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How to connect a domain to a Minecraft server

To connect a domain to a Minecraft server, add an A record that points a name such as play.example.com at the server's IP address, and an SRV record named _minecraft._tcp when the server does not run on port 25565. Here are both records step by step, the Cloudflare setting that breaks them, what Bedrock players type and how hosts handle a domain of your own.

Prices checked on 10 October 2026 on the hosts' own order pages. All prices include VAT.

A Minecraft server connected to a laptop and a phone, both showing a grass block

The short answer

Add an A record from play.example.com to the server's IP, plus an SRV record for _minecraft._tcp.play.example.com when the port is not 25565. Java players then type play.example.com and nothing else. Bedrock players still enter the port, because Bedrock cannot connect without one. On Cloudflare, set the A record to DNS only.

Compare hosting for a server with its own domain

A server that gets its own domain is usually a public one, so this table starts at 12 GB, the size 11 to 20 players with plugins need. Shown for 11 to 20 players with plugins on Java in Poland (Warsaw): the finder's pick first, then the best plan at each other host.

The best Minecraft server plan at each host for 11 to 20 players on Java in Poland (Warsaw)
ProviderMemoryCPU & storageMonthly priceOrder page
Lodehost Standard, performance line12 GB Free websiteRyzen 9 7950X with DDR5, Poland (Warsaw) 3 reserved vCPU, 80 GB Enterprise NVMe€9.58 /mo First 3 months, then €23.95/mo, €20.95 on 24 months 60% off for new customersView plan Lodehost Standard (opens Lodehost)
Astroworld Hosting Standard Performance12 GB Free websiteRyzen 9 7950X with DDR5, Poland (Warsaw) 3 reserved vCPU, 60 GB Enterprise NVMe€9.58 /mo First 3 months, then €23.95/mo, €20.95 on 24 months 60% off for new customersView plan Astroworld Standard Performance (opens Astroworld Hosting)
Cheapest Minecraft Hosting Builder, budget line12 GBRyzen 9 7950X with DDR5, Poland (Warsaw) 2 shared vCPU, 60 GB NVMe€9.60 /mo Same price on every termView plan CheapestMinecraftHosting Builder (opens Cheapest Minecraft Hosting)

On the Performance lines the large price is what a new customer pays a month at the start: for the first 3 months at both Astroworld Hosting and Lodehost, when you pay monthly. The regular monthly price comes after it, and the last price in each row is the monthly price on the host's longest term.

Compare the same billing term and location before you order.

Every price is taken from the host's own order page. How we compare

What do you need for a Minecraft server domain?

A Minecraft server domain needs 3 things: a domain you control, the server's IP address and port, and access to the domain's DNS records.

  • A domain or a free subdomain

    Register a domain at any registrar, or take a free subdomain from a dynamic DNS service such as No-IP.

  • The server's IP and port

    At home, your external IP and the port you forwarded. At a host, the address and port shown in the panel.

  • DNS records you can edit

    At your registrar or a DNS service such as Cloudflare, where you add the A record and the SRV record.

DNS changes are not instant: a new record often works within 10 minutes, but some resolvers keep the old answer for up to a day.

How to point a domain at a Minecraft server with an A record

To point a domain at a Minecraft server, add an A record in your domain's DNS settings with 3 values:

  • Name or host: play for play.example.com, or @ or an empty field for example.com itself.
  • Value or answer: the server's IPv4 address. At home that is your external IP, after port forwarding.
  • TTL: leave the default, or 600 seconds.

Java players can then type play.example.com, as long as the server runs on the default port 25565. To check the record, run nslookup -q=a play.example.com on Windows or dig play.example.com A on Linux and macOS, and look for your server's IP in the answer.

How to set up an SRV record for a Minecraft server

An SRV record lets Java players reach a Minecraft server on a port other than 25565 without typing the port, and Java Edition has read SRV records since version 1.3.1. An SRV record points at a name, not at an IP, so it takes 3 steps:

  1. Make an A record for the machine, such as node.example.com pointing at the server's IP.
  2. Add the SRV record: service _minecraft, protocol _tcp and name play, which together make _minecraft._tcp.play.example.com. Set the port to the server's port, the target to node.example.com, and priority 0 with weight 5 for a single server.
  3. Check it with nslookup -q=srv _minecraft._tcp.play.example.com or dig _minecraft._tcp.play.example.com SRV, which should show your port and target.

Players now type play.example.com with no port. The SRV record only helps Java players: Bedrock players type the name and the port themselves.

Minecraft server domain on Cloudflare

On Cloudflare, a Minecraft server domain only works when its A record is set to DNS only, the grey cloud, because a proxied record with the orange cloud routes HTTP and HTTPS traffic through Cloudflare and not a Minecraft connection. SRV records are always DNS only there, so the A record is the one to check. Keep in mind that a DNS only record shows the server's real IP address to anyone who looks it up, so a domain on its own does not hide the IP of a server at home.

What Bedrock players type with a domain

Bedrock players type a Minecraft server domain in the Server Address field and the port in its own Port field, because Bedrock Edition cannot connect without a port. Bedrock uses 19132, the default port of a Bedrock server, unless the player enters another number, so a server on that port only needs the name. On a crossplay server at a host, the Bedrock port can be a different number for each server: Lodehost shows it in the panel, and Astroworld Hosting uses 19132 or the number it gives you.

Free domain for a Minecraft server

You can get a free domain for a Minecraft server in 2 ways, without registering one:

  • The address your host gives you. Astroworld Hosting and Lodehost give every server a free address with a name of 3 to 24 characters that you pick, which Java players type without a port, and both let you add 3 more names from the panel. Cheapest Minecraft Hosting lets you pick your name on its own domain.
  • A dynamic DNS subdomain. A service such as No-IP gives a server at home a free name under its own domain, which follows your external IP when it changes.

A domain of your own is worth paying for once players should find the server by its name on server lists, in videos and on a website.

Can you use your own domain with a hosted Minecraft server?

You can use your own domain with a hosted Minecraft server, but ask the host first, because some hosts send each player to the right server by the name they typed. That is how Astroworld Hosting and Lodehost route Java players without a port, and it means their router has to know your domain. Astroworld Hosting says a name of yours pointed at your address works, but that it does not manage the record and asks you to check with it first; Lodehost asks you to send it the domain so it can tell you what is possible. At a host that gives you a plain IP and port, the A record and SRV record above work as they do at home.

One domain for the server and the website

One domain can carry both: example.com for the server website and play.example.com for the Minecraft server, because each name has records of its own. The free website at Astroworld Hosting and Lodehost runs on a free web address, and your own domain for the site comes with the paid tier, €11.99 a month at Astroworld Hosting. See the free Minecraft server website for what the free site includes.

Why is my Minecraft server domain not working?

When a Minecraft server domain does not work, 1 of 6 things is usually wrong:

  1. The record is too new. Your computer or provider still has the old answer; wait, or test with nslookup or dig.
  2. The Cloudflare proxy is on. Set the A record to DNS only.
  3. The SRV target is an IP address. It has to be a name with an A record of its own.
  4. The SRV name is wrong. It has to start with _minecraft._tcp, and some DNS panels add the domain again at the end.
  5. A Bedrock player left out the port, or typed the Java port.
  6. The host does not know your domain, where it routes players by name.

Before you connect a domain to your Minecraft server

Before you connect a domain to your Minecraft server, sort out 3 things, because each one can keep players from connecting:

  1. Ask your host first

    Hosts that send players to the right server by the name they typed, such as Astroworld Hosting and Lodehost, have to know your domain before it works.

  2. Keep the records DNS only

    On Cloudflare, a proxied record with the orange cloud carries web traffic only, so the A record for Minecraft has to be grey.

  3. Give the server a subdomain

    play.example.com for the server leaves example.com free for a website, with no record in the way of the other.

Questions about Minecraft server domains

Do I need a domain for a Minecraft server?

No. Players can join with the IP address and the port, and a host gives every server a free address with a name. A domain of your own is for a server that wants players to find it by its name.

Can I use a subdomain like play.example.com?

Yes, and it is the usual choice. Add an A record with play as the name and the server's IP as the value, and keep example.com for a website.

Does an SRV record work for Bedrock?

No. Bedrock Edition cannot connect without a port, so Bedrock players type the domain and enter the port in its own field. An SRV record only lets Java players leave the port out.

Can I point a CNAME at my host's address?

A CNAME on play.example.com that points at the host's address lets Java find the right IP. It only works without a port if the server listens on 25565, and at hosts that route players by the name they typed, the host has to add your domain first.

How long does a Minecraft server domain take to work?

A new A record or SRV record often works within 10 minutes. Some DNS resolvers keep the old answer for up to a day, so test with nslookup or dig before you tell players it is broken.

Does a domain hide my server's IP address?

No. Anyone can look up the A record and see the IP, and on Cloudflare the record has to be DNS only, which shows the real address. To keep a home IP private, run the server at a host instead.

What is the format of a Minecraft server address?

A name or an IP, followed by a colon and the port when the port is not 25565, such as play.example.com or 203.0.113.5:25566. Bedrock takes the port in a separate field instead.

Still unsure? Use the Minecraft server finder