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1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteFor a Java Edition server, customize the server-list message by editing the motd line in server.properties. Stop the server safely, replace only the text after motd=, save the file as plain text, restart the server, and check the multiplayer screen from a client. This built-in method is portable across vanilla, Paper, and Spigot-style servers. Use an MOTD plugin only when you need features such as RGB colors, gradients, animation, proxy-wide messages, or image banners.
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What the Minecraft MOTD controls
MOTD means “message of the day.” On a Java server, it is the short message sent to clients and displayed in the multiplayer server list, beneath the server name. Paper documents the property as “The message of the day, displayed in the server list.” Spigot describes it as the message sent to the client for listing in the multiplayer menu.
The default value is:
motd=A Minecraft ServerChanging this value does not rename the server, alter the world, change the player list, or edit chat. It changes the text shown when a player views or refreshes the server entry. The instructions below apply to Java servers that expose a normal server.properties file. A hosted control panel may provide an editor for the same file, while a proxy network can have a separate MOTD that takes precedence over a backend server’s message.
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Choose the right customization method
Start with the simplest method that provides the appearance you need. A plain property is easier to move between server software and easier to troubleshoot; plugins provide more visual control but add a dependency and their own compatibility rules.
| Method | What it can do | Advantages | Limitations |
|---|---|---|---|
Built-in server.properties |
Static text in the server list | No extra download, portable configuration, simple backup and recovery | Formatting options depend on the server implementation; no built-in guarantee of gradients, animation, RGB, or banners |
| MOTD plugin | May add legacy colors, RGB, gradients, multiple lines, animation, commands, or other presentation features | More visual control and, on some plugins, live reloads | Requires a compatible server version, plugin maintenance, configuration backups, and client testing |
| Proxy or network MOTD | A message presented by a Velocity-, BungeeCord-, or similar proxy before a player reaches a backend | One message can represent an entire network | Editing only a backend server may have no visible effect when the proxy answers the status request |
Paper and Spigot both document the basic motd property. Spigot’s configuration page is dated September 9, 2016, so confirm the exact behavior against the server fork and version you operate. The default description remains a useful reference, but forks and plugins can add their own formatting rules.
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Before editing the file
A MOTD change is small, but an unsafe file edit can create a confusing startup problem or be overwritten by a control panel. Complete these checks first:
- Identify the actual server instance. Large hosts often have multiple instances, test servers, or separate staging directories. The file you edit must belong to the process that players are pinging.
- Use a clean stop. Stop the server from its console or use the host’s documented safe-stop control. If a panel specifically supports live configuration edits, follow that procedure instead.
- Make a backup. Copy
server.propertiesbefore changing it. Keep the original until players have confirmed the new message works. - Record the server and client versions. Formatting behavior comes from the server software, plugins, proxy, and client version combination. This matters especially when supporting older clients.
- Use a plain-text editor. Avoid word processors that add rich-text formatting, smart quotes, or hidden markup.
How to change the MOTD in server.properties
For a static message, use this sequence:
- Stop the server safely. Wait for the console or panel to confirm that the process has shut down.
- Open the server root directory. This is the directory containing the server’s configuration and world folders. In a hosting panel, open its file manager or configuration editor for the correct instance.
- Open
server.properties. Search for the line that starts exactly withmotd=. - Replace only the value. Leave the key and equals sign intact. For example, change
motd=A Minecraft Serverto:
motd=Welcome to Oakwood SMP | 1.21 | Claims and shops- Save the file as plain text. Preserve the file name and the encoding already used by the server. Do not save a second copy such as
server.properties.txt. - Start the same server instance again. Let it finish loading before testing the status response.
- Check from a client. Open the multiplayer menu, refresh the entry, and verify the exact text. Testing from a client is important because a proxy, plugin, or unsupported formatting code can change what is displayed.
Do not put a second motd= line in the file. Configuration parsers generally use one value for a key, and duplicate lines can make it unclear which value is active.
Write an MOTD that players can scan quickly
The server list is a small piece of interface space. Put the information that helps a player decide whether to connect at the beginning, and use separators that remain readable without special formatting.
- Lead with the identity. Start with the community or world name rather than a long slogan.
- State the current mode. Examples include survival, creative, modded, minigames, or an event name.
- Add one useful differentiator. Claims, shops, an economy, a whitelist, or a seasonal event can be more useful than decorative symbols.
- Keep punctuation intentional. Vertical bars, middots, and short separators are easier to read than a dense run of unusual characters.
- Leave room for status text. The server name, player count, version indicator, and latency already occupy neighboring space.
- Check fallback readability. If formatting fails, the unstyled words should still explain what the server is.
Static examples that require no plugin-specific syntax include:
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| Purpose | Example value |
|---|---|
| Simple community server | motd=Oakwood SMP | Survival with claims |
| Version and mode | motd=Redstone Valley | Java 1.21 | Creative |
| Event announcement | motd=Oakwood SMP | Harvest Festival this weekend |
| Access note | motd=Private Realm | Whitelist applications open |
These are ordinary text values. The server software displays them as a message; it does not automatically turn the words into a clickable announcement or a command.
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Color and style codes: what is portable and what is not
Color syntax is implementation-specific. Do not assume that a code copied from a plugin guide will work in an unmodified server, or that a code supported by one plugin will work in another.
Many MOTD plugins document legacy color codes in the &0 through &f range. Some also document hexadecimal RGB notation such as &#rrggbb, and tag-style forms such as <bold> and <reset>. Those forms belong to the plugin that documents them; they are not a universal promise made by server.properties.
If a client displays the characters literally—for example, showing &a instead of applying a color—the active server or plugin is not parsing that syntax. Remove the codes for a portable fallback, or use the exact syntax and configuration documented by the installed implementation.
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Use reset or closing styles when the plugin supports them. Without a reset, a color or style can continue into later text in implementations that process the MOTD as a formatted component. Keep a plain-text version of the message so you can quickly revert if a formatting update breaks.
Two-line messages and richer layouts
A two-line MOTD is a common request, but the exact line-break notation is not portable across server forks and plugins. The safest approach is to follow the syntax documented by the formatter you have installed rather than guessing an escape sequence in server.properties.
When a plugin advertises multi-line support, check all of the following before using it in production:
- Whether the line break is configured in a file, entered as a command argument, or represented by a documented escape sequence.
- Whether the plugin applies the same layout to direct server pings and to proxy responses.
- Whether older clients receive the second line, a simplified line, or a fallback message.
- Whether reloading the plugin is supported, or whether a full restart is required.
Do not paste a multi-line value into the file as physically separate lines unless the implementation explicitly instructs you to do so. A second physical line can be read as a new property and may corrupt the configuration.
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When an MOTD plugin is worth using
Choose a maintained plugin when the built-in property cannot provide the presentation or operational scope you need. Typical reasons include a rotating announcement, a gradient, RGB colors, a shared message across multiple backend servers, or an image banner.
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For example, the HxMOTD listing states that it supports &0–&f colors, &#rrggbb RGB values, and tags including <bold> and <reset>. It also states that image banners require a Minecraft 1.21.9-or-newer client; older clients receive the normal server.properties MOTD as fallback text. Treat these as that plugin’s documented capabilities, not as features guaranteed by vanilla Minecraft or every server fork.
Before installing any formatter, verify:
- Server support: The plugin must support your Paper, Spigot, or other server version.
- Client range: Test the oldest client version you still allow. A modern RGB or image feature may fall back or render differently.
- Proxy support: If players see a network proxy first, the plugin must explicitly support that proxy or be installed at the layer that answers the status request.
- Reload behavior: Confirm whether the plugin offers a reload command and whether that command is safe for your version. Keep a restart procedure available.
- Configuration format: Preserve the plugin’s indentation, quoting, and encoding rules when editing its files.
Backend servers, proxies, and networks
In a single-server setup, the server process usually supplies the status response. In a network, a proxy can answer the server-list ping before it forwards a player to a backend. In that arrangement, changing a backend’s server.properties MOTD may not change what players see.
Diagnose the layer that owns the response:
- Ping the public address from the multiplayer menu and note the displayed message.
- Identify whether that address points directly to a backend or to a proxy.
- Check the proxy’s own configuration and MOTD plugin, if present.
- Set the network-level message there when the proxy is the component answering the ping.
- Keep backend messages meaningful as well, because direct maintenance access, fallback routing, or an internal address may expose them.
A network-wide MOTD can announce the network name and a general status, while a backend MOTD can identify the individual mode. Avoid conflicting instructions, such as advertising an open server in the proxy message while a backend is whitelisted.
Compatibility testing for clients
Preview the finished MOTD with the oldest client version you still support, a current client, and—if applicable—a client connecting through the proxy. This catches differences that are invisible when testing from only one installation.
Test these cases:
- Plain text: Words, separators, and punctuation remain legible.
- Legacy colors: Each intended color appears and does not leak into later text.
- RGB or gradients: Unsupported clients receive a readable fallback rather than raw markup.
- Two lines: Both lines appear in the intended order without clipping or unexpected spacing.
- Image banners: A supported client displays the image and an older client receives the documented fallback.
- Proxy path: The public address shows the message configured at the layer that answers its status request.
The HxMOTD listing’s compatibility claim covers Minecraft 1.8 through 1.20 for its plugin testing and separately identifies image-banner support for clients on 1.21.9 and newer. Those figures describe that listing’s tested or required ranges; they do not establish universal support for every plugin, fork, or client.
Troubleshoot an MOTD that does not change
The old message is still visible
Confirm that you edited the file for the server instance actually running, not a backup, test directory, or different container. Verify that the line begins with motd=, save the file, and restart the same instance. Refresh the multiplayer entry after the server is fully online. If the public address is a proxy, inspect the proxy’s MOTD instead of changing only the backend.
The message shows formatting characters
Raw sequences such as &a or �ff00 mean the active implementation did not parse them. Remove the codes for a plain message, or switch to the exact syntax supported by the installed plugin. Do not mix tag syntax, ampersand codes, and another plugin’s format without checking its documentation.
Symbols are corrupted or unreadable
Use the file encoding expected by the server or plugin and avoid smart quotes or characters inserted by a rich-text editor. Test with ordinary letters and punctuation first, then add decorative symbols one at a time. If the problem appears only for older clients, keep the fallback text ASCII-friendly.
A two-line or image MOTD falls back
Check the plugin’s client-version requirement and whether the feature is enabled in its configuration. For image banners, the HxMOTD listing specifies Minecraft 1.21.9-or-newer clients and a normal server.properties message for older clients. A fallback is expected when the client cannot display the advanced feature.
The server will not start after editing
Restore the backup copy of the affected configuration, then start the server to separate a formatting mistake from an unrelated startup issue. Reapply the MOTD as a short plain-text value and add optional formatting only after the server starts normally. Keep each change isolated so the failing value is easy to identify.
Maintain and update the MOTD safely
Store a dated backup whenever you change the message, especially before updating a server fork, proxy, or MOTD plugin. Record which component owns the public response and which client versions you tested. When replacing a plugin, preserve the old configuration until the new one has been verified; configuration keys and formatting syntax are not necessarily interchangeable.
For temporary announcements, set an end date in your own maintenance notes and remove stale text promptly. A message that advertises an event, version, or access policy becomes misleading when it remains in the list after the event ends.
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Use these as plain-text starting points. Replace the names and details with information that is true for your server.
Quick Recap
| Use case | Template |
|---|---|
| Standard survival | motd=Oakwood SMP | Survival | Claims and shops |
| Creative build server | motd=Skyline Builds | Creative plots | New players welcome |
| Modded server | motd=Ironwood Pack | Modded survival | Check the required pack |
| Maintenance notice | motd=Oakwood SMP | Maintenance tonight | Check the community notice |
| Whitelist server | motd=Oakwood SMP | Whitelist enabled | Applications open |
If you later add colors, gradients, animation, or a banner, keep the same words as the fallback. Players should still know the server’s identity, mode, and access status when advanced rendering is unavailable.
Quick decision checklist
- Need only a reliable static sentence? Edit
server.properties. - Need colors? Confirm the syntax supported by your server or install a compatible formatter.
- Need RGB, gradients, animation, or a banner? Use a maintained plugin and test client fallbacks.
- Need one message across several servers? Configure the proxy layer that answers the status ping.
- Players still see the old text? Verify the instance, restart it, refresh the client, and check for a proxy override.
- Characters look wrong? Recheck encoding and remove unsupported symbols.
The portable baseline is a plain motd= value in the active server’s server.properties. Everything beyond that—color codes, line breaks, RGB, animation, network scope, and image banners—depends on the specific server software, plugin, proxy, and client versions in your setup.
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