Viwosi Labs
Administration

ServerList Administration

This guide covers the administrator settings that affect people using your ServerList installation. Complete Installation and Production deployment first.

Email and SMTP

ServerList uses SMTP for account verification, password resets, administrator review notifications and, when enabled, the public contact form. Email is disabled until an administrator enables and configures it.

  1. Sign in as a Super Admin and open Admin > Settings > Mail.
  2. Enable mail and enter the SMTP host, port, username (if required), password or provider key, encryption method, and the sender name/address.
  3. Save the settings, then use the test-email form on that page to verify delivery to an address you control.
  4. Optionally enable administrator notifications for new server submissions and address changes requiring review.
  5. To offer the public contact form, enable it and set a private recipient address. It is shown only when mail is enabled and fully configured.

Use a sender address your SMTP provider authorizes for your ServerList domain. Use the provider's current TLS/STARTTLS or SMTPS settings where available. Never paste SMTP passwords, provider keys, .env contents, or mail logs into a public support request. Stored mail and contact-recipient secrets are protected by ServerList; an existing SMTP password is intentionally not displayed again.

Server ownership verification

The person who owns an unclaimed, approved, visible Java server can claim it from that server's public page. They must sign in with a verified, unblocked account. A successful claim associates the server with that account and unlocks the server's Votifier settings.

ServerList provides two temporary proof methods. A user normally chooses one on the claim page and clicks Verify only after making the necessary Minecraft or DNS change. Renewing a DNS token replaces the current DNS token, so it should be used only when the old token has expired or must be replaced.

Minecraft MOTD

  1. Select Minecraft MOTD on the claim page.
  2. Copy the displayed temporary verification code into the Minecraft server's MOTD. It must be visible in the response returned by a normal Java status query.
  3. Make sure the server is online and reachable at its listed Java address and port, then click Verify server.
  4. Remove the code from the MOTD after the claim succeeds.

MOTD verification tokens expire after 30 minutes. The token is tied to the listed hostname and Java port. If the port changes while verification is in progress, obtain a new MOTD token and update the MOTD before verifying.

DNS TXT

DNS TXT verification is an alternative for a server listed with a hostname. It is not available for a direct IPv4 or IPv6 address.

  1. Select DNS TXT on the claim page.

  2. In the DNS zone for the listed Minecraft hostname, create the exact TXT record shown by ServerList:

    Name / Host: _serverlist.<minecraft-hostname>
Value:       serverlist-verification=<temporary-token>

  3. Wait for DNS propagation, then return to the same page and click Verify DNS record. Retry uses the existing valid token.

The TXT value must match the displayed value exactly. DNS providers sometimes append the zone name automatically; when the claim page shows _serverlist.play.example.com, such a provider may instead expect the relative host _serverlist.play. The full hostname displayed by ServerList remains the authoritative name to check.

DNS tokens expire after 24 hours. DNS verification checks the configured Minecraft hostname itself; it does not use a Minecraft SRV target. A hostname change makes an in-progress DNS proof fail and requires a new claim attempt. A port-only change does not invalidate a DNS token because DNS records prove control of the hostname, not a port. DNS caching and propagation can delay a successful check.

Endpoint changes after a claim

Changing only a claimed server's Java port retains its existing ownership. A hostname/address change sends the listing back for review and removes the existing ownership claim. Pending claim tokens are cancelled when the hostname changes. Owners should therefore update the listing only after arranging the new endpoint and, when necessary, repeat the claim process.

Votifier reward forwarding

Votifier is optional. ServerList records valid votes and rankings even when Votifier is disabled. Enable it only if the listed Minecraft server has a Votifier-compatible plugin configured to grant its own in-game reward.

Only the verified owner of a claimed server can configure Votifier:

  1. Open the server's Edit page and find Votifier.
  2. Enable Votifier and choose NuVotifier v2 (recommended) or legacy Votifier v1.
  3. Enter the Votifier host if it differs from the listed Minecraft address; otherwise leave it blank. Enter the plugin's listening port (NuVotifier commonly uses 8192).
  4. For v2, enter the token from the Minecraft server's NuVotifier configuration. For v1, enter the plugin's public key.
  5. Save before using Test Votifier endpoint. The test checks the configured host and port; a v2 token is validated only when ServerList forwards an actual vote.

Never share a NuVotifier token or a private key. Use the public key only for legacy v1. If ownership transfers, ServerList clears the old Votifier settings.

When a visitor casts a valid vote with a Minecraft username, ServerList attempts to forward it to an enabled Votifier endpoint. If username collection is disabled, or Votifier is disabled, no reward is forwarded. If forwarding fails, the valid ServerList vote remains recorded, but the visitor is told that the Minecraft reward could not be delivered. Check the application log and the Minecraft plugin configuration before retrying any reward manually.

Premium listings and PayPal

ServerList itself is free. Premium is an optional feature that the operator of your ServerList installation may offer to owners of servers listed on that installation; it is not a paid edition of ServerList.

Super Admins manage Premium under Admin > Premium. They can create packages with a price, supported currency, duration, display position and enabled state, and can assign, pause or remove periods manually. Premium visibility applies to approved, visible, claimed servers and includes the Premium badge and rotating showcase placement.

Online purchase is optional. To use PayPal:

  1. Create a PayPal Business REST app for your own installation, beginning in Sandbox.
  2. Ensure APP_URL is the final public HTTPS URL; PayPal must be able to reach it on port 443.
  3. Open Admin > Premium > PayPal settings, configure the selected Sandbox or Live Client ID, Client Secret and Webhook ID, then enable purchases.
  4. Register the matching webhook URL shown on that page and subscribe to the listed checkout and capture events.
  5. Test a complete Sandbox purchase before enabling Live checkout.

Credentials are encrypted and are not displayed after saving. Disabling online purchases prevents new checkout orders, but existing orders and verified webhooks can still complete. Refunds, reversals and denied payments are flagged for administrator review; ServerList does not automatically remove a Premium period. See Premium PayPal verification for the exact Sandbox test flow, events and recovery rules.

Routine administration

  • Review pending servers, reports, reviews and users in the Admin area.
  • Check failed queue jobs and storage/logs/ when mail, scanning, updates or Votifier delivery behave unexpectedly. Do not expose logs publicly.
  • Keep PostgreSQL, uploaded media and .env in your normal, off-server backup policy. The updater's recovery snapshot complements—it does not replace—that policy.
  • Use Updating for every software update. Do not manually copy release files over a live installation.