Why can't I connect to my Minecraft server?

If you or your players cannot connect to your Minecraft server, it is usually one of the causes below. Go through them in this order; the ones at the top happen most often.

The server is off or still starting

Check: open your server in the game panel. Does Uptime say Offline, or is there no line with Done in the console yet?

Fix: click Start and wait until Done appears in the console. If the server does not start, read Why does my Minecraft server crash?

The address or port is wrong

Check: compare the address in Minecraft with the address at Address in the game panel console. The port after the colon must be included.

Fix: copy the address from the game panel again. If you use your own domain, check the settings in How do I set up a play. address for my Minecraft server?

Your Minecraft version differs from the server

Check: if you get Outdated client or Outdated server, your Minecraft uses a different version than the server.

Fix: in the Minecraft Launcher, choose the same version as your server at Installations, or change your server's version.

You are not on the whitelist

Check: the message is You are not white-listed on this server!

Fix: type whitelist add <playername> in the console. See What is a whitelist and how do I set it up?

You are banned

Check: the message is You are banned from this server.

Fix: type pardon <playername> in the console.

The player is missing mods or the mod loader

Check: on a modded server you get a message about missing or wrong mods, or the connection drops while loading.

Fix: make sure the player has the same mod loader and the same mods as the server. See How do I install mods on my Minecraft server?

Bedrock players cannot join

Check: are you playing Bedrock (phone, console, Windows edition) on a Java server? Then you need Geyser. Bedrock players connect with the Bedrock port from the client portal, not with the Java port or a subdomain.

Fix: follow How do I let Bedrock players join my Java server? and check that you use the latest version of Geyser. Since Bedrock 26.60, older versions no longer work.

Still not working?

Open a ticket and include:

• the name of your server in the game panel
• the exact error you see in Minecraft
• your Minecraft version and whether you play Java or Bedrock
• whether other players can join