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How to Create a Custom Minecraft Server IP With GoDaddy

Create a memorable Java Minecraft server address in GoDaddy by pointing an A record at your IPv4 address and adding an SRV record whenever the server uses a non-default port.
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To give a Java Edition Minecraft server a memorable address, create a GoDaddy DNS A record for a subdomain such as play. Point it to the server’s numeric IPv4 address. If the server listens on anything other than Minecraft’s default Java port, 25565, add an SRV record that publishes the custom port. Players can then enter a hostname such as play.yourdomain.com instead of an IP address, and—when the SRV record is correct—without typing a port.

The A record identifies the machine. The SRV record identifies the Minecraft service, transport protocol and listening port. They work together; an SRV record does not replace the A record.

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What you are building

Assume your domain is yourdomain.com, your chosen subdomain is play, and the server’s public IPv4 address is 198.51.100.24. The finished DNS setup looks like this:

Record Purpose Typical value When it is needed
A Maps the hostname to the server’s IPv4 address Name: play
Value: 198.51.100.24
Always
SRV Publishes the Minecraft service and non-default port Service: _minecraft
Protocol: _tcp
Name: play
Port: the port the server actually uses
Target: play.yourdomain.com
When the server does not use 25565

With only the A record, a Java client can use play.yourdomain.com when the server is on port 25565. With an additional SRV record, the same hostname can represent a server on a different port, such as 25570 or another port selected in the server configuration.

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An SRV target is a hostname, not an IP address. The target in this example points back to the A-record hostname, so DNS first resolves play.yourdomain.com to the address and then uses the SRV record’s port.

Before opening GoDaddy DNS

Collect these values from the person or host running the server. Do not guess them from a game client’s old connection entry.

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  • Authoritative domain: the domain whose nameservers are currently serving your DNS zone. If the domain uses another DNS provider, changes made in GoDaddy will not control it.
  • Public IPv4 address: a numeric address such as 198.51.100.24. Do not paste http://, a hostname, a slash or a port into the A-record value.
  • Listening port: the port configured on the Minecraft server. The SRV port must match this value exactly.
  • Edition: the procedure below is for Java Edition. SRV behavior for Bedrock Edition was not verified by the available primary-source material, so do not assume that a Bedrock client will interpret the record in the same way.
  • Chosen hostname: a short label such as play, mc or survival. The label becomes part of the address players type.

If the server is behind a home router, DNS only points players to the public address. The router, firewall and server still need to permit the selected port and forward it to the Minecraft machine. DNS cannot open a blocked port or correct an incorrect router rule.

Choose a bare domain or a subdomain

GoDaddy’s DNS editor represents the root (bare) domain with the name @. A subdomain uses only its label. For a domain called yourdomain.com, these are different choices:

Player address A-record Name field SRV Name field Practical consideration
yourdomain.com @ @ Uses the root domain, which may already be needed for a website or mail.
play.yourdomain.com play play Keeps the Minecraft address separate from other services.

A subdomain is usually easier to maintain because it does not require changing records that support a website or email. Whichever option you select, use the same label in the A and SRV records. In the GoDaddy fields, enter the label rather than the complete domain name; the editor appends the domain for you.

Step 1: Add the A record in GoDaddy

  1. Sign in to GoDaddy and open the DNS management page for the domain that will host the Minecraft address. GoDaddy has changed wording and page layouts over time, so look for the domain’s DNS, Manage DNS or equivalent records panel.
  2. Choose Add or Add record, then select record type A.
  3. In Name, enter only the host label. For the example address, enter play. For the root domain, enter @.
  4. In Value, enter the server’s numeric IPv4 address, for example 198.51.100.24. Do not append :25565 or any other port.
  5. Leave the TTL at the existing default unless you have a specific DNS-management reason to change it. TTL controls caching; it does not change the Minecraft port.
  6. Save the record.

After saving, the conceptual result should be play.yourdomain.com A 198.51.100.24. If the editor displays the fully qualified name after saving, that is normal. The important distinction is that the input Name was the label, not play.yourdomain.com.

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Why the A value must not contain a port

An A record stores an IPv4 address only. A string such as 198.51.100.24:2026 is not an IPv4 address and will produce an invalid or unusable record. Port information belongs in the SRV record, or in the client’s explicit server-address syntax when an SRV record is not being used.

Step 2: Add an SRV record for a custom port

Skip this step when the Java server listens on 25565 and players will connect through the hostname alone. Use it when the server uses another port. The port in DNS must be the port on which the server actually listens; an example such as 2026 is not special and works only if the server is configured to use it.

  1. In the same DNS records panel, choose Add record and select SRV.
  2. Set Service to _minecraft.
  3. Set Protocol to _tcp. Do not substitute _udp.
  4. Set Name to the same label used by the A record, such as play. If the editor combines service, protocol and name into one field rather than offering separate fields, use the provider’s equivalent representation of _minecraft._tcp.play.
  5. Set Priority to 0.
  6. Set Weight to 5. A weight of 0 is also used in some guides and is valid when there is only one target; it does not identify the port.
  7. Set Port to the server’s actual listening port, using digits only. Enter 2026, for example, not :2026.
  8. Set Target to the full hostname, such as play.yourdomain.com. Do not enter the numeric IP address in this field.
  9. Save the record.

For the example, the resulting service data is equivalent to _minecraft._tcp.play.yourdomain.com SRV 0 5 2026 play.yourdomain.com. The A record still supplies the address; this SRV record supplies the service and port.

Why the target is a hostname

SRV syntax is designed to return a service endpoint made from a priority, weight, port and target host. The target must therefore be a resolvable hostname. Pointing it directly at an IP address may be rejected by the DNS editor or ignored by clients. Reusing the A-record hostname keeps the two records aligned when the server’s address changes.

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Step 3: Verify the records before testing in Minecraft

DNS editors can show a saved record before the record is visible to every resolver. Query the SRV record directly from a computer with nslookup:

nslookup -type=srv _minecraft._tcp.play.yourdomain.com

Replace play.yourdomain.com with the hostname you actually created. A working response should show the SRV priority, weight, port and target. For the example, check that the response contains port 2026 and target play.yourdomain.com.

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Also query the A record:

nslookup play.yourdomain.com

The address returned should be the current public IPv4 address of the server. If the A query is wrong, an SRV query can still look syntactically correct while sending players to the wrong machine.

What a correct verification tells you

  • The name is assembled correctly as _minecraft._tcp. followed by the chosen host.
  • The protocol is TCP, not UDP.
  • The published port is the intended server port.
  • The target is a hostname that can itself be resolved by the A record.

A successful DNS response does not prove that the Minecraft process is running, that a firewall allows the port or that a home router forwards it. Those are separate layers to test after DNS is correct.

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Step 4: Connect from Java Edition

  1. Start Minecraft Java Edition and open Multiplayer.
  2. Choose Add Server or use Direct Connection.
  3. Enter the hostname, such as play.yourdomain.com.
  4. When the server uses a non-default port and the SRV record is present, do not append a port. The SRV response supplies it.
  5. Save or connect, then check the displayed server status.

If you deliberately omit the SRV record, Java clients can still test a custom port by entering the hostname followed by a colon and port, for example play.yourdomain.com:2026. That manual form is a connection test and does not mean the A record should contain a colon or port.

How the two common setups differ

Server configuration DNS records Address players enter What can go wrong
Java server on 25565 A record play.yourdomain.com An incorrect A value, wrong authoritative nameservers or network/firewall failure.
Java server on another port A record plus SRV record play.yourdomain.com Wrong SRV name, protocol, target or port; stale DNS cache; or network/firewall failure.
Java server on another port, no SRV A record play.yourdomain.com:custom-port Players who omit the explicit port will try the default connection behavior.
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Troubleshooting a hostname that does not connect

The A record was entered with the full domain

In a GoDaddy zone for yourdomain.com, the A-record Name should be play, not play.yourdomain.com. Entering the full name can cause the editor to append the domain again, creating an unintended hostname. Inspect the saved record and query the exact address players will use.

The SRV name does not match the A label

If the A record uses play but the SRV record uses minecraft, a lookup for _minecraft._tcp.play.yourdomain.com will not find the SRV data. Keep the service record’s Name identical to the A-record label.

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The target contains an IP address

Replace an IP entered in the SRV Target field with the full hostname, for example play.yourdomain.com. Keep the IP only in the A record’s Value field.

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The protocol is UDP

Minecraft Java’s service record in this setup uses _tcp. A record created with _udp is a different DNS name and will not answer the Java lookup shown above.

The port is wrong or includes punctuation

Compare the SRV Port field with the server’s configured listening port. Enter digits only—2026, not :2026. If the server was moved to a new port, update the SRV record as well as any firewall or router rule.

Cloudflare is authoritative for the zone

When Cloudflare supplies the domain’s DNS, GoDaddy’s records are not authoritative. Create the records at the provider named by the domain’s active nameservers. If Cloudflare is in front of the domain, the A record used for this Minecraft hostname must be DNS-only rather than proxied; a proxy is not a generic TCP Minecraft endpoint.

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DNS has not updated everywhere

Resolvers cache DNS responses for the duration of their TTL, so one network can see a new record while another still has the old answer. A forum user reported waiting 48 hours before discovering a separate problem; that anecdote is not an official GoDaddy propagation guarantee or a normal fixed deadline. Use direct nslookup checks from more than one network, and verify the saved values instead of repeatedly creating duplicate records.

An old claim says GoDaddy allows only port 25565

That claim comes from an approximately 15-year-old forum discussion and conflicts with newer setup guidance. Treat it as unreliable. DNS SRV data can publish the port configured on the server; the decisive checks are the saved record, the lookup response and whether the network permits that port.

Spaces or copied characters are present

Remove leading or trailing spaces accidentally pasted into Name, Service, Protocol, Port or Target fields. Check underscores in _minecraft and _tcp, and use ordinary hyphens only where your own hostname requires them. A visually similar but differently spelled label creates a different DNS name.

Changing the server’s IP or port later

When only the IP changes

Edit the A record’s Value and replace the old IPv4 address with the new one. Leave the SRV record’s Target and Port unchanged if the hostname and listening port remain the same. Verify both records again with nslookup.

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When only the port changes

Edit the SRV record’s Port to match the new server setting. The A record does not contain port information and should not be modified for a port-only change.

When the hostname changes

Create the new A record under the new label and create a matching SRV record if the port is non-default. Test the new hostname before deleting the old records, so existing players are not disconnected unexpectedly.

Operational checklist

  • The domain’s active nameservers point to the DNS provider where you made the change.
  • The A record Name is a label such as play or @, not a full domain pasted into a label field.
  • The A record Value is a numeric IPv4 address with no port.
  • The SRV Service is _minecraft.
  • The SRV Protocol is _tcp.
  • The SRV Name matches the A-record label.
  • The SRV Port exactly matches the server’s listening port and contains no colon.
  • The SRV Target is the full hostname, not an IP address.
  • nslookup -type=srv _minecraft._tcp.play.yourdomain.com returns the expected priority, weight, port and target.
  • A normal A-record lookup returns the server’s current public IPv4 address.
  • The server process, firewall and router forwarding allow the same port published in DNS.

What this setup does not solve

DNS does not provide a static IP when your internet connection changes addresses. If the A record becomes outdated, the hostname continues resolving to the old address until you update it. DNS also does not configure whitelist permissions, server software, router forwarding, firewall rules, Java versions or player accounts. Those settings must be correct independently.

The instructions here cover Java Edition’s conventional Minecraft SRV name. Bedrock Edition support for this exact SRV approach was not established in the available source material, so Bedrock owners should confirm the behavior for their client and hosting arrangement before relying on a hostname-only connection.

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