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1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFor a vanilla Terraria server, edit the motd= line in the serverconfig.txt file supplied to the server with the -config option, then restart the server. TShock uses a different file: edit motd.txt in the server’s tshock folder. A server-list name or description is not the same setting as the join message, and no vanilla name key is confirmed here.
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What “server description” and “MOTD” mean in Terraria
Terraria administrators commonly use MOTD (message of the day) for the text players see when they join. “Server description” can mean the name displayed in a server browser or a longer welcome message. Those are separate concepts.
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For the standard, unmodified Terraria dedicated server, the documented description-like setting is motd. It controls the message of the day; it is not a verified server-list name field. If your goal is a welcome message, follow the vanilla procedure below. If your goal is the name shown in a list, the available evidence does not establish a vanilla configuration key, so do not assume that changing motd will rename the listing.
TShock stores its MOTD outside the vanilla configuration file. Editing serverconfig.txt on a TShock installation will not change the TShock welcome message.
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Choose the correct installation before editing
| Server type | File to edit | Setting or content | What to do after editing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vanilla Terraria dedicated server | serverconfig.txt passed with -config |
motd=Your message |
Restart the server |
| TShock server | motd.txt in the tshock folder |
The MOTD text in that file | Stop and start the server, or use the reload procedure documented by your host |
| Managed hosting panel | Panel MOTD field, if provided | The value exposed by the panel | Save through the panel and follow its restart controls |
Do not edit a similarly named file until you know which executable is running. A panel may generate startup settings itself; in that situation, a hand-edited file can be replaced when the service restarts. Check the panel’s configuration page first and treat its field as the authoritative setting when it provides one.
Change the MOTD on a vanilla Terraria server
1. Locate the active configuration file
The server reads its settings from the configuration file named by the -config startup flag. Look at the command, shortcut, script, service definition, or hosting-panel startup line that launches the server. Identify the path immediately associated with -config; that is the file to edit.
A file called serverconfig.txt elsewhere on the machine may be an old copy or an example. Editing the wrong copy produces the familiar symptom of a MOTD that never changes, so verify the path in the actual startup command before making changes.
2. Stop the server and make a backup
Stop the Terraria process cleanly before editing. Copy the active configuration file to a backup location, preserving the original filename and extension. This gives you a quick recovery path if a typo affects another setting or the server fails to start.
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3. Add or replace the motd line
Open the file as plain text and find the existing motd= entry. Replace only the text after the equals sign. If there is no entry, add one on its own line. A community configuration example uses this form:
motd=Welcome to my Terraria server!Keep the key spelled exactly motd. Do not put the setting inside a section heading, and do not replace the equals sign with a colon. Preserve the other lines—such as player limit, difficulty, port, and password—unless you intend to change those settings as well.
4. Save as plain text
Save the file without changing its extension. Avoid rich-text editors that insert formatting or convert the file into a document format. If your editor offers an encoding choice, retain the file’s existing plain-text format. A visible .txt extension matters; some operating systems hide extensions and can accidentally create a file such as serverconfig.txt.txt.
5. Start the server and test with a fresh connection
Start the server using the same command that references the edited file with -config. The vanilla procedure requires a restart for the changed MOTD to be loaded. Join from a client and confirm the message appears in the connection or welcome output. Have another player connect if you need to verify what a normal player sees rather than an administrator console.
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Change the MOTD on a TShock server
1. Confirm that the server is running TShock
TShock does not use the vanilla serverconfig.txt MOTD entry for its welcome text. The relevant file is motd.txt inside the installation’s tshock directory. If that folder is absent, confirm the server type and the installation path before creating files manually.
2. Open tshock/motd.txt
Stop the server before editing, then open the motd.txt file as plain text. Replace the existing content with the message you want players to receive. Keep the filename and location unchanged: TShock looks for this separate file rather than a motd= line in the vanilla configuration.
3. Save, start, and check the result
Save the file, start the server, and connect as a player. If the old message remains, verify that you edited the tshock directory belonging to the running instance, not a backup or a different server installation. Also check whether a hosting panel writes files during startup; a panel-managed value can overwrite a manual edit.
Some hosting guides describe %map% and %players% as TShock MOTD placeholders. Their current behavior is not confirmed by the available TShock documentation here, so treat them as unsupported unless the TShock version or host documentation you use explicitly confirms them. A literal placeholder that appears to players is a sign that the feature is not enabled or supported in your installation.
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Using a hosting panel
Many game-server panels expose an MOTD field in the server settings. When that field exists, use the panel’s save and restart controls instead of editing files behind its back. Panels often generate startup arguments or configuration files; manual changes may be overwritten when the service restarts, although the exact overwrite behavior varies by provider.
- Open the server’s settings or startup-parameters page.
- Look for an MOTD, message-of-the-day, welcome-message, or Terraria configuration field.
- Enter the message and save the panel form.
- Use the panel’s stop/start or restart control.
- Connect as a player and check the displayed message.
If the panel has no MOTD field, inspect its displayed startup command to find the file passed with -config for a vanilla server. For TShock, use the panel’s file manager to open the tshock folder and edit motd.txt, provided the panel does not regenerate that file.
Why the MOTD is not showing
You edited the wrong file
This is the most common distinction between the two server types. Vanilla reads the motd= key in the file supplied with -config; TShock reads tshock/motd.txt. Check the executable and startup command, then follow only the matching procedure.
The server was not restarted
For vanilla, the documented file-edit method requires a restart. Saving the file while the process is running does not by itself establish that the running process has reloaded it. Stop and start the server, then reconnect.
A panel restored the old value
Compare the file or panel field after a restart. If your edit disappeared, the panel is likely writing its own value or generating a new configuration. Set the MOTD in the panel, or disable the panel’s regeneration only if its documentation provides that option.
The text is in the wrong format
For vanilla, check that the line begins exactly with motd= and remains plain text. For TShock, check the exact filename motd.txt, its location under tshock, and the file extension. Hidden extensions and rich-text formatting can create files the server does not read.
You are checking the server list instead of the join message
The MOTD is a welcome message. It does not prove that the server’s name in a browser or favorites list has changed. A verified vanilla key for that separate name or description field is not established, so changing the MOTD is not a reliable way to rename the listing.
Vanilla server name versus MOTD
If “description” means the text shown before a player joins, distinguish it from the MOTD. The vanilla configuration option verified for this purpose is motd, described as the message of the day. No separate vanilla server-name key is confirmed here. Avoid copying a key from an unrelated guide into a production configuration: an unknown key may be ignored, and it will not necessarily alter the listing name.
For TShock, secondary guides mention a ServerNickname value in config.json, but that setting is not confirmed against TShock’s own documentation in the material available for this guide. Treat it as unverified rather than presenting it as a guaranteed solution. If the listing name is critical, use the configuration options documented for your exact TShock release or ask your host which field controls the displayed name.
Safe editing checklist
- Identify whether the process is vanilla Terraria or TShock.
- For vanilla, trace the active file from the
-configstartup argument. - For TShock, use
motd.txtinside the running installation’stshockfolder. - Back up the file before changing it.
- Edit only the MOTD content and preserve unrelated settings.
- Keep the file as plain text with the original name and extension.
- Restart vanilla after saving.
- Check a hosting panel before making manual edits.
- Reconnect as a player to verify the message.
- Do not confuse a welcome MOTD with a server-list name.
Practical message examples
A vanilla entry can be a short sentence:
motd=Welcome! Read the rules before building.It can also identify the purpose of the world:
motd=Co-op survival world — please protect shared builds.For TShock, put the corresponding text in tshock/motd.txt rather than adding an equals-sign key to serverconfig.txt. Keep messages readable for the client and avoid assuming that undocumented formatting or placeholders will be expanded.
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What this method does—and does not—change
- It changes the join message read from the server’s MOTD setting or file.
- It does not change world difficulty, maximum players, port, password, or other configuration values unless you edit those separately.
- It does not establish a verified way to rename a vanilla server-list entry.
- It does not guarantee that unverified TShock placeholders or nickname keys work on every release.
Bottom line for each setup
Use serverconfig.txt plus -config for a vanilla server, set motd=..., and restart. Use tshock/motd.txt for TShock. If a control panel supplies an MOTD field, change it there first because it may regenerate the underlying settings. If you mean the server’s browser name rather than its welcome message, the vanilla key is not verified; do not treat the MOTD as a confirmed rename mechanism.
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