "Nightly Stress Test Results" admin@server.com < report.txt

Scenario 5: Chunk Pre-Loading

chunk-preload-config.yml

Purpose: Pre-explore world before launch

Configuration:
- Bots: 10
- Behavior: Fly in expanding spiral pattern
- Duration: 12 hours (pre-load 10k radius)

Benefits:
- Generates chunks without player load
- Catches generation errors early
- Improves launch day performance

Monitoring Bot Automation

Metrics to track:

Bot Status Dashboard

# Bot status dashboard
Bot Name         | Status    | Uptime    | Location
----------------|-----------|-----------|-------------------
ChunkLoader1    | Connected | 24h 15m   | X: 1000, Z: 2000
ChunkLoader2    | Connected | 23h 45m   | X: -500, Z: 3000
TestBot1        | Offline   | 0h 0m     | N/A
PopulationBot1  | Connected | 12h 30m   | Lobby

Automated alerts:

bot-monitor.py

def check_bot_status():
    expected_bots = ["ChunkLoader1", "ChunkLoader2", "PopulationBot1"]

    for bot in expected_bots:
        if not is_bot_online(bot):
            send_alert(f"Bot {bot} is offline!")
            restart_bot(bot)

# Run every 5 minutes
schedule.every(5).minutes.do(check_bot_status)

Security and Ethical Considerations

Automation is powerful but comes with responsibilities.

Critical Warning: Automation can violate server rules and Terms of Service. Unauthorized automation may result in permanent bans, IP blacklisting, and damage to your reputation in the Minecraft community. Always obtain explicit permission from server administrators before deploying any automation.

Server Rules

Always check:

Server terms of service
Automation rules
AFK policies
Bot policies

Many servers explicitly prohibit:

AFK bots
Automated resource gathering
Automated trading/economy manipulation
Fake player count inflation

Violating rules can result in:

Ban
IP blacklist
Community backlash

Resource Considerations

Bot impact:

Consumes server resources (CPU, RAM, bandwidth)
Takes player slots
Can distort economy/statistics

Responsible use:

Use minimal bots necessary
Don't bog down servers
Consider off-peak hours for testing
Communicate with server admins

Ethical Guidelines

✅ Acceptable uses:

Testing your own server
Authorized chunk loading
Development/debugging
Approved automation with admin permission

❌ Unacceptable uses:

Cheating in gameplay
Bypassing anti-cheat
Disrupting other players
Exploiting game mechanics

Best Practices Summary

Best Practices for Server Automation: Follow these guidelines to ensure reliable, ethical, and maintainable automation systems for your Minecraft server infrastructure.

Start simple: Begin with basic AFK prevention before complex automation
Test thoroughly: Automate slowly, validate each step
Monitor continuously: Automated systems need monitoring with tools like Prometheus or Grafana
Handle failures gracefully: Always include error handling and reconnect logic
Document everything: Future you will thank present you
Respect server rules: Automation must comply with server policies
Use proper tools: Dedicated bot tools for Minecraft, scripts for external tasks, RCON for server communication
Secure credentials: Never hardcode passwords, use environment variables
Log actions: Track what automation does for debugging
Have kill switches: Ability to stop automation quickly if issues arise

Conclusion

Server automation transforms Minecraft server management from constant babysitting to strategic oversight. From AFK prevention to automated backups, smart automation handles routine tasks while you focus on building community.

Key takeaways:

AFK prevention keeps players active without manual intervention
Auto-reconnect minimizes downtime from network issues
Monitoring and alerting catch problems early
Automated backups and restarts ensure reliability
Bot automation enables advanced use cases at scale

Whether you're running a small community server or a large network, automation provides consistency, reliability, and peace of mind. Start with simple scripts, expand to sophisticated bot automation as needs grow.

Remember: Good automation is invisible—players don't notice it working, only notice when it's not.