play.yourserver.com is two DNS records away. One points the name at the server; the other hides the port so nobody has to type it.
The records you need
| Type | Name | Value |
|---|---|---|
A | play | The server's IP address, exactly as the panel shows it. |
SRV | _minecraft._tcp.play | Priority 0, weight 5, port from the panel, target play.yourserver.com. |
What to do
- Create the A record first
In your registrar's DNS settings. Name it
play— most panels append your domain automatically, so you type the subdomain only, not the whole thing. - Add the SRV record
This is what removes the port. The service is
_minecraft, the protocol_tcp, and the target is the name you just created with the A record. - Wait for it to spread
DNS changes are cached across the internet. Minutes usually, up to a day in the worst case.
- Test with the bare domain
Add
play.yourserver.comin Minecraft with no port. If it connects, both records are right.
Cloudflare's orange-cloud proxy handles web traffic, not the Minecraft protocol. Turning it on makes the server unreachable. The record has to be «DNS only» — grey cloud.
It has to point at a hostname that itself resolves to the IP, which is why you create the A record first. An SRV record pointing straight at an address does not work.
Connecting with just the domain and no port succeeds, and the server list shows the correct player count.