Change Your Minecraft Server Name & MOTD

How to change the Message of the Day (MOTD) displayed in the Minecraft server browser.

Java Edition servers use the MOTD (Message of the Day) as the server description shown in the multiplayer browser.

Changing the MOTD

In server.properties:

motd=Welcome to my server!

Supports color codes using \u00A7 or §:

motd=\u00A7aWelcome \u00A7bto my \u00A7cserver!

Color Codes

CodeColorCodeColor
§0Black§8Dark Gray
§1Dark Blue§9Blue
§2Dark Green§aGreen
§3Dark Aqua§bAqua
§4Dark Red§cRed
§5Dark Purple§dLight Purple
§6Gold§eYellow
§7Gray§fWhite

Formatting: §l Bold, §o Italic, §n Underline, §m Strikethrough, §r Reset

MOTD Generators

Use an online MOTD generator for easier formatting — search "Minecraft MOTD generator" and paste the result into server.properties.

📝 Note: The MOTD is limited to 2 lines. Use \n for a line break.

How is this guide?

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