Protected IP vs Backend IP
Every game protection works with two addresses:
- The protected IP: the public address PlaySafe gives your protection. The installation guide in the panel calls it your PlaySafe Anycast IP.
- The backend IP: the real IPv4 address of your server, which must stay private.
This page applies to Game protection. A virtual server’s firewall has no separate address: it filters traffic to the server’s own IP.
The protected IP
This is what players connect to. It belongs to PlaySafe and you do not configure anything on it.
Where to find it: Security > Game protection, column Protected IP. While PlaySafe has not assigned it yet, the column shows -. For Rust and Minecraft, the Installation Guide on the protection’s Overview tab also shows it with the game port (for example 203.0.113.20:28015).
For FiveM and RedM, players normally use the player connect address instead of the raw IP: your-slug-svr.playsafe.dev. It is shown in the header of the protection page and in the Player connect address box of the Overview tab, with a Copy connect button.
The backend IP
This is the public IPv4 address of the machine where your game server runs. You enter it on the deploy page, in the Backend IP field. The panel and the API accept it only if it is:
- A valid IPv4 address (IPv6 is not supported)
- A public address (not
10.x.x.x,192.168.x.xor another private or reserved range)
On the protection page the backend IP is blurred. Click the eye icon next to Backend IP to show it.
The backend IP cannot be changed from the panel. If you move your server to a new IP, open a ticket.
Side by side
| Protected IP | Backend IP | |
|---|---|---|
| Owner | PlaySafe | You (your hosting provider) |
| Who connects to it | Players and anyone on the internet | Only traffic forwarded by PlaySafe |
| Where you see it | Protected IP column, Installation Guide | Header and Overview tab of the protection (blurred) |
| Share it publicly | Yes | Never |
Why it matters
If your backend IP is published even once, attackers can send traffic straight to it and the protection never sees it.
- DNS: records your players use must point to the protected IP (or use the FiveM/RedM connect address), never to the backend IP.
- Server lists and announcements: replace the old IP everywhere you published it.
- Old exposure: if the backend IP was public before, ask your hosting provider for a new one before you switch players over.
Your backend IP must stay private