Customizing Server Icon and MOTD

A custom server icon and MOTD (Message of the Day) make your server stand out in players’ server lists. This guide shows you how to set both up on your Witchly server.

Setting a Custom Server Icon

The server icon is the 64x64 pixel image that appears next to your server name in the Minecraft multiplayer menu.

Requirements

• Format: PNG
• Size: Exactly 64x64 pixels
• Filename: Must be server-icon.png

Steps

1. Create or find an image you want to use as your server icon.
2. Resize it to exactly 64x64 pixels. You can use any image editor (Photoshop, GIMP, Paint.net) or an online tool like favicon.io or imageresizer.com.
3. Save it as server-icon.png.
4. Log in to Dashboard and select your server.
5. Go to the File Manager tab.
6. Upload server-icon.png to the root directory of your server (the same level as server.properties).
7. If a server-icon.png already exists, overwrite it.
8. Restart your server.

The icon will now appear in the Minecraft server list for all players. If it does not show up, make sure the file is named exactly server-icon.png (case-sensitive), is exactly 64x64 pixels, and is in PNG format.

Customizing the MOTD

The MOTD is the text displayed below your server name in the multiplayer menu. It supports two lines and color/formatting codes.

Basic MOTD

Edit server.properties in the File Manager and find the motd line:

motd=Welcome to my Witchly server!

Restart your server for the change to take effect.

Using Color Codes

Minecraft uses the section symbol (\u00a7) followed by a character to apply colors and formatting. In server.properties, use \u00a7 directly.

Color Codes

Code	Color
\u00a70	Black
\u00a71	Dark Blue
\u00a72	Dark Green
\u00a73	Dark Aqua
\u00a74	Dark Red
\u00a75	Dark Purple
\u00a76	Gold
\u00a77	Gray
\u00a78	Dark Gray
\u00a79	Blue
\u00a7a	Green
\u00a7b	Aqua
\u00a7c	Red
\u00a7d	Light Purple
\u00a7e	Yellow
\u00a7f	White

Formatting Codes

Code	Effect
\u00a7k	Obfuscated (scrambled text)
\u00a7l	Bold
\u00a7m	Strikethrough
\u00a7n	Underline
\u00a7o	Italic
\u00a7r	Reset (removes all formatting)

MOTD Examples

Simple colored MOTD:

motd=\u00a7b\u00a7lMy Awesome Server \u00a7r\u00a77- \u00a7aJoin now!

This displays “My Awesome Server” in bold aqua, followed by ”- ” in gray and “Join now!” in green.

Two-line MOTD:

motd=\u00a7d\u00a7lWitchly Network\n\u00a77Play at \u00a7eplay.witchly.host

Use \n to create a second line.

Festive MOTD:

motd=\u00a7c\u00a7l\u2764 \u00a7eHoliday Event Live! \u00a7c\u00a7l\u2764\n\u00a7fDouble XP Weekend \u00a77| \u00a7aNew Map!

Using an MOTD Generator

If you find color codes difficult to work with, use an online MOTD generator:

1. Visit a Minecraft MOTD creator tool like mctools.org/motd-creator.
2. Design your MOTD visually with colors, formatting, and multiple lines.
3. Copy the generated server.properties format.
4. Paste it into your server.properties file.
5. Restart your server.

MOTD with Plugins

If you are running Paper, Spigot, or Purpur, you can use plugins for more advanced MOTD features:

• ServerListPlus — Custom MOTD with player-specific messages, random MOTDs, and more.
• MiniMOTD — Lightweight plugin with RGB color support and animated MOTDs.

These plugins often support MiniMessage or legacy color codes and let you randomize MOTDs, display player counts, and more.

Tips

• Keep your MOTD concise. Players see a limited amount of text in the server list.
• Use the second line for supplementary information (events, IP, version).
• Update your MOTD for events or announcements to keep your server list entry fresh.
• Test your MOTD by connecting to the server and checking how it looks in the multiplayer menu.
• Formatting codes (bold, italic, etc.) must be applied AFTER color codes to work correctly.

Need Help?

For assistance with your server icon or MOTD, reach out on our Discord.