GTA 6 Server Domain and DNS Setup
DNS is like plumbing: you don't think about it until something's leaking. Get it right once and you'll avoid broken launches, lost connections, and 3-hour propagation waits during a crisis.
The records you actually need
- A record: points your domain at your server's IPv4 address. Required.
- AAAA record: the IPv6 equivalent. Optional, but more useful every year.
- SRV record: tells game clients what port your server is running on. Optional, but convenient.
- TXT records: handle Discord verification, plus SPF if you send email.
TTL strategy
TTL (time to live) controls how long ISPs will cache your DNS records. Set it too high and a change can take 24 hours to propagate. Set it too low and you flood the DNS server.
- Stable production record: 3600 seconds (1 hour) works well.
- Before a planned migration: lower it to 300 seconds (5 minutes) 48 hours ahead.
- During migration: flip records, allow 5 minutes for propagation.
- After migration: bump it back up to 3600.
This is by far the most common DNS mistake: not lowering the TTL before a migration.
Cloudflare as a DNS host
Free, fast, and supports all the records you could want. Setup:
- Transfer DNS to Cloudflare.
- For your game server record, use DNS-only (grey cloud), not proxied (orange cloud). Cloudflare does not proxy UDP game traffic.
- You can use proxy-enabled (orange cloud) for your website/panel DNS entry.
- Enable DNSSEC for security.
SRV records for game convenience
An SRV record allows players to connect to you using just your domain rather than domain:port, saving them one step in the process. It's available for FiveM right now, and will probably be available for any GTA 6 multiplayer stack given that pattern.
_fivem._tcp.example.com. 3600 IN SRV 10 10 30120 server.example.com.Players can then connect using just "example.com" instead of "server.example.com:30120".
Common DNS mistakes
- Proxying UDP traffic through Cloudflare. It won't work.
- Leaving TTLs high before migrating. 24 hours of confused players.
- Omitting the subdomain records. Your map.example.com doesn't automatically point anywhere.
- Skipping CAA records. Not necessary but recommended.
Related reading
See our migration guide for the migration side. For launch day, our launch-day checklist includes DNS verification. See the Discord integration guide for Discord-side integration.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a custom domain for my GTA 6 server?
Optional for private servers. Required if you will allow anyone to connect to your server. Domains allow you to have an easy-to-remember connect address and change your host without losing players.
Should I use Cloudflare for my GTA 6 server DNS?
Yes for DNS hosting, but no for passing game traffic through. Set your game server A record to be DNS-only (grey cloud) as Cloudflare does not proxy UDP packets that games use. Proxy your website or panel instead.
What is a SRV record and do I need one?
SRV records allow players to join using your domain without typing the port number. The standard format for GTA 6 FiveM-style stacks is "_fivem._tcp.yourdomain.com". Optional, but convenient.
