A home on the web for your gaming community
Your clan, guild or fan group needs somewhere to keep its rules, news, recruitment and discussions. A website and forum on your own domain does that job. It does not run your game servers, which is a different kind of hosting.
What belongs where
Website and forum, not game server. Traxio is shared web hosting. It is not designed to run game servers such as Minecraft, and there is no root access. For the server itself, use a game-server host; for everything around it, Traxio works well.
| What you need | Where it belongs |
|---|---|
| A game server (Minecraft, Valheim and similar) | A specialist game-server host. Not Traxio. |
| Real-time chat and voice | Discord, TeamSpeak or similar. Link to it from your site. |
| News, rules, recruitment and rosters | Your website on Traxio, with WordPress or plain HTML. |
| Discussion, guides, applications and events | A forum on Traxio, using SMF, phpBB or MyBB. |
| Big file downloads and video | A dedicated file or video host. Not Traxio. |
What your community site can include
- A forum
- SMF, phpBB or MyBBMember groups for officers and recruits, private boards, and in SMF a built-in calendar for events. Forum hosting
- A look that fits
- Free SMF themesTry the dark, game-ready Gamer theme, or browse all the free themes.
- News and guides
- WordPress or plain HTMLPost patch-note summaries and strategy guides. WordPress on Traxio
- Your own address
- yourclan.co.ukA domain you own looks more serious than a free subdomain. Bring your own. Using your own domain
Moderation and anti-spam
Open registration attracts spam and trolls, so plan moderation from day one.
- Stop forum spam: registration checks and settings that block most automated sign-ups.
- Add moderators: give officers the tools without giving away the keys.
- Permissions: decide what guests, members and officers can see and do.
Getting started
- Choose and register a domain with a registrar. Keep it short and close to your clan tag.
- Start your free 30 days and point the domain at Traxio.
- Install a forum with Softaculous: install SMF, or follow the phpBB or MyBB tutorial.
- Add a theme: install an SMF theme.
- Set up boards, permissions and anti-spam before you invite anyone.
- Tell your members and link the forum from your Discord and social pages.
Limits to know about
- Space and traffic: 3GB of storage and 100GB of bandwidth a month. A busy forum with large avatars and attachments uses space, so set sensible upload limits. Check yours with the size and bandwidth calculator.
- Launch-day spikes: a new game can bring a flood of visitors. Cloudflare, the supported CDN, can serve static files for you. Using Cloudflare.
- Databases: one MySQL database is included, enough for one forum. A forum plus WordPress needs two, and extra databases can be added in the client area.
- Self-managed: you install updates, moderate and take your own backups. How support works.
Common questions
Can I host a Minecraft server on Traxio?
No. Traxio is shared web hosting for websites, forums and web applications. It does not run game servers and you do not get root access. Use a game-server host for the server itself, and Traxio for the website and forum around it.
Can members download mods, maps or videos from my site?
Small files, yes. Traxio is not built for large file downloads or video streaming, and you have 3GB of storage and 100GB of bandwidth a month. Link to a dedicated file host for big downloads.
Is a forum better than Discord?
They do different jobs. Discord suits real-time chat and voice. A forum keeps long-form discussion, guides, applications and announcements in a searchable archive on your own domain. Many communities use both and link them together.
What does it cost?
The first 30 days are free with no card needed, then £0.99 a month if you continue. You bring your own domain. It is not free forever.
Can I run a bot for my community?
That depends on what it does. Running IRC bots, botnets or DDoS tools is not allowed under the acceptable use policy. Check it before you plan anything that runs continuously.
Give your community a proper home
Free for 30 days, then £0.99 a month if you continue. A website and forum on your own domain, without the game server.
- £0 for 30 days
- No card to start
- £0.99 a month afterwards
- Bring your own domain