The server icon is the small square picture next to your server's name in the Minecraft multiplayer list. Players see it before they even read your MOTD, so it is worth a minute to swap the default for something of your own. Minecraft is strict about the format, but our panel handles the fiddly part for you.
What you need before you start
- Your Minecraft Java server in the game panel
- An image you want to use, ideally square and simple enough to read at a small size
What Minecraft expects
The server looks for one file and one file only:
| Requirement | Value |
|---|---|
| File name | server-icon.png, all lower case |
| Format | PNG |
| Size | Exactly 64 x 64 pixels |
| Location | The server's root folder, next to server.properties |
The server reads the icon once, when it starts. If the file is missing, has the wrong name or is any other size, the server simply shows no custom icon. A wrong size also leaves an error about the icon in the console during startup.
The easy way: the Server icon button
The panel has a built-in helper that resizes and names the image for you.
- Open the game panel and select your Minecraft server
- Go to the Files tab and stay in the root folder (the button only appears there)
- Click Server icon in the toolbar. On a narrow screen it is in the + menu instead
- The Set server icon dialog explains what happens next. Click Choose image
- Pick any image from your computer
The panel scales the image down to 64 x 64 pixels in your browser, saves it as server-icon.png in the server root and confirms with Server icon updated. Any common image type works as the source, because the result is always converted to PNG.
- Restart the server from the power controls
That is the whole job. You do not need to crop or convert anything first.
How the resize works
If your image is not square, the panel fills the 64 x 64 square with the shorter side and trims the edges of the longer side, keeping the centre. A wide logo therefore loses its left and right ends. For the best result, crop the image to a square yourself before uploading, with the important part in the middle.
Small is the key word. At 64 pixels, thin lines and small text disappear. A bold shape, a face or one or two letters reads much better than a detailed banner.
The manual way: upload the file yourself
If you already have a finished 64 x 64 PNG, you can upload it like any other file.
- Name the file
server-icon.pngon your computer - In the Files tab, go to the root folder
- Click Upload, choose Upload files and pick the file. If an old icon is there, replace it
- Restart the server
The helper is the safer choice, because a manually uploaded file that is 65 pixels wide or saved as a JPEG with a .png ending will not show. The panel's button always produces a file Minecraft accepts.
Seeing the new icon in your game
Minecraft remembers icons in its server list, so the old one can hang around for a moment after the restart. Click Refresh on the multiplayer screen, or remove the server from the list and add it again. Other players see the new icon the next time their list pings your server.
Modpacks can bring their own icon
Many modpacks include their own server-icon.png. If you install a modpack after setting your icon, check the server list afterwards. If the pack's icon has taken over, upload yours again with the Server icon button.
Troubleshooting
The icon does not change. The server has not been restarted since the upload, or your game is still showing its cached copy. Restart the server, then refresh the list.
No icon at all, just the default. The file is not in the root folder, the name is not exactly server-icon.png, or the image is not 64 x 64. Upload it again with the Server icon button, which fixes all three.
"Couldn't set icon". Your browser could not read the image, or the upload failed. Try again, try a different image, or save it as PNG or JPEG first.
The icon looks blurry or cut off. The source was not square, or had detail that does not survive at 64 pixels. Crop to a square and simplify the design.
Players behind a proxy see a different icon. On a Velocity or BungeeCord network, the server list talks to the proxy, so the icon has to be set on the proxy server, not on the backend servers.
Frequently asked questions
Can the icon be animated? No. Minecraft shows a single still image.
Can I use transparency? Yes. PNG transparency is shown against the server list background.
Do Bedrock players see the icon? No. The server icon is a Java Edition feature.
Does the icon affect performance? No. It is a tiny file that is only sent when a player's server list asks for your server's status.
Something still not right? Open a ticket from the support page with your server name and we will take a look. New to us? See our Minecraft server hosting plans.
