Adding a server
Enter the address players join with
Sign in, open Your servers, and type the address, with the port if it is not the default. We ping it the way the game does and follow SRV records, so a domain that points somewhere else still resolves.
We check whether it is already listed
Most active servers are already here: we find them through public sources and check them ourselves. If yours is one of them you claim it instead of adding a duplicate, keeping the history and votes it has already earned.
Prove the server is yours
Pick whichever of the three checks below suits your setup. You get a one-time code that stays valid for 72 hours, and we keep re-checking on our own every few minutes, so you can close the page.
Fill in the listing
Set the name, description, gamemodes, links and banner. Your gamemode picks decide which category pages the server leads on, and they stay as you set them.
Three ways to verify
Any one of these proves the server is yours. Use whichever fits your host — none of them needs an email to the domain.
MOTD — works on every host
Add the code anywhere in your MOTD, the line under the server name in the multiplayer list, keeping your usual text. Restart or reload, and we read it from the next check. Formatting codes, spacing and letter case do not matter, and you remove the code once it is verified. On a BungeeCord or Velocity network, put it in the proxy MOTD, because the proxy is what answers the server list. On Bedrock it goes in server-name.
Paper plugin — one command
Install the Companion plugin on Paper 1.20.4 or newer and run /nms claim with your code from the console or in game as an operator. It shows the code in the server list for up to two minutes, asks us to check, then puts your normal MOTD back. It never edits server.properties, and it is free and open source.
DNS TXT record — works while the server is offline
If the listing uses a domain you control, add a TXT record at _nms-verify under that host with the value nms-verify= and your code. Nothing on the server has to change, which suits a server that is down or mid-migration. It is not offered for IP-only listings, for shared host domains like the ones free hosts hand out, or for a brand new listing, since a DNS record proves the domain rather than the server behind it.
Claiming a listing that is already here
A listing you did not create is still yours to take over. The check is the same.
Find it by address
Type the address on Your servers. Listings are matched on every address that reaches the same server, so an old or alternate IP still finds it.
Verify it with any of the three checks
MOTD, the Paper plugin or a DNS record — whichever suits your setup. We check every address on the listing, not only the one you typed.
Already claimed by someone else?
Claim it anyway. An admin reviews both claims and nothing moves automatically. A server has one owner at a time, and only an admin transfers it.
Sign in first; a verified email is needed before a claim can start.
FAQ
Add your server questions
Anything else, or a listing that needs fixing? Use the owner tools or reach us from your dashboard.
Does it cost anything to list a Minecraft server?
No. Adding a server, claiming a listing and every owner feature on it are free. There are no paid slots to buy.
My server is already listed and I did not add it. Why?
We build the directory from public sources and our own checks rather than waiting for submissions, so most active servers are listed before their owner arrives. Claim it and it becomes yours, with the check history and votes it has already collected.
How do you verify that a server is mine?
With a one-time code, proven in any one of three ways: put the code in your MOTD, run one command with the Companion plugin on Paper, or add a TXT record under your domain. All three show control of the server or the name it runs under, so none of them needs an email to your domain.
What if my server does not run Paper?
Use the MOTD method: it works on every host and every server software, including Bedrock and proxied networks, because it only needs the text the server already sends to the multiplayer list. The plugin is a shortcut for Paper servers, not a requirement.
Can I verify without changing anything on the server?
Yes, when the listing uses a domain you control: add a TXT record at _nms-verify under that host. Nothing on the server changes, so it works while the server is offline or being moved. It is not offered for IP-only listings, for domains owned by your host, or for a brand new listing.
How long do I have to finish a claim?
The code stays valid for 72 hours, which is long enough for a sleeping free-host server to wake up and for DNS to spread. We keep re-checking every few minutes on our own, so you can close the page and come back.
How often are player counts updated?
Every listed server is checked on a schedule, and each listing shows the time of its last check. Counts are what your server reports to the ping, the same number the in-game server list shows.