Minecraft Server Glossary

The address you type into Minecraft to connect to a server, e.g. play.example.com. Some servers need a port added after a colon, e.g. play.example.com:25566.

The round-trip time, in milliseconds, between your connection and the server. Lower is better — under 100ms feels instant, over 200ms starts to feel laggy.

The percentage of time a server has actually been online and reachable over a given period, measured from live pings rather than the owner's word.

Casting a daily vote for a server on a Minecraft server list to raise its rank. Usually limited to one vote per player per server every 24 hours.

A plugin that lets a Minecraft server receive vote notifications from listing sites in real time, so it can reward players in-game the moment they vote.

A paid badge on a listing signalling the owner has confirmed ownership and unlocked extra perks (badge, ranking boost, priority support). Separate from the vote-based rank.

A paid placement in a dedicated slot, usually at the top of the homepage, separate from and clearly labeled apart from the organic voted ranking.

Message of the Day — the short text a server broadcasts that appears under its name in the Minecraft multiplayer server list.

The original PC/Mac version of Minecraft. Java-only servers cannot be joined from Bedrock devices (mobile, console, Windows 10/11 Bedrock) without a bridge.

The cross-platform version of Minecraft used on mobile, console and Windows Bedrock. Bedrock-only servers cannot be joined from Java Edition.

A server that supports both Java and Bedrock players connecting to the same world, sometimes via a proxy like Geyser.

The classic Minecraft experience — gather resources, build, fight mobs, survive — usually with light plugins for land protection and quality-of-life commands.

Survival Multiplayer. Similar to Survival but usually implies a smaller, closer-knit or whitelisted community focused on a shared long-term world.

A gamemode that starts you on a small floating island with almost nothing, built around expanding your resources and island from scratch.

A PvP-focused gamemode where players group up, claim territory, and raid rival factions for resources and power.

A gamemode built around mining in ranked areas to earn money, then ranking up through tiers to unlock better mines and gear.

A fast, round-based competitive minigame where teams defend their bed while trying to destroy the other teams' beds and eliminate them.

A gamemode with little to no rules — no land protection, minimal moderation — where survival against other players is part of the challenge.