ProtectedArea — Areas & Rules

Protected Areas

A protected area is a cuboid (box) region defined by two corner blocks. Every area belongs to a specific world and its dimension is detected automatically based on the world name. Areas are stored as individual YAML files and persist across restarts.

Area Properties

Property	Description
ID	Unique identifier used in all commands. Single word, case-sensitive. Cannot be changed after creation.
Coordinates	Two opposite corner blocks: `(x1, y1, z1)` to `(x2, y2, z2)`. The corners can be in any order.
World	The Bukkit world name where the area exists (e.g. `world`, `world_nether`).
Dimension	Auto-detected: `minecraft:overworld`, `minecraft:the_nether`, or `minecraft:the_end`.
Color	Hex color code (`#RRGGBB`) used to render the area outline in the client mod. Set with `/area color`.
Alias	Optional human-readable name displayed in the client mod interface alongside the area ID.
Priority	Integer value (default `0`). Determines which area's rules take effect when areas overlap.

Basic Rules

Basic rules are global restrictions applied to the entire area. When a rule is active, it applies to all players in the area unless they have an exception. Rules are additive — an area can have any combination of them.

Rule Key	Description	Note
no_break	Players cannot break any block inside the area.
no_place	Players cannot place blocks or use buckets (lava, water) inside the area.
no_interact	Blocks all player interactions: containers, doors, buttons, levers, entities, and vehicles.
no_mobgriefing	Entities such as creepers and endermen cannot destroy or modify blocks inside the area.
no_pvp	Players cannot deal damage to other players inside the area.
no_entityattack	Players cannot attack any entities (mobs, animals, etc.) inside the area.
no_damage	Players inside the area take no damage from any source.
no_drop	Players cannot drop items on the ground inside the area.
no_collect	Players cannot pick up items from the ground inside the area.
no_spawn	Natural entity spawning is prevented inside the area.
no_entry	An invisible collision barrier prevents players from entering the area.	CLIENT MOD
no_exit	An invisible collision barrier prevents players from leaving the area. Entry is still allowed.	CLIENT MOD

Advanced Rules

Advanced rules apply restrictions to specific blocks or entities rather than everything. They exist alongside basic rules and give you granular control. There are two categories: YES rules and NO rules.

Priority between basic and advanced rules

YES rules always take precedence over their corresponding basic NO rule. For example: if an area has the no_break basic rule active, adding a yes_break advanced rule for minecraft:oak_log means players can still break oak logs even though breaking is globally disabled.

Similarly, NO advanced rules add restrictions that don't require a global basic rule. You can block breaking a specific block even in an area with no no_break rule.

YES Rules — Allow specific actions

Rule Type	Target	Description
yes_break	Blocks	Allow breaking a specific block even when `no_break` is active.
yes_place	Blocks	Allow placing a specific block even when `no_place` is active.
yes_interact	Blocks / Entities	Allow interacting with a specific block or entity even when `no_interact` is active.
yes_drop	Items	Allow dropping a specific item even when `no_drop` is active.
yes_collect	Items	Allow collecting a specific item even when `no_collect` is active.

NO Rules — Block specific actions

Rule Type	Target	Description
no_break	Blocks	Block breaking a specific block, even without the global `no_break` rule.
no_place	Blocks	Block placing a specific block, even without the global `no_place` rule.
no_interact	Blocks / Entities	Block interaction with a specific block or entity.
no_drop	Items	Block dropping a specific item.
no_collect	Items	Block collecting a specific item.

Example

# Museum area: everything is locked, but players can read signs
/area rules add museum no_break
/area rules add museum no_place
/area rules add museum no_interact
/area advanced rules add museum yes_interact minecraft:oak_sign

# Prevent placing TNT specifically (no global no_place required)
/area advanced rules add storage no_place minecraft:tnt

# Block interacting with villagers
/area advanced rules add market no_interact minecraft:villager

Exceptions

Exceptions grant a specific player the ability to bypass one or more rules in a specific area. Exceptions are stored per-area and per-player and persist across restarts.

Exception Key	What it bypasses
`all`	Every basic rule and the player limit. The player is unrestricted in the area.
`no_break`	The `no_break` basic rule and any `no_break` advanced entries.
`no_place`	The `no_place` basic rule and any `no_place` advanced entries.
`no_interact`	The `no_interact` basic rule and any `no_interact` advanced entries.
`no_pvp`	The PvP restriction.
`no_entityattack`	The entity attack restriction.
`no_damage`	The no-damage rule (the player will take damage normally).
`no_drop`	The item drop restriction and any `no_drop` advanced entries.
`no_collect`	The item collect restriction and any `no_collect` advanced entries.
`no_spawn`	Mob spawn prevention (not directly applicable to players).
`no_mobgriefing`	Mob griefing prevention.
`no_entry`	The entry barrier. The player can walk into the area normally.
`no_exit`	The exit barrier. The player can leave the area normally.
`limit`	The player limit. The player can enter even when the area is full.

# Staff member bypasses all rules in the protected zone
/area exception add lobby Marquinho all

# Builder can place and break blocks specifically
/area exception add lobby Steve no_break
/area exception add lobby Steve no_place

# VIP player can enter the restricted barrier area
/area exception add vip_lounge VIPPlayer no_entry

# Player can enter even when area is at capacity
/area exception add arena VIPPlayer limit

Priority

When two or more areas overlap at the same position, only the area with the highest priority value governs the rules at that position. All areas have a default priority of 0.

This allows you to create nested areas — a large general zone with one set of rules and a smaller inner zone that overrides them.

# Large lobby: no PvP, no breaking (priority 0 — default)
/area create lobby -200 60 -200 200 128 200
/area rules add lobby no_pvp
/area rules add lobby no_break

# Small inner arena: no rules, PvP is allowed (priority 10)
/area create arena -30 60 -30 30 128 30
/area priority arena 10
# Inside arena: arena rules apply (no restrictions) → PvP works
# Outside arena but inside lobby: lobby rules apply → no PvP, no break