How to find a Minecraft server IP

To find a Minecraft server IP, open the server's listing on a server list, its official website, or the pinned message in its Discord, and copy the address shown there. That address might be a domain like play.example.net, a raw number like 203.0.113.40, or either one followed by a colon and a port, like 203.0.113.40:25580. This guide explains where each of those comes from, how to type them into Java and Bedrock, and how to find the IP of a server you run yourself.

Where do server addresses actually come from?

There is no phone book for Minecraft servers. A server only has a public address because its owner chose to publish one, so the places you look are the places owners post it:

If you only know a server's name, look it up with our search. If you saw it in a video, the creator usually puts the address in the description.

The Minecraft server IP format, piece by piece

Most confusion comes from not knowing which part of an address is which. Here is how to read every format you'll run into:

Those defaults come from the server software itself: the server-port key in server.properties is 25565 on Java and 19132 on Bedrock Dedicated Server, as documented on minecraft.wiki. Owners change it when they run several servers on one machine, which is why you sometimes get odd numbers like 25577.

How to join a Minecraft server with a port

Java and Bedrock handle ports differently, and mixing them up is the most common reason an address "doesn't work."

Java Edition

1. Open Multiplayer. From the title screen, click Multiplayer. Accept the third-party server warning the first time.
2. Click Add Server. Type any name you like in Server Name.
3. Paste the full address into Server Address. Include the colon and port if you were given one: play.example.net:25580. No spaces, no http://, no slash at the end.
4. Click Done and wait for the ping. Green bars and a player count mean the address is right. Then double-click to join.

Want to test an address once without saving it? Use Direct Connection on the same screen.

Bedrock Edition (Windows, iOS, Android)

1. Open the Servers tab. From Play, go to Servers. (It was briefly called "Discover" between April and June 2026.)
2. Scroll to Add Server. Fill in Server Name and Server Address.
3. Put the port in the Port box. Type only the name or numbers in Server Address, and the number after the colon in Port. Leave 19132 if you weren't given a different number.
4. Save, then tap the server to join.

Java address on a Bedrock game (and the other way round)

A Java address won't work in Bedrock unless the server runs a bridge such as GeyserMC that also listens for Bedrock players on a UDP port. When a server does that, it usually posts two entries, for example:

• Java: play.example.net
• Bedrock: play.example.net, port 19132

Our daily Bedrock probe checks Java servers for exactly this, and when it confirms a working Bedrock entrance, the server's page shows the Bedrock address and port next to the Java one. Browse them all on the crossplay servers page.

Minecraft server IP checker: is the address wrong, or is the server down?

When an address fails, there are only a few possibilities. Check them in this order:

1. Look for typos. A missing letter, an extra space at the end, or .com instead of .net kills the connection. Copy and paste instead of retyping.
2. Check it from outside your house. Put the address into our Is it down? checker. It pings from our servers, so if we can reach it and you can't, the problem is on your side.
3. Match your version. "Outdated client" or "Outdated server" means the address is fine but your game version isn't. See the outdated client fix.
4. Match your edition. A Java-only server never answers a Bedrock client, and a Bedrock-only server never answers Java.
5. Read the error text. "Connection timed out" and "Unknown host" point to different problems. Our can't connect guide decodes each one.

What is a Minecraft server query port?

You'll see "query port" in hosting panels and on some server lists. It is a separate, optional feature that lets tools ask a Java server for extra details such as its plugin list and full player names. Owners turn it on with enable-query=true, and it listens on query.port, which defaults to 25565 but uses UDP instead of TCP. As a player, you never type the query port into Minecraft. The only address you need is the game address.

The same goes for the RCON port (rcon.port, usually 25575). RCON is a remote admin console. If someone posts an RCON address and password in a public channel, tell the owner, because it lets anyone run admin commands.

How to find your own Minecraft server's IP address

If you're the one running the server, the address to give friends depends on where the server lives.

If you'd like a proper name instead of numbers, buy a domain, point an A record at the server, and add an SRV record if you use a non-default port. Our guide to making a server public walks through port forwarding and DNS step by step.

Finding servers when you don't have an IP yet

If you came here because you want any good address to try, skip the hunting. Our pages sort servers by what we measure, not by what they claim:

• Survival and creative servers with measured player counts.
• Java servers and Bedrock servers with the right address format for each.
• New servers if you want to start on day one.

Every listing shows the address, the version range, uptime, and whether the server needs an official account.

Quick questions