Minecraft Server Status Checker

Q: Why does the checker say my server is offline when I can join it?

The usual cause is the address. If you join with localhost or an address that starts with 192.168., 10. or 172.16. to 172.31., that address only exists inside your own network, and no website can reach it. Check the public IP address or domain name instead. Other causes: the wrong edition is selected, the port is not forwarded on your router, or a Java server has enable-status=false in server.properties.

Q: What port does a Minecraft server use?

A Java Edition server listens on TCP port 25565 by default and a Bedrock Edition server on UDP port 19132. Both come from server-port in server.properties. If your server uses another port, type it after a colon, for example play.example.com:25570. The server.properties generator writes that file for you.

Q: Can I hide my server from status checkers?

On Java Edition, set enable-status=false in server.properties. The server stops answering status requests, so it shows as offline here and in the multiplayer list in the game, but it still accepts connections. To keep the status and hide who is playing, set hide-online-players=true instead.

How to check if a Minecraft server is online

Pick the edition the server runs: Java Edition or Bedrock Edition.
Type the address players use to join. A domain name such as play.example.com and a public IP address both work.
Add the port only if the server does not use the default one, like this: play.example.com:25570.
Press Check server. The answer arrives within a few seconds.

Online means the server answered the same status request the game sends to fill in its multiplayer list. It does not prove that you can log in: a whitelist, a full server or a different game version can still keep you out.

What each part of the result means

Part	What it tells you	Where the server owner sets it
Players	Players online now, and the most the server allows	`max-players` in `server.properties` (default 20 on Java, 10 on Bedrock)
Version	The version name the server reports, so you know which game version to launch	The server software. It can add its own text, so this is not always a bare version number
MOTD	The message shown under the server name in the multiplayer list	`motd` in `server.properties` on Java (default `A Minecraft Server`)
Icon	The 64x64 PNG a Java server sends with its status	An image file on the server. Bedrock has no status icon
IP address	The address the name you typed leads to	The DNS records of the domain

The MOTD appears here as plain text, with its color and formatting codes removed. To write one with colors, use the MOTD generator and the color codes list. To make an icon in the right size, use the server icon maker. The server.properties generator covers the player limit and the port.

Java or Bedrock: pick the right edition

The two editions answer different kinds of status request, so a Java check on a Bedrock server says offline, and the other way round.

Edition	Default port	Protocol
Java Edition	25565	TCP
Bedrock Edition	19132	UDP

The protocol matters when you forward a port on a home router: a Bedrock port forwarded as TCP only will not answer. A Java server that runs Geyser also listens for Bedrock players on a UDP port (19132 by default), so check it once for each edition.

When the result says offline but the server is running

You checked a private address. localhost and addresses that start with 192.168., 10. or 172.16. to 172.31. only work inside your own network. The checker stops these before sending anything. Players outside your home connect to your public IP address, so check that one.
The port is closed or wrong. For a server at home, the router has to forward the port to the computer that runs the server. If you rent or borrow a server, use the exact address and port shown in its control panel.
The server hides its status. A Java server with enable-status=false in server.properties does not answer status requests. It looks offline here and in the game's list, but still accepts connections.
The domain does not lead to the server. Look at the IP address row. If no IP address was found, the DNS record is missing or misspelled. If a Java server uses an SRV record, its name must be _minecraft._tcp. followed by your domain, and the result shows where that record points.
You are looking at an older answer. Each answer is reused for a short time (60 seconds as of October 2026). The line under the result says how old it is, so after you start a server, wait for that time to pass and check again.
The server is stopped or asleep. A server that shuts down when nobody is playing usually shows as offline until someone starts it. Some hosts answer the status request for a stopped server themselves, so it can show as online with an MOTD that says it is offline. Read the MOTD before you trust the headline.

Where the status data comes from

A web page cannot open the raw TCP and UDP connections a Minecraft status request needs, so this page asks mcstatus.io to do it. Its servers contact the address you typed and send back what the game server said. As of October 2026, its public API needs no account or key and allows 5 requests per second from one IP address, which is far more than checking by hand will ever use.

The result has no ping time on purpose. A time measured from the service's location would say nothing about the delay between your home and the server.

Everything in a result was written by whoever runs that server, so this page treats it as untrusted: the MOTD, version and player names are shown as plain text only, and an icon is shown only if it is a PNG image.

Sources

The data and rules in this tool were last checked on 12 October 2026 against:

Frequently asked questions

Why does the checker say my server is offline when I can join it?

The usual cause is the address. If you join with localhost or an address that starts with 192.168., 10. or 172.16. to 172.31., that address only exists inside your own network, and no website can reach it. Check the public IP address or domain name instead. Other causes: the wrong edition is selected, the port is not forwarded on your router, or a Java server has enable-status=false in server.properties.

What port does a Minecraft server use?

A Java Edition server listens on TCP port 25565 by default and a Bedrock Edition server on UDP port 19132. Both come from server-port in server.properties. If your server uses another port, type it after a colon, for example play.example.com:25570. The server.properties generator writes that file for you.

Does this work for Bedrock and Geyser servers?

Yes. Choose Bedrock Edition and the check uses the Bedrock ping over UDP, on port 19132 unless you type another. A Java server that runs Geyser also listens for Bedrock players on a UDP port (19132 by default), so check it once for each edition. A Bedrock status has no icon and no list of player names, so those parts stay empty.

How fresh is the result?

The check is done by mcstatus.io, which keeps each answer for a short time and gives the same answer to everyone who asks about that address. When we checked on 12 October 2026, that time was 60 seconds. Under each result you can see how old the answer is and how long it will be reused, so after you start a server, wait that long before you check again.

Can I hide my server from status checkers?

On Java Edition, set enable-status=false in server.properties. The server stops answering status requests, so it shows as offline here and in the multiplayer list in the game, but it still accepts connections. To keep the status and hide who is playing, set hide-online-players=true instead.

Why are no player names shown?

The server decides. A status reply carries the player count, but the list of names is optional and is only ever a sample, never the full list on a busy server. A vanilla Java server leaves the names out when nobody is online or when hide-online-players=true, and a Bedrock status has no list of names at all.

Who can see the address I type?

Your browser sends the address straight to mcstatus.io, the independent service that performs the check. Like any web request, that also shows the service your IP address. This page does not save the address, and nothing is sent until you press Check server.

Minecraft server status checker