Minecraft MOTD generator
The MOTD is the message under your server's name in the server list: two lines, and the list wraps anything wider than about 45 characters. Write yours with colours, see it as friends will, and copy it for server.properties or a MOTD plugin.
Turn on JavaScript to write a MOTD here. The steps below say where one goes.
Write it
Select text first, or pick a style and then type. Ctrl + B, I and U work too.
In the server list
Copy it
Replace the motd= line and restart the server. The section sign is written as \u00A7 and the break as \n, which every server reads.
server.properties has only the 16 colours: hex and gradients show as the nearest of them. For those, use MiniMOTD.
MiniMOTD runs on Paper, Purpur, Fabric and NeoForge, and shows hex colours and gradients to players on 1.16 and later. Its lines are MiniMessage, which Velocity's motd takes too.
For plugins and files that read the section sign as it is.
For MOTD plugins and BungeeCord's config.yml, which read & and &#rrggbb.
Put it on your server
Every Java server reads its MOTD from server.properties. A plugin can show more.
In server.properties
Open server.properties
It's in the server's folder, next to the world.
Replace the motd= line
With the one from the server.properties tab above.
Restart the server
It reads the file when it starts. Then refresh your server list.
With MiniMOTD, for gradients
Add MiniMOTD
From Modrinth or Hangar, on Paper, Purpur, Fabric or NeoForge.
Paste the motds block
Into its main.conf, in place of the one there.
Restart the server
The new lines show from the next refresh.
If it doesn't look right
- You see § and letters instead of coloursThe file was saved in another encoding. Use the
\u00A7line this tool writes, which survives any. - Line 2 is missingLine 1 is too wide, so the list wraps it and pushes line 2 out. The meters above show when.
- The old MOTD still showsRestart the server, then press Refresh in the server list.
- It changes back by itselfSome panels and hosts write the MOTD from their own settings at every start. Change it there, or use a MOTD plugin.
- On a network, the proxy decidesVelocity and BungeeCord show their own MOTD, from their own config.
In Playkeeper, it's in Settings
A server's Settings has its message and icon under Server list, with a preview like this one. That message is plain text of up to 59 characters; for colours and gradients, add MiniMOTD from the Plugins tab and paste the MiniMOTD block into its main.conf in the Files tab.
curl -fsSL https://playkeeper.io/install | sudo sh
Questions
What is a MOTD in Minecraft?
The message of the day: the text under a server's name in the multiplayer server list. Java Edition shows two lines of it.
How long can a Minecraft MOTD be?
Two lines of about 45 characters. The list wraps the text at 271 of the game's pixels and shows the first two lines, so a long first line pushes the second out of sight.
How do I add colours to my MOTD?
With colour codes in server.properties, written as \u00A7 followed by the code, as this tool writes them. For hex colours and gradients, use a plugin such as MiniMOTD.
How do I make a two-line MOTD?
Put \n between the lines in server.properties, as the tool does. In MiniMOTD, the lines are line1 and line2.
How do I centre my MOTD?
Add spaces in front of each line. The game's font gives each letter its own width, so pick Centred here and the tool counts them for you.
Can a MOTD have gradients or hex colours?
Not from server.properties, which knows only the 16 colours. MiniMOTD and other MOTD plugins show them to players on Java 1.16 and later.
How do I change the MOTD in Playkeeper?
In a server's Settings, under Server list: a plain message of up to 59 characters, with a preview. For colours, add MiniMOTD from the Plugins tab.
