Minecraft server guide
Minecraft SRV records and portable server addresses
A Minecraft SRV record connects a memorable address to the hostname and port where a Java Edition server actually runs. Making that address portable lets you change the server behind it without asking every player to save a new address.
Free Vanilla and Paper servers available.
Section 01
What an SRV record is
DNS normally uses A or AAAA records to map a hostname to an IP address. An SRV record describes where a particular service runs: it publishes a target hostname and a port, along with priority and weight values used when more than one target exists.
Minecraft: Java Edition asks for _minecraft._tcp in front of the address a player entered. The _minecraft label identifies the service and _tcp identifies its network protocol. The DNS reply tells the client which hostname and port to connect to, so the player can save one clean address without typing :25565 or another custom port.
- A and AAAA records answer: which IP address belongs to this hostname?
- An SRV record answers: which hostname and port run this service?
- The player types the public address; Minecraft performs the _minecraft._tcp lookup automatically.
- The game connection goes directly to the target. An SRV record is not a proxy and does not move or copy server files.
Section 02
How portable addresses work
An automatic Crafty server address belongs to that server and normally follows its name. A portable address belongs to your account instead. You can point it at one of your active Crafty Minecraft servers, then change the same address to an external provider's hostname and port if you migrate later.
Each account can register up to 10 portable addresses for free. Automatic server addresses do not count toward that limit. You can also make an existing automatic address portable; the familiar address keeps pointing at the same server, consumes one portable slot, and the server receives a new automatic address.
New registrations and target changes can take up to 30 seconds to reach every player because DNS answers are cached briefly. Releasing an address gives it up completely, so another account may be able to register it afterward.
Section 03
Why an external target must be a hostname
The target field inside a standards-compliant SRV record is a DNS name, not a raw IPv4 or IPv6 address. Enter the server hostname supplied by the new provider and put its game port in the separate port field. Do not paste a URL, control-panel link, path, or an address that already includes :port.
If a provider gives you only an IP address, ask whether it also offers a connection hostname. A hostname can follow the provider when its infrastructure changes; a raw IP cannot be used as the target of the portable SRV record.
DNS does not conceal the destination from someone who deliberately inspects the record, and it does not provide DDoS protection by itself. Its job here is stable addressing: players keep one name while you control where that name leads.
Section 04
Java Edition compatibility
The standard _minecraft._tcp SRV lookup is used by Minecraft: Java Edition multiplayer. Players normally enter the portable address without a port. The usual Minecraft Bedrock clients do not use this Java SRV convention, so Bedrock servers generally still need the hostname and port format their host provides.
A server list checker, custom launcher, or third-party tool may implement DNS differently. Test the final address in the same Minecraft edition and client setup your players actually use before shutting down the old server.
Step by step
How to keep your address when changing hosts
Make the address portable before deleting the server
Open Addresses and use Make portable beside the automatic address your players already know. If it is already listed under Your portable addresses, skip this step.
Move and test the server files
Transfer the world, configuration, plugins, or mods to the new host and confirm the new server starts correctly. Changing DNS does not perform this migration for you.
Collect the new hostname and game port
Use the public server hostname and port supplied by the new host. The target must be a DNS hostname rather than an IP address or control-panel URL.
Save the external target
Edit the portable address, choose An external host, enter the hostname and port, and save. Allow up to 30 seconds for cached DNS answers to expire.
Join through the portable address
Test with Minecraft: Java Edition using the same address your players already have saved. Keep the old server available until the new target works as expected.
Decommission the old server
After the world and connection both work at the new host, you can remove the old server without releasing the portable address.
Decision checklist
Before you switch the target
- The address appears under Your portable addresses, not only Automatic server addresses.
- The world and server files are already running correctly at the new host.
- You have the new provider's public hostname and game port.
- The destination is a Minecraft: Java Edition server if players will rely on SRV lookup.
- You can keep the old server available during the brief DNS cache window.
Good to know
Frequently asked questions
What address do players enter?
Java Edition players enter the portable address shown in the dashboard, such as community.play.mcsvr.io, without adding a port. Minecraft performs the SRV lookup automatically.
Can I point a portable address directly at an IP address?
No. The target of an SRV record must be a DNS hostname. Enter the hostname supplied by the provider and its game port in the separate port field.
Does changing the SRV target move my Minecraft world?
No. DNS only changes where players connect. Move and test the world, plugins, mods, and configuration before updating the portable address.
Will an automatic address survive after I delete its Crafty server?
Not by default. Use Make portable before deleting or transferring the server. The portable copy belongs to your account and can then be pointed somewhere else.
How many portable addresses are free?
Each account can register up to 10 portable addresses for free. Automatic addresses included with active Crafty servers do not count toward that limit.
Do Minecraft SRV records work with Bedrock Edition?
The _minecraft._tcp convention described here is for Java Edition. Standard Bedrock clients generally require the hostname and port provided by the server host.