yourname.arcadeservers.com works fine, but if you're building a brand, an address like play.yourdomain.com is far more memorable. Here's how to connect one.
How it works: SRV and A records
DNS records are used to point a domain at your server. If you use a non-standard port, an SRV record can hide both the address and port; if you use the standard port, a simple A/CNAME record is enough. That way players connect with just the domain, no port number.
Connecting from the panel
Enter your domain in the Domain section of the server settings. The panel shows you the DNS record to add (type, name, value). Add this record in the DNS panel where you registered the domain (e.g. Cloudflare). DNS changes can take a few minutes to a few hours to propagate.
If you use Cloudflare
For Minecraft records, turn off Cloudflare's 'proxy' (orange cloud) — use DNS-only (grey cloud). The Cloudflare proxy is for HTTP; proxying Minecraft traffic breaks the connection. An SRV record must always be DNS-only.
Common mistakes
- Wrong port: the port in the SRV record must match the real port in the panel.
- Proxy on: if Cloudflare's orange cloud isn't disabled, the connection won't work.
- Not waiting for propagation: even a correct record takes time to spread via DNS.
Set up correctly, players only need to type play.yourdomain.com — they never see the technical details behind it.