Unknown Host Minecraft Error: How to Fix It on Your Server

Your friend pastes your server address, hits Join, and gets “Failed to connect to the server” with “Unknown host” underneath. Your server is probably fine. The unknown host Minecraft error means the game couldn’t turn the name into an IP address. It never reached your server at all.

Copy the address from your Apex server panel again and paste it into Minecraft instead of typing it. If that doesn’t work, run the numeric IP test in Step 2. It tells you in one try whether the address or the player’s network is at fault.

What Unknown Host Means

Every name a player types, like yourserver.apexmc.co, has to be looked up before the game can connect. Minecraft Java Edition reports a failed lookup in two places. The join screen says “Unknown host”, and the Multiplayer list shows “Can’t resolve hostname” next to the server entry.

Both messages point at the lookup, not the server. A server that is offline usually gives a different error, such as connection refused. So the cause is almost always one of these:

• A typo or an extra character in the address.
• A subdomain that was renamed or set to the wrong type.
• A custom domain with a missing or wrong DNS record.
• A stale or blocked lookup on the player’s computer or router.

Step 1: Copy the Exact Address From the Apex Panel

Retyping an address by hand is where most of these errors start. One swapped letter is enough to send the lookup nowhere.

1. Head towards your Apex server panel after logging in with your credentials.
2. Once there, locate the IP Address:Port section near the top.
3. Copy or take note of these values, along with your Subdomain.

 
The Subdomain and the numeric IP reach the same server. In Minecraft, open Multiplayer, click Add Server, and paste the value into the Server Address field. Paste only the address itself, with nothing added before or after it. If you use the numeric form, keep the port after the colon exactly as the panel shows it. Our guide on finding your Minecraft server IP covers that panel page in more detail.

Step 2: Test the Numeric IP

This is the test that splits the problem in two. A numeric IP needs no name lookup, so it shows whether the server is reachable when the name is out of the picture.

1. Open Minecraft and press the Multiplayer button from the main menu.
2. At the bottom, click Direct Connection.
3. Paste the numeric IP Address:Port from the panel, not the Subdomain.
4. Press Join Server.

 
If you join, the server is fine and the name is the problem. Move on to Step 3. If only one friend fails with the subdomain while everyone else joins, that points at their computer, so jump to Step 4.

If you get a different message, the lookup is no longer the issue. Skip to “Still Can’t Connect?”. And if Unknown host still appears, copy the values from the panel again and retry.

Step 3: Check Your Subdomain

Open Subdomains on the left side of the panel and compare the name there with what your players typed. If you renamed the subdomain, players need the new name. Ask anyone with a saved entry to delete it and add the server again.

Apex says the subdomain type changes how players can join, and Minecraft servers should use the Minecraft type. You can rename the subdomain and check its type in one pass.

1. Head towards your Apex server panel, then click Subdomains on the left.
2. On the right side of your domain, select the Rename icon (pencil).
3. Proceed to enter anything you want and choose your name / domain.
4. Afterwards, click Save and open the Change Type category.
5. Choose either “Minecraft” or “General Purpose“, according to your game server.
6. When you’re all finished, press the Change button and use the subdomain to join.

 
Our guide on creating a subdomain in the panel shows each of these screens.

Running your own domain instead? The A record needs the numeric IP with no port. If your panel port isn’t 25565, you’re on a shared IP, and the domain needs an SRV record as well. The guide to setting up a Minecraft subdomain on your own domain lists every field. DNS changes take time to spread, and how long depends on your domain provider. Use the numeric IP while you wait.

Step 4: Fix DNS on the Player’s Computer

A computer can remember a failed lookup and keep repeating it, even after you fix the address. Microsoft’s documentation for ipconfig notes that flushing the DNS resolver cache discards these negative entries. Clear it on the affected player’s machine.

On Windows:

1. Press Windows Key + R at the same time to open the Run app.
2. Type cmd in the text box, then click OK.
3. Enter ipconfig /flushdns and press Enter.

 
On macOS:

1. Open Terminal.
2. Enter sudo killall -HUP mDNSResponder and type your Mac’s password when asked.

 
Apple’s support article on resetting the DNS cache, which Apple has archived, lists that command for OS X Yosemite 10.10.4 and later. Then restart the router, and try joining again.

Still failing? Move the player to another network, such as a phone hotspot. If the join works there, the first network’s DNS is the culprit. You can also point the computer at a public resolver: Google Public DNS uses 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4, and Cloudflare’s resolver uses 1.1.1.1 and 1.0.0.1.

Still Can’t Connect?

When the numeric IP fails with a different message, check that the server is running. Head towards your Apex server panel, then look at the Start and Force Stop buttons at the top. The status near them should read “Online” before anyone tries to join.

A different error message means a different fix. For “Connection refused”, work through our guide to the Minecraft connection refused error. If nothing here helps, contact our Support Team with the exact message and the address you typed.

Unknown Host FAQ

Short answers to the questions that come up after the four steps.

What Is the Difference Between Unknown Host and Can’t Resolve Hostname?

Nothing, in practice. Both mean the lookup of the name failed. Unknown host shows on the join screen after a connection attempt, and Can’t resolve hostname shows beside the server in the Multiplayer list. The fix is the same for both.

Why Did the Error Start After I Changed My Subdomain?

Saved entries keep the address that was typed when they were added. A player whose entry holds the old name isn’t using your current address, so the lookup can fail. Have them delete the entry and add the new address. Give DNS changes time to spread if you changed a custom domain, and test with the numeric IP in the meantime.

Why Does Only One Player Get the Error?

If everyone else joins with the same address, the address is fine. That player’s computer, router, or network has a stale or blocked lookup. Flush DNS as shown in Step 4, restart the router, and test from another network.