^TUTORIAL
How to Set Up a Custom Domain for Your Minecraft Server

A long numerical server IP can be hard to remember. Linking your Minecraft server to a custom domain makes it easier to access. This guide will show you how to set up a custom domain using DNS records for a more professional and memorable server address.

In order to join a Minecraft server, a player has to insert a long series of numbers, also known as a server IP (Internet Protocol), on their Minecraft launcher, which can be a bit boring and hard to remember. To solve this issue, Minecraft server owners can connect their server IP with a custom domain (example – MCServerHost.com) or a subdomain (example – play.MCServerHost.com), making their server address easy to remember and memorable for everyone.

To get started with this, you will need a domain, which you can buy on some of the known domain registrars like NameCheap, Spaceship, GoDaddy, and many others. If you are short on finances, you can also use the subdomain (<server-name>.mcsh.io) provided by MCServerHost for every server hosted on it for absolutely free and can be changed through the dashboard if needed.

Connecting to a Custom Domain

To get started with connecting your Minecraft server IP (Internet Protocol) to a domain, head towards your domain registrar and open the DNS/Advanced DNS settings for your domain. After that, follow all the steps given below, and your server will have a unique address of your choice at the end of this article.

1. Adding an A Record – An ‘A Record’ is a type of DNS (Domain Name System) that helps to link your Minecraft server’s IP to your domain. Below are the settings that you will need to configure in your A Record –

- Type – A

- Host – This is the subdomain that you would like to connect to your server. If you want something like ‘play.yourdomain.com’ then use ‘play’. If you want your server connected entirely to your domain (Example - yourdomain.com) then you can leave this place blank or @.

- Value - The IP of your Minecraft server (Example - 191.96.231.11).

- Time to Live (TTL) – Keep it to default or 3600.

2. Adding an SRV Record – After setting up an 'A Record', your newly connected domain will get connected to your server IP along with the default port, i.e. – 25565. If your server, doesn’t have a dedicated IP then you will have to create an SRV Record with the following values –

- Type – SRV

- Service – _minecraft

- Protocol – _tcp

- Value – The entire address connected to your Minecraft server’s IP (Example - play.yourdomain.com)

- Port – The port of your server (Example - 10478)

- Priority & Weight – 0

- Time to Live (TTL) – 60 Minutes

3. After completing these steps, your server IP will connect to your domain. Keep in mind that it can take anywhere from a few minutes to 48 hours to complete the linking of your domain. During that time, your linked domain will not work.

Common Mistakes

1. Domain/Sub-Domain not working – Sometimes users add CNAME or other types of DNS records instead of an A Record, which connects your Minecraft server’s IP directly to your domain. Causing your domain to not work as your server address. To avoid this, make sure that you are adding the correct DNS record type and inputting the correct values in them. Another reason why your domain is not working can be due to its propagation time, which can vary from a few minutes to a maximum of 48 hours, so don’t panic if your domain doesn’t work after setting it up.

2. Domain Renewal – After setting up a domain for your Minecraft server, make sure to keep track of your domain’s renewal date. If a domain is not renewed after its renewal date, then it will stop working after a specific period of time.

Conclusion

Connecting your domain to your Minecraft server is a great way to allow people to remember your server's address easily and make it memorable for everyone. It's a straightforward process and doesn't require much experience. On that, remember to check for common mistakes like incorrect IP addresses and DNS records, and always ensure that your domain name is renewed on time.

Similarly, if you are having any type of issue or problem with your server at MCServerHost, you can always get in touch with us by joining our Discord server or writing us at support@MCServerHost.com.