What do I put in each SRV record field?

A Minecraft SRV record lets players connect without typing a port, but every field has to be exactly right or it won't resolve. Here's the field-by-field breakdown.

The fields

• Service: _minecraft
• Protocol: _tcp
• Name / Host: the subdomain players will type, e.g. play (some registrars combine this as _minecraft._tcp.play)
• Priority: 0
• Weight: 5
• Port: your server's actual port (from the Console or Settings tab)
• Target: the hostname from your A record, e.g. play.yourdomain.com (never an IP here)

How the pieces fit together

The SRV record points at a name, not an IP, and that name must already resolve through an A record. So set up your A record first, then the SRV record targets it.

Tip: The Target must be a hostname that already resolves via an A record — SRV points at a name, not at an IP.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need an SRV record on the default port? No — if your server runs on 25565, a plain A record is enough.

Why does my SRV record not work? Most often the Target is set to an IP (it must be a hostname), or the A record it points at doesn't resolve yet.