Player count is the main number on any server list, which is exactly why it gets faked: a server can report any number of players in its ping. When such servers sit at the top, honest projects lose and players join an empty world. That is why we run a fake-online detector. Here is how it works — without exact thresholds, so they can't be gamed.
What we check
The detector doesn't look at a single number. It computes a score from 0 to 100 out of independent signals, each with its own weight and a readable reason code. Checks run every few hours for servers with a noticeable player count. The main signal groups:
| Group | What looks suspicious |
|---|---|
| Chart shape | the count sits on one number for hours, moves unnaturally smoothly, or has no daily rhythm (real people play differently by day and night) |
| Jumps | a several-fold rise within minutes with no explanation, such as news about a wipe or launch |
| Arithmetic | suspiciously round values, an uneven spread of last digits, a count that always lands on multiples of one number (a multiplied counter) |
| Slots | max slots grow together with the count, or the count exceeds the max |
| Comparison | other server lists show several times fewer players; the Java and Bedrock addresses of one project disagree strongly |
| Engagement | thousands of players but almost no votes, reviews or social followers |
There is also a signal in the server's favour: if the player sample in the ping shows many different real names over a day, the score goes down. A hidden sample (many servers don't show it) counts neither for nor against.
How a flag is set and cleared
- Hysteresis. A flag is set only after a high score twice in a row and cleared after two low ones in a row. One odd hour doesn't make a server suspicious.
- Grey zone. A medium score never flags automatically: the server goes to a moderation queue, where a person looks at the chart and confirms, clears or whitelists it.
- Short history. With less than a day of data there is no automatic flag — at most the server is queued. The exception is a very obvious multiplied counter.
What the "suspicious online" flag means
- The server card shows a note and a list of reasons in plain words — the same codes a moderator sees.
- The server is excluded from the top by players online, the "Growing" block and "Best servers".
- Votes and reviews are not removed: the flag warns players, it isn't a ban.
If a moderator confirms fake online, the server goes to the blacklist with the chart kept as evidence.
If you own an honest server
- Connect the companion plugin in the owner dashboard. It sends signed reports with the real player count, the server gets a verified-online mark, and the detector skips it.
- Post news about wipes and launches — the detector treats a spike next to such news as explained. How to post: How to promote your server.
- Don't use fake slots or counters that report something other than the real number of players: even cosmetic multipliers look like fraud.
- If you think a flag is a mistake, file an appeal in the owner dashboard (type "fake online"): a moderator reviews it, not the algorithm.
Tip: players should look not only at the player count but also at votes, reviews and social activity. How to weigh all of that: How to choose a Minecraft server; how ranking positions are calculated: How the ranking works.