How to Change Your Minecraft Server MOTD

To change Minecraft server MOTD text, stop the server, edit the motd= line in server.properties, and start it again. Add colors with the § codes (written as \u00A7 so the file never breaks them) and a second line with \n.

The MOTD (“message of the day”) is the gray text under your server’s name in the multiplayer list. By default it says A Minecraft Server. This guide is only about that line; if you want the bigger picture of names, icons and domains, read how to change your Minecraft server name.

Change Minecraft server MOTD step by step

1. Stop the server with stop in the console.
2. Open server.properties, in the same folder as the server jar.
3. Find the line that starts with motd= and replace the text after the equals sign. No quotes needed.
4. Save the file.
5. Start the server, then in Minecraft open Multiplayer and click Refresh to see the new text.

motd=Creeper Valley | survival with friends

Keep it short. The Minecraft Wiki warns that if the MOTD is over 59 characters, the server list may report a communication error. Non-ASCII symbols such as ♥ are allowed.

How to make a colored MOTD

The vanilla MOTD uses the legacy formatting codes: the section sign § plus one character. You can type § straight into the file, but some editors save it in a way the server reads as a broken symbol. The safe version is its Unicode escape, \u00A7, which the server turns into § when it reads the file.

Styles: §l bold, §o italic, §n underline, §m strikethrough, §k scrambled text and §r reset.

Two rules save a lot of trial and error. Put the color first and the style after it (§6§l, not §l§6), because a color code turns off the styles before it. And use §r when you want the rest of the line back to normal.

A two-line MOTD with \n

Multi-line MOTDs have been supported since 2013. Write \n (backslash and n, not a real line break) where the second line should start. Each line has its own colors, so repeat the code after \n:

motd=\u00A76\u00A7lCreeper Valley\u00A7r \u00A77| survival 26.x\n\u00A7aWhitelist on \u00A78- \u00A7bask on Discord

That shows a gold bold server name, a gray tag on the first line, and a green and aqua invitation on the second. Long lines get cut off in the list, and the codes themselves add characters, so read the result in the game, not in the file.

Hex colors, gradients and MiniMessage

The motd line in server.properties only understands the 16 legacy colors and styles above. Gradients, hex colors like #ff8800 and MiniMessage tags such as <gradient> need a MOTD plugin (on Paper or Purpur) or a proxy that answers the server list for you. If you install one, the plugin’s own config replaces the motd line, so edit the MOTD there from then on. Our guide on how to install plugins on a Paper server shows how to add one.

Bedrock players who join your Java server through Geyser see the MOTD that Geyser sends them, which can be passed through from the Java server or set in Geyser’s own config, depending on how you set it up.

MOTD not changing? Check this

• The server was running when you edited. On shutdown it can write server.properties back. Stop, edit, start.
• The list did not refresh. Click Refresh in Multiplayer, or remove the server entry and add it again.
• Strange symbols like §. The file was saved with the wrong encoding. Replace every § with \u00A7.
• A plugin or proxy owns the MOTD. If you run a MOTD plugin or a proxy network, the text comes from its config, not from server.properties.
• The list shows nothing at all. Check that enable-status=true; with false the server does not answer the server list.
• “Communication error” in the list. Shorten the MOTD.

Next to the MOTD sits the server icon. If yours still shows the default picture, follow how to add a Minecraft server icon.

Change the MOTD on TheGameHosting

1. Type stop in Console.
2. Open Files → server.properties, edit the motd= line and save.
3. Start the server from Console and refresh your multiplayer list.

It takes a minute in the browser and you can repeat it as often as you like until the colors look right. If someone else on your team handles the look of the server, add them in Users so they can edit files without your password. A Minecraft server from TheGameHosting is online 24/7 in Dallas or Amsterdam on AMD 9950X/7950X3D, DDR5 and NVMe, with DDoS protection and a public IP ready in about 60 seconds. See the plans and pricing and use code FULL2026 for 15% off for life.

FAQ

Hosting for these games

• Minecraft Java hostingPaper, Purpur, Fabric, Forge and more
• Minecraft Bedrock hostingPhones, consoles and Windows