Minecraft server MOTD: how to set it and what to write

The Minecraft server MOTD ("message of the day") is the text under your server's name in the multiplayer list. On a Java server you set it with the motd= line in server.properties, it can use two lines, and it supports Minecraft's color and formatting codes. It's also the first thing a player reads after adding your address, so it's closer to an ad headline than a greeting.

This guide has the exact syntax for each platform, the full code table, gradient examples, how to center text, and a set of templates you can copy.

Where to set the MOTD on each platform

On a network, the proxy's MOTD is the one players see, so set it there, not on the backend servers. On a hosting panel, the "MOTD" field usually writes to server.properties; open the file afterward to check how it was saved.

Bedrock server MOTD

Bedrock is different. The official Bedrock Dedicated Server has no MOTD setting like Java's. The closest thing is server-name= in server.properties, the name the server advertises (the default is Dedicated Server, and it can't contain a colon). If you run a Java server with GeyserMC for Bedrock players, Geyser's config has its own Bedrock MOTD lines and an option to pass your Java MOTD through instead; config keys can change between Geyser versions, so check the GeyserMC docs for your version.

The server.properties MOTD syntax

The default is motd=A Minecraft Server. The server reads server.properties as a Java properties file, which means two escapes work:

• § is the section sign §, which starts every color and format code. Typing a literal § often turns into garbage characters, depending on how your editor saves the file. The escape always works.
• \n starts the second line.

A two-line MOTD, aqua and bold on line one, gray on line two:

motd=§b§lStonefall SMP\n§7Season 4 starts Friday

Restart the server (or reload, if your software supports it), then refresh your multiplayer list. The default MOTD is also what shows if the line is missing or broken.

Minecraft color and formatting codes

Each code is § plus one character. In server.properties write the § as §; in BungeeCord and many plugin configs, use & instead (so &a is green).

Hex colors and gradients with MiniMessage

The motd= line gives you the 16 classic colors. For any hex color, gradients and rainbow text, use MiniMessage, the tag format from the Adventure library. You write it through a plugin or proxy that supports it:

• MiniMOTD runs on Paper, Fabric, NeoForge, Sponge, Velocity and BungeeCord or Waterfall. Its project page notes that RGB colors are automatically downsampled for older clients.
• Velocity reads MiniMessage directly in the motd setting of velocity.toml (Velocity docs).

The tags you'll use most (full list in the MiniMessage format docs):

A gradient name with a plain second line:

<gradient:#00c6ff:#0072ff><b>Stonefall SMP</b></gradient><br><gray>Season 4 starts Friday

How to center a MOTD

There's no center setting. You center with leading spaces, and because Minecraft's font isn't monospaced (and bold letters are wider), the right number of spaces depends on your text. The reliable method:

1. Write both lines without padding first and get the wording right.
2. Add spaces in front of the shorter line a few at a time.
3. Check it in your own client after each change. Refresh the server list; it re-reads the MOTD every time.
4. Stop at "close enough". Players see it at different window sizes and GUI scales, so perfect centering on your screen isn't perfect on theirs.

Some MOTD generator sites add centering for you. Check the output in game before trusting it.

Minecraft server MOTD ideas that get clicks

Think of the two lines as a headline and a reason. Line one names the server and what it is. Line two says why to join now. A few templates (colors shown as § codes; swap in § for server.properties):

The names above are made-up examples. For your own, see our server name ideas, and pair the MOTD with a matching icon and banner using the banner and icon guide. If you run Java and Bedrock together, the crossplay line is worth it: players filter for it on our crossplay list.

What makes a MOTD worse

• Superlatives. "BEST SERVER EVER" says nothing, and every player has seen it a thousand times.
• Wall-to-wall §k. A few scrambled characters as decoration are fine; a line of them looks broken.
• Every color at once. Two or three colors read; eight read as noise.
• Promises you don't keep. "No pay-to-win" when the store sells kits, or "24/7" on a server with gaps. Our listing pages show real uptime next to your MOTD.
• Anything not suitable for all ages. Server lists show your MOTD to kids too. We mask profanity when we display MOTDs.

Check your MOTD from outside

A MOTD generator helps you write codes; a MOTD checker shows what players actually get. You need the second one, because hosting panels, file encodings and proxies all change the result.

• Our Is it down? tool pings any Java or Bedrock address the same way the game does and shows the MOTD with its colors.
• Your listing page on our site has a "What you'll see in your server list" box that renders your current MOTD.
• Your own client is the final word. Add the server and refresh the list.

Using your MOTD to claim your listing

Your MOTD is also how you prove to us that you run the server. It's the one thing only an owner can change.

1. Find your server with search and open the claim link on its page (or add it if it isn't listed).
2. Copy your code. It looks like 9MC-XXXXXX.
3. Put it anywhere in your MOTD: motd= in server.properties, your MOTD plugin's config, or your proxy's config on a network. Adding it at the end of line two is easiest.
4. Restart or reload so the new MOTD shows, then press Check now. We also check automatically every 5 minutes.
5. Remove the code once you're verified. You'll have the Verified owner badge, your own description, and vote rewards through NuVotifier.

Quick questions