Opening my Minecraft server to friends but I need help changing IP to domain?

You would have to be on a static connection for that to work, so your public IP address never changes.
In that case you can add a custom DNS record to the domain info on its control panel, setting the IP to your public IP.

For a non-static IP address, you can't use the domain like that; you need a "Dynamic DNS" service.

Rather than the permanent record associated with a normal domain, they use a "live" database that's updated every few minutes by a utility on your computer that keeps logging in to their system to that "sees" the current public IP.

Some dynamic DNS services will allow you to use your own domain with them, but it will cost you - eg. This one charges $35 a year for the service:

As a work-around, you may? Be able to set up a free dynamic DNS (eg. This one) then set the "cname" record of your real domain to whatever name you give that.

Some things will work with that, but not all - it's trial and error - the only way you can know is try it and see.

Many home routers do not understand trying to connect to a server on their private network from a PC on the same private network when you try and use your public (Internet) IP address or a domain pointing to that address. The connection will fail for these routers.

Try the connection using a friends ISP or use a cellular Internet connection. If this works, then you have a router that does not handle a loop back of its public IP from itself back to itself.

Also, go to and run their ShieldsUp test to confirm that the port(s) you have forwarded are open for incoming connections.