Server Host Acceptable Use Policy

We want Server Host to be a good place to build and play, for kids and for grown-ups. These rules apply to everyone who owns, runs or plays on a server here, and to everyone who uses our website, panel, hub and AI connector. They are part of the Terms of Service.

What is not allowed

Harming our systems or other people's

• Malware: viruses, trojans, spyware, ransomware, token or password stealers, or plugins that hide harmful code or open a back door. Do not install a plugin that does this, even if someone else made it. A plugin that our safety check blocks can never be installed on any plan. If you think it was blocked by mistake, ask us and a person will look.
• Attacks: DDoS, flooding, port scanning, trying to break out of your server's container, trying to reach other servers' data, or attacking any computer on the internet from our machines.
• Mining crypto: using our servers to mine cryptocurrency, or any other heavy work that is not running your Minecraft server.
• Dodging limits: making extra accounts to get more free servers or credits, or tricking the credit or vote systems.
• Abusing the connector or the help bot: using the AI connector to do any of the above, sharing a token, or using the help bot in ways meant to overload or trick it.

Harmful content

• Anything illegal where you live or where we are, or that helps someone break the law.
• Sexual content involving or aimed at children, or anything that puts a child at risk. We report this to the authorities.
• Sexual or very violent content that is not suitable for a young audience, on anything public (server names, icons, messages of the day, the hub, our list). Many of our players are kids.
• Hate, threats, or content that encourages hurting yourself or others.
• Sharing other people's private information (doxxing).
• Pretending to be Server Host staff, Mojang, Microsoft or another person.
• Copyright-infringing files or plugins (see the DMCA page).

Harassment

• Bullying, stalking, threats, hate speech or targeting someone because of who they are.
• Grooming, or trying to get young players to share private details, send pictures, or move to another app.
• Spam, scams, phishing, or tricking players out of items or money.

Breaking Mojang's rules (no pay-to-win)

We pass on Mojang's rules for servers. On Server Host you may not:

• sell gameplay advantages for real money (ranks, kits, items or powers that make someone better at the game). Cosmetics are fine;
• sell capes;
• sell crate keys, loot boxes or other random rewards for real money. (On our own hub, crates only give keys that are earned, never bought);
• offer in-game money or points that can be cashed out for real money;
• help people get around the Minecraft EULA.

Read Mojang's rules yourself at https://www.minecraft.net/usage-guidelines [to check before launch].

Server names, icons and the public list

The public list of servers is in our hub. Any server can list itself. Server names and messages of the day go through a word filter before they show in the hub. Icons can be reported. Servers you keep unlisted are private to your players and are not filtered, but all the rules above still apply to them.

The hub

Our hub is shared by players of all ages, so it has extra rules:

• Hub chat is filtered. Slurs, spam and links are blocked, and so is personal information such as phone numbers, home addresses and social media names. Mild swearing is allowed.
• Do not try to get around the filter.
• Private messages use the same filter, can be reported and blocked, and are friends-only unless the player changes that.
• Our hub's rules do not reach the chat on an owner's own server. Links on an owner's own server are that owner's choice.

How reports work

• In the hub: type /report and say what happened. Your report goes to a queue that our staff read, with the context they need. The line you report is the only chat we ever keep.
• About a server: type /report-server on any server on our network, or use the "report a server" form on our website. Owners cannot turn this command off.
• By email: [abuse email] for anything else, including things that cannot wait.
• Please report real problems, not to get back at someone. We do not punish honest mistakes in a report.

Reports about a server (like pay-to-win or a bad icon) go to a person, who looks at what was reported and checks the server before acting. Servers that are reported, or that are paying to be boosted, get a look from us.

We act on reports. We do not scan everything owners upload ahead of time. If we learn of apparent child sexual abuse material, we report it to the authorities and keep a copy as the law requires. See "Legal requests and child safety".

What we do about it

A person always decides. We do not ban automatically. Our systems may flag an account or a server for a look (for example, signs of someone farming free credits, or an anti-cheat flag), but a flag by itself never removes anyone. Our anti-cheat on premade setups only flags and tells staff by default. It does not kick or ban unless the owner turns that on for their own server. We would rather be a little slow than ban someone by mistake.

When a server breaks the rules, we go in steps, and each step comes only after a person has looked:

1. Warn the owner, and say what to fix.
2. Unlist the server from our hub and public list, if the problem continues. Players who already know the address can still reach it.
3. Suspend the server, or stop it if it is causing harm.

The owner can still export their worlds, configs and own plugins at every step, unless the problem is illegal content.

For people in the hub, staff can also mute, kick or temporarily ban someone. Every action is logged. A ban from our hub only covers our hub. It never reaches an owner's own server, which stays the owner's call.

For serious or repeated problems we may close an account. [Closing an account is the drafter's addition, not in the decision log. The lead should confirm.]

For very serious things (like content that endangers a child, malware, attacks or a legal order) we may take a step right away and explain after.

If we got it wrong, write to [appeals contact]. A different person will look again, and we will fix mistakes. [How appeals work is still to be decided.]

Your own server

On your own server you set the rules for your players. We do not read your players' chat. Our rules still apply to what you host, and you are the one responsible for what happens there. Your anti-cheat, bans and chat rules on your own server are your call.