Your First Week on an SMP

Where to build, how far out to go, what to claim first, and which of the friendly people in chat are worth trading with.

On an SMP the first week is mostly about not losing what you make, which is a different skill to playing survival alone.

1 server on our list

Your first week on a new SMP A checklist that gets you established without losing your first base, in the order that actually matters.
Land claims and protection: what each system actually stops Claims protect blocks from strangers, which is narrower than most players assume. Where each system leaks.
Trading on an SMP without getting scammed Most SMPs have no escrow, so the trade structure is the only protection you get. The four safe shapes.
What is a Minecraft SMP? SMP means survival multiplayer. In practice the label now covers four very different genres that share an acronym.

Top 10 Best Minecraft SMP Servers 2026, Ranked and Reviewed The ten best Minecraft SMP servers of 2026: lifesteal, anarchy, earth and towny, with live player counts, join IPs and Bedrock support.
How to Choose a Minecraft SMP Server You Will Still Be On in a Month Pick an SMP by genre, season timing, claim rules, moderation and a real player count. Five checks that decide if a server survives your first month.
Lifesteal, Anarchy and Earth SMP: Which Minecraft SMP Type Fits You The four SMP genres explained: what lifesteal, anarchy, earth and towny survival each do to your first week, and who each one is actually for.