How to Show Your Online Player Count on the Hytale Server List

When a player is browsing the Hytale server list, one number decides whether they click "Join" or keep scrolling: the player count. A server showing 47/100 players feels alive. A server showing nothing — or just "Offline" — feels like a ghost town even if it's running fine. HytaleCharts offers three ways to display your Hytale server's real-time player count and online status. Each method has different tradeoffs in accuracy, setup effort, and features. This guide explains all three so you can pick the right one for your setup. The Three Methods at a Glance MethodPlayer CountUpdate SpeedSetup EffortBest For Heartbeat PluginExact count + player listEvery 60 secondsInstall pluginSelf-hosted servers External QueryExact countEvery 5 minutesSet a URLNitrado / managed hosts UDP PingOnline/Offline onlyPeriodicNone (automatic)Basic status fallback Method 1: HytaleCharts Heartbeat Plugin (Recommended) The heartbeat plugin is the best way to show your player count on the Hytale server list. It runs on your Hytale server and sends a heartbeat signal to HytaleCharts every 60 seconds, including the exact number of players online and their usernames. What It Reports Player count — the current number of connected players Max players — your server's player cap Player list — individual usernames and UUIDs of connected players Plugin version — so HytaleCharts can warn you about updates How It Works Under the Hood The plugin sends a POST request to /api/heartbeat every 60 seconds The request includes your server's secret key (a 64-character hex string) HytaleCharts validates the secret, updates your server's player count and status If no heartbeat is received for 5 minutes, the server is marked offline Historical data is stored for analytics and player count graphs Setup Steps Generate a heartbeat secret — on HytaleCharts, go to Edit Server and click "Generate Heartbeat Secret" in the Heartbeat Plugin section Copy the secret — you'll only see it once (you can regenerate if lost) Install the HytaleCharts plugin on your Hytale server by placing it in your server's mods/ directory Configure the plugin — create or edit config.json in the plugin's data directory: { "secret": "YOUR_64_CHARACTER_SECRET_HERE", "debug": false } Restart your server — the plugin will begin sending heartbeats immediately Verify on HytaleCharts — your server should show as online with a player count within 60 seconds Multi-Instance Support If you run multiple server instances (e.g., a lobby server and a survival server), the heartbeat system aggregates player counts automatically. All instances sharing the same secret key will have their unique players merged and totals summed. This means your Hytale server list entry shows the correct total across your entire network. The system identifies unique instances by IP address and world name, takes the latest heartbeat from each source, and merges players by UUID to avoid double-counting anyone connected to multiple instances. Plugin Updates HytaleCharts tracks your plugin version. If a newer version is available, your Edit Server page will show an "Update Available" warning. Keeping the plugin current ensures compatibility with any API changes and gets you the latest bug fixes. Method 2: External Query Endpoint (Nitrado & Managed Hosts) Not all Hytale server operators have access to install custom plugins. If you're using Nitrado, a container-based host, or any provider that exposes a query endpoint, the external query system is your solution. How It Works You provide HytaleCharts with a URL that returns your server's player count as JSON HytaleCharts polls that URL every 5 minutes The response is parsed and your player count is updated on the server list If the endpoint becomes unreachable, your server status reflects the change within 10 minutes Supported Response Formats HytaleCharts auto-detects multiple JSON formats, so it works with most query endpoints out of the box: Nitrado Format { "Universe": { "CurrentPlayers": 15 }, "Server": { "MaxPlayers": 100 } } Standard Format { "player_count": 15, "max_players": 100 } Also supports camelCase (playerCount, maxPlayers) and shorthand (online, max) variants. Setup Steps Find or configure a query endpoint on your hosting provider (Nitrado provides one by default) On HytaleCharts, go to Edit Server → External Query Enter the full URL to your query endpoint Click "Test Endpoint" to verify the response is parseable Save — HytaleCharts starts polling immediately The external query method updates less frequently than the heartbeat plugin (every 5 minutes vs. every 60 seconds), but it requires zero server-side modifications. Method 3: UDP Ping (Automatic Fallback) If you haven't configured either the heartbeat plugin or an external query endpoint, HytaleCharts will attempt to check your server's status via UDP ping. This is a passive system that requires no setup on your end. How It Works HytaleCharts sends a minimal QUIC protocol probe to your server's public port (default: 5520) If any response is received, the server is marked online If no response after multiple retries, the server is marked offline Limitations No player count — UDP ping can only determine online vs. offline, not how many players are connected No player list — no individual player data is available Less accurate timing — status updates depend on the polling schedule rather than real-time heartbeats UDP ping is useful as a baseline, but servers serious about climbing the Hytale server list rankings should install the heartbeat plugin or configure an external query for accurate player counts. How HytaleCharts Determines Your Server's Status When multiple methods are available, HytaleCharts uses a priority system to decide which data source to trust: External Query (highest priority, if enabled) — online if last successful poll was within 10 minutes Heartbeat Plugin (if configured) — online if last heartbeat was within 5 minutes UDP Ping (fallback) — uses the stored online/offline result from the last check This means if you have both the heartbeat plugin and an external query configured, the external query takes precedence. Most operators will use one or the other, not both. What Players See On the Hytale server list, your server's status appears as a colored badge: Green badge with player count (e.g., "Online — 47 players") — when online and players are detected Green badge ("Online") — when online but no players or count unavailable Red badge ("Offline") — when no recent heartbeat, query, or ping response Servers with visible player counts consistently attract more clicks. A server showing "Online — 23 players" is far more compelling than one that just says "Online" with no count. This is why the heartbeat plugin or external query is important for top Hytale servers. Troubleshooting ProblemLikely CauseFix Server shows "Offline" despite runningFirewall blocking heartbeat or pingEnsure your server can make outbound HTTPS requests to hytalecharts.com Player count stuck at 0Plugin not tracking player eventsVerify the plugin loaded (check server logs) and restart Heartbeat stops after a whilePlugin crashed or was unloadedCheck server logs for errors, reinstall plugin if needed External query shows wrong countEndpoint returning stale dataVerify the JSON response directly in a browser Multi-instance count is too lowInstances using different secretsAll instances must share the same heartbeat secret "Update Available" warningPlugin is outdatedDownload the latest plugin version from HytaleCharts Best Practices Operators running top Hytale servers follow these patterns: Use the heartbeat plugin whenever possible — it's the most accurate and responsive option Set a realistic max player count — inflated caps (e.g., 999) look dishonest and reduce trust Monitor your heartbeat status — check the Edit Server page periodically for errors Keep the plugin updated — outdated plugins may stop working after API changes Use external query as backup — if your plugin goes down, a working external endpoint keeps your status accurate Ensure your domain is correct — the UDP ping fallback uses your configured domain, so keep it accurate even if you primarily use the heartbeat Getting Started Displaying your player count takes under five minutes with the heartbeat plugin. Generate a secret, install the plugin, add your secret to the config, and restart. Your Hytale server will show up on the Hytale server list with a live player count within a minute. For managed hosting providers like Nitrado, the external query is even simpler — just paste a URL and HytaleCharts handles the rest. Either way, showing a real player count is one of the easiest things you can do to increase your server's visibility and attract new players. Servers that show active player counts on the Hytale server list consistently outperform those that don't.