itemban: The Server-Side Item Blacklist Mod for Minecraft
Running a public Minecraft server means dealing with players who find creative ways to smuggle banned items back into the world. Whether it is a duped shulker box or a forbidden machine part, one stubborn player can wreck the economy you spent months balancing. That is exactly the problem itemban was built to solve. This lightweight server-side mod gives you a complete item and block blacklist with NBT matching, and it does the dirty work of cleaning up violations automatically.
What Makes itemban Different
Most blacklist plugins only block crafting or stop players from picking items up. itemban goes much further. It strips banned recipes from the server recipe table entirely, covering crafting, smelting, stonecutting, smithing, and other recipe types. Unban an item later, and the recipes are restored from a datapack snapshot. On top of that, it removes matching items from player inventories, opened containers, item frames, dropped items, and optionally from world blocks.
The mod plays nicely with popular storage and tech mods. It is compatible with AE2, Create, Sophisticated Backpacks, Storage Drawers, and other standard container systems, so you do not have to choose between a clean server and the mods your players love.
NBT and SNBT Rules Explained
Simple ID bans are fine for basic items, but modded servers need precision. itemban supports NBT and SNBT rules, letting you ban an entire item ID or only the stacks and blocks that match part of an NBT compound. That means you can forbid one specific enchanted book, a particular spawner type, or a machine with a dangerous configuration without banning the base item for everyone.
- Ban a whole ID with a single command.
- Target specific NBT compounds for surgical control.
- Keep separate item and block blacklists.
- Exclude certain IDs from audit logs while still removing them.
Web Admin and In-Game GUI
Managing a blacklist from the console gets old fast. itemban ships with a localhost web admin panel that listens on 127.0.0.1:25580 by default. From there you can edit item and block blacklists, toggle features, manage audit exclusions, view logs, and handle user accounts. Passwords are stored as PBKDF2 hashes, never plaintext, and web accounts cannot toggle auto-kick, which keeps permissions tight.
If you prefer staying in-game, version 2.2.0 introduced a graphical admin interface for every supported loader. After installing the matching admin mod on your client, players with the itemban.ban permission can run /itemban gui. The server generates a unique admin key on first launch and writes a matching admin mod jar under config/ItemBan/admin-mods/. Restarts keep the same key, while /itemban adminmod regen rotates it instantly and invalidates old admin mods.
If you would rather skip the manual jar shuffling entirely, the foxygame.net launcher offers a one-click install path that drops itemban straight into your mods folder and keeps it updated between sessions. It is a convenient option for admins who manage several servers and do not want to track version compatibility by hand.
Supported Minecraft Versions and Loaders
itemban covers a wide range of modern Minecraft releases, so you are not stuck on a single version:
- Minecraft 1.16.5 — Forge
- Minecraft 1.18.2 — Forge
- Minecraft 1.19.2 — Forge
- Minecraft 1.20.1 — Forge
- Minecraft 1.21.1 — Forge / NeoForge
- Minecraft 1.21.11 — Forge / NeoForge
- Minecraft 26.1.2 — Forge / NeoForge
Cleanup stays server-side only. Regular players do not need the mod on their client at all, which keeps join requirements simple. The in-game GUI is optional and only matters for administrators.
How to Install itemban
Getting started is straightforward. Here is the process:
- Download itemban for Minecraft by grabbing the jar that matches your server version and loader.
- Place the jar in your server mods folder and restart.
- Leave player clients untouched unless you want the admin GUI.
- For the GUI, copy both the ItemBan jar and the generated admin mod into the administrator's client mods folder.
Several admin mods can sit in the client folder at once. The client automatically picks the one that matches the server you join, so switching between servers does not require constant file swapping.
Commands and Permissions
Every in-game command requires the itemban.ban permission node, which is granted to OP level 2 by default. The console always has access. Core commands include /itemban add, /itemban remove, /itemban list, /itemban reload, /itemban announce, /itemban autoban, /itemban dropdetect, /itemban blockscan, and the block and logexclude subcommands. Creative mode players and anyone holding the permission node are exempt from scans, so your staff can work without interference.
Chat announcements, optional auto-kick, and auto-ban round out the enforcement tools. When the LnsanesBan mod is present, bans cascade into the vanilla ban list, keeping your punishment system consistent.
Final Thoughts
itemban fills a gap that most server owners do not realize exists until an exploit ruins their economy. Between NBT-level precision, automatic cleanup across inventories and containers, a secure web panel, and an optional in-game GUI, it delivers serious control without forcing anything on your players. If you run a modded server and want a reliable way to keep banned items out for good, itemban deserves a spot in your mods folder.