Is a domain a separate purchase, and can players connect by IP only?

Players can always reach your server using its IP and port, and every server also gets a free address like 012e5321.humbleservers.net — your own domain is purely an optional, friendlier address you buy elsewhere. This article covers connecting by IP or the free address and, if you want it, pointing your own domain.

Connecting by IP

Every server has an IP:port (shown in the panel footer) and a free address made from its short ID, like 012e5321.humbleservers.net (shown on the server's page and in My Servers). Sharing either is all your players need. A custom domain is a nice-to-have, never a requirement.

Connecting by IP or a custom domain

1. By default, share your free address or your IP:port for players to connect. With the free address, Minecraft Java players type just the name; every other game (including Minecraft Bedrock) joins with name:port.
2. To change the free address to a custom name (e.g. survival.humbleservers.net), click the pen beside the address on the server's page — you get 3 changes per 30 days, and offensive names are refused.
3. If your port is the game's standard (for example 25565 for Minecraft Java), players can drop the port entirely.
4. To use your own domain or subdomain, buy a domain from a registrar and point a DNS record (A or SRV) at your IP and port. Pointing your own domain is free.

Tip: An SRV record lets players connect with just a domain name even on a non-standard port.

Frequently asked questions

Do you sell domains? No — domains come from a third-party registrar. But every server gets a free .humbleservers.net address, and you can rename it with the pen beside the address. We're happy to help with pointing your own domain too.

Is connecting by IP only really fine? Absolutely. A domain is just a friendlier address; it changes nothing about how the server runs.