The MOTD (message of the day) is the text under your server's name in the Minecraft multiplayer list. A new server starts with a generic default text (in vanilla Minecraft it is A Minecraft Server), which tells players nothing about your server. Two short lines with a splash of colour are enough to say what your server is about, and you can change it straight from the panel.
What you need before you start
- Your Minecraft Java server in the game panel
- A restart once you are done, so plan it for a quiet moment
The quick way: the Config tab
- Open the game panel and select your Minecraft server
- Go to the Config tab
- In the Server section, find MOTD (server list message)
- Type your message. The field saves on its own when you click away, press Enter or stop typing for a moment
- Restart the server
The tab reminds you with Changes apply after a restart. Minecraft only reads the MOTD when it starts, so nothing changes in the server list until you restart.
A few things the field checks for you: the message can be up to 256 characters, and it cannot contain real line breaks (use \n instead, see below). It also refuses words that break Mojang's server rules, because an offensive MOTD in the public server list can get a server blocked.
The manual way: server.properties
The Config tab writes to the same place you would edit by hand. If you prefer the file:
- Go to the Files tab
- Open
server.propertiesin the root folder - Find the line that starts with
motd=and change the text after the equals sign - Save and restart the server
motd=Survival with friends, est. 2024
Two lines
The server list has room for two lines. To break onto the second line, write \n (a backslash followed by the letter n) where the break should go:
motd=Welcome to Northwind\nSurvival, no resets
This works both in the file and in the Config field. Type the backslash and the n as two ordinary characters, do not press Enter. Anything beyond two lines is not shown, and a line that is too wide is cut off, so keep each line short.
Colours and formatting
Minecraft colours text with formatting codes: the section sign § followed by one character. Inside server.properties the most reliable way to write the section sign is its escape \u00A7, which the server turns into § when it reads the file. It works the same when you type it into the Config field.
motd=\u00A76\u00A7lNorthwind\u00A7r\n\u00A77Survival, no resets
That shows Northwind in bold gold on the first line and grey text on the second.
Colour codes
| Code | Colour | Code | Colour |
|---|---|---|---|
0 |
Black | 8 |
Dark grey |
1 |
Dark blue | 9 |
Blue |
2 |
Dark green | a |
Green |
3 |
Dark aqua | b |
Aqua |
4 |
Dark red | c |
Red |
5 |
Dark purple | d |
Light purple |
6 |
Gold | e |
Yellow |
7 |
Grey | f |
White |
Format codes
| Code | Effect |
|---|---|
l |
Bold |
o |
Italic |
n |
Underline |
m |
Strikethrough |
k |
Obfuscated (scrambling characters) |
r |
Reset to plain text |
Order matters. A colour code switches off any formatting before it, so put the colour first and the format after it: §a§l gives bold green, while §l§a gives plain green. Use §r to return to plain text.
Vanilla supports these 16 colours only. Gradients and custom hex colours need a plugin.
Seeing the new MOTD
After the restart, click Refresh on the multiplayer screen in Minecraft. The list asks the server for its status again and shows the new message.
Modpacks can bring their own MOTD
A modpack install can replace the MOTD with the pack's own. If you install a modpack later, check the Config tab afterwards and put yours back if needed.
Troubleshooting
The MOTD did not change. The server has not been restarted since the edit. Restart, then refresh the server list.
I see \n or \u00A7 in the server list. A typo in the code, usually a forward slash instead of a backslash, or an extra space. Write \n exactly, and put the code character directly after \u00A7.
Strange characters like § show up. You pasted a literal § into the file and it was read with the wrong character encoding. Replace every § with \u00A7.
Saving fails with "Some values are invalid". The field goes back to its previous text. Either the message is over 256 characters or it contains a word that is not allowed. Shorten or reword it and try again.
A plugin shows a different MOTD. Some plugins manage the server list message themselves and ignore server.properties. Change it in that plugin's config instead.
Behind a proxy. On a Velocity or BungeeCord network the server list shows the proxy's MOTD, set in the proxy's own config file, not the backend servers'.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use & colour codes like on other servers?
Not in vanilla. & codes only work where a plugin translates them.
Does the MOTD update without a restart? No. The server reads it once at startup.
Do Bedrock players see it? Bedrock uses its own server list. With a crossplay tool like Geyser, what Bedrock players see there depends on that tool's own config.
Still stuck? Open a ticket from the support page with your server name and the MOTD you are trying to set. Need a server to put it on? See our Minecraft server hosting plans.
