Troubleshooting In Control rules

When a rule does not work, first determine whether the file failed to load or whether it loaded but does not match the event you are testing.

The basic checklist

1. Confirm the file is in config/incontrol and has the exact expected name.
2. Check that the outermost JSON value is a list: [ at the start and ] at the end.
3. Paste the complete file into the Control Validator.
4. Run /incontrol reload after saving.
5. Read any red In Control message in chat.
6. Check the Minecraft server or client log for the detailed parsing error.
7. Temporarily reduce the file to one small rule and test again.
8. Add conditions back one at a time.

The validator currently covers spawn.json, spawner.json, and phases.json. The game and log remain the source of truth for the exact installed mod version.

“My spawn.json allow rule does nothing”

spawn.json does not create spawn attempts. Allowing a zombie in a biome does not make Minecraft try to spawn more zombies there.

• To increase or add spawns, create a spawner.json rule.
• Use spawn.json to reject attempts or modify mobs that are already spawning.

“My spawner.json rule does nothing”

Check these points:

• dimension is present inside conditions.
• The mob identifier is valid and includes its namespace.
• mindist is lower than maxdist.
• minheight is lower than maxheight and covers the player's area.
• A count limit such as maxthis has not already been reached. Use /incontrol list to inspect current mobs.
• The chosen mob can normally spawn at the attempted position, or you have deliberately configured the needed restrictions.
• The required phase is actually active. Use /incontrol phases.

Use attempts: 20 while testing so In Control has enough chances to find a position. Do not remove all count limits on a production server.

“Spawn eggs or /summon ignore my rule”

The default spawn.json stage is position, which is aimed at spawn-position checks. Use "when": "onjoin" when the rule must also cover entities entering through spawn eggs or commands.

Be aware that onjoin is broad: it can also run when an entity enters a dimension.

“spawn.json stopped working after I added norestrictions”

On 1.20.1, norestrictions in spawner.json bypasses the position stage. Remove norestrictions, or use "when": "onjoin" for the related spawn.json rule.

“My specific exception never works”

Rules are usually checked from top to bottom, and evaluation stops at the first match. Put the specific exception before the broad rule:

[
  {
    "mob": "minecraft:zombie",
    "when": "onjoin",
    "result": "default"
  },
  {
    "hostile": true,
    "when": "onjoin",
    "result": "deny"
  }
]

“Changing /time does not activate my day rule”

In Control maintains its own day counter. Run /incontrol days to inspect or set it. The counter advances on night-to-day transitions rather than simply mirroring the vanilla world time.

“The rule loaded, but the result is unexpected”

Turn on /incontrol debug, reproduce the problem briefly, and turn it off again. Debug output can be large, so search the log for the mob identifier and the In Control messages around the attempted spawn.

Also verify the value being tested:

• minlight and maxlight use block light.
• minlight_sky and maxlight_sky use sky light.
• minlight_full and maxlight_full use combined light.
• Height is the spawn position, not necessarily the block the player stands on.
• A phase can remain active together with later phases unless its conditions stop matching.

Useful diagnostic commands

Command	Use
/incontrol reload	Reload saved rule files and report parsing errors
/incontrol debug	Toggle detailed spawn debugging in the log
/incontrol showmobs	Write registered entity identifiers to the log
/incontrol info	Show light, time, day, and structure information at your position
/incontrol list	Count mobs currently present in the dimension
/incontrol days	Inspect or change the internal day counter
/incontrol phases	Show active phases
/incontrol numbers	Show stored named numbers
/incontrol area	Show the named area at the current position

If the reduced one-rule test works but the full file does not, rule order or an earlier broad match is usually the next thing to inspect. See How In Control rules work.