The icon and MOTD (message of the day) are the first thing players see in their server list. Both take a couple of minutes.
The icon
- Make a square PNG image exactly 64 × 64 pixels. Any other size is ignored.
- Name it
server-icon.png(all lower case). - Upload it to the top folder of your server in the Files tab, next to
server.properties. - Restart the server.
Players may need to refresh their server list to see it.
The MOTD
Edit server.properties in the Files tab and change the motd line:
motd=Welcome to the server!
Restart to apply it.
Colours and styles
Use § followed by a code, written as § in server.properties so the file saves correctly:
motd=§6Survival SMP §7| §aOpen to all
| 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 | Purple | d | Pink |
6 | Gold | e | Yellow |
7 | Grey | f | White |
Styles: l bold, o italic, n underline, m strikethrough, r reset.
Two lines
Put \n where the second line starts:
motd=§6§lSurvival SMP\n§7New season started this week
The server list shows two lines of about 45 characters each.
Plugins for fancier MOTDs
On Paper or Purpur, plugins such as MiniMOTD support gradients, hex colours and changing messages. Install one from the Plugins tab and set the MOTD in its config instead.
Questions
My icon doesn't show up.
Check it's exactly 64 by 64 pixels, saved as PNG (not a renamed JPG), named server-icon.png in the server's top folder, and that you restarted.
My colours show as strange characters.
Write the section sign as § in server.properties rather than pasting §, which can be saved in the wrong encoding.
Can I use hex colours?
Not in server.properties. Use a MOTD plugin on Paper or Purpur for hex colours and gradients.