How to Change the MOTD on a Minecraft Server

The Minecraft MOTD (Message of the Day) is the text displayed underneath your server name in the Minecraft multiplayer server list.

You can use the MOTD to welcome players, describe your server, display important information, or add color and formatting to your server listing.

On a Beacon Hosting Minecraft server, the MOTD can be changed directly through the server.properties file in the control panel.

How Do I Change the Minecraft Server MOTD?

To change your Minecraft server MOTD on Beacon Hosting:

1. Log in to your Beacon Hosting account.
2. Open Your Servers and select your Minecraft server.
3. Open Files from the server sidebar.
4. Open server.properties.
5. In the Visual Editor, find the MOTD setting.
6. Enter your new MOTD.
7. Save the changes.
8. Restart the Minecraft server.

The new MOTD will appear in the Minecraft server list after the server restarts and the client refreshes the server information.

Step 1: Log In to Beacon Hosting

Log in to your Beacon Hosting account.

After logging in, open Your Servers and select the Minecraft server you want to modify.

Important: Your Minecraft server is managed through Your Servers, not the Billing Services page. The Billing Services section is used to manage your hosting subscription rather than Minecraft server files.

Step 2: Open server.properties

From your Minecraft server's sidebar, select:

Files → server.properties

Beacon Hosting opens the server.properties file using its Visual Editor by default.

There is no separate MOTD or Server Settings page required to change the server MOTD.

Step 3: Find the MOTD Setting

Within the server.properties Visual Editor, expand Commonly used or search for:

motd

The MOTD field contains the text that Minecraft displays underneath your server name.

Edit the field and enter the message you want players to see.

For example:

Welcome to our Minecraft server!

Step 4: Save Your Changes

Save the server.properties file after changing the MOTD.

Your changes will not necessarily appear in the Minecraft server list immediately because the server needs to reload the configuration.

Step 5: Restart Your Minecraft Server

Restart your server from the Console section of the Beacon Hosting control panel.

Once the server has restarted, refresh the Minecraft multiplayer server list.

Your new MOTD should now be displayed.

Can I Use Color Codes in a Minecraft MOTD?

Yes. Minecraft server MOTDs can support color and formatting codes, depending on the Minecraft server version and server software being used.

Beacon Hosting's MOTD field supports color codes.

Minecraft formatting can be used to make parts of your MOTD stand out, such as:

• Server names
• Announcements
• Player counts
• Events
• Rules
• Important information

The exact formatting syntax supported can vary depending on the Minecraft version and server software.

What Is the motd Setting in server.properties?

The motd property in server.properties controls the Message of the Day displayed in the Minecraft multiplayer server list.

A basic configuration looks like:

motd=Welcome to our Minecraft server!

The text after motd= is the message displayed to players.

Do not remove the motd= portion if you are editing the raw server.properties file manually.

Why Is My Minecraft MOTD Not Changing?

If your new MOTD does not appear, check the following.

Make Sure You Saved the File

Confirm that your changes to server.properties were saved successfully.

Restart the Server

The server may need to be restarted before the new server.properties configuration is loaded.

Restart the server from the Beacon Hosting Console.

Refresh the Minecraft Server List

Minecraft may continue displaying previously retrieved server information.

Return to the multiplayer server list and refresh the server entry.

If necessary, remove and re-add the server to force Minecraft to retrieve the server information again.

Check the MOTD Setting

Make sure you edited the correct motd setting in server.properties.

For a raw configuration file, it should resemble:

motd=Welcome to our Minecraft server!

Check for Server Software Differences

Some server software, plugins, proxies, or server configurations can modify how the MOTD is displayed.

If you are running a proxy network such as BungeeCord or another proxy implementation, the MOTD may be controlled by the proxy rather than the individual backend server.

Can I Use Multiple Lines in a Minecraft MOTD?

Yes, Minecraft MOTDs can display multiple lines.

The exact method for creating multiple lines depends on the Minecraft version and server software.

If you are using a plugin, proxy, or custom server implementation, check its documentation for the supported MOTD formatting syntax.

Can I Add Server Information to the MOTD?

Yes. A server MOTD can be used to communicate useful information to players.

For example:

Welcome to Example SMP!
Survival • Events • Community

You could use the MOTD to advertise:

• Server game mode
• Community events
• Server rules
• Website information
• Discord information
• Seasonal events
• Server status
• Gameplay features

Keep the MOTD concise so it remains readable in the Minecraft server list.

Does Changing the MOTD Change My Minecraft Server Name?

No.

The MOTD and server name are separate.

The server name is the name you assign to the server entry in your Minecraft multiplayer list.

The MOTD is information returned by the Minecraft server and displayed underneath the server name.

Changing motd does not change the name you use for the server entry.

Can I Change the MOTD Without Changing the World?

Yes.

Changing the MOTD only changes the server's server.properties configuration.

It does not delete or modify your Minecraft world.

You can safely change the MOTD without creating a new world.

Do I Need to Restart Minecraft After Changing the MOTD?

You generally need to restart the Minecraft server after changing the motd property so the server reloads the updated configuration.

Players do not normally need to restart their Minecraft client, although they may need to refresh the multiplayer server list before seeing the updated MOTD.

Minecraft MOTD Examples

Here are some simple MOTD ideas:

Simple Survival Server

Welcome to our Survival Server!
Build • Explore • Survive

Community Server

Welcome to our Minecraft Community!
Join us and start playing!

Modded Server

Modded Minecraft
Explore a new world of possibilities!

Event Server

SPECIAL EVENT ACTIVE!
Join now and participate!

Keep important information near the beginning of the MOTD so players can understand it quickly from the multiplayer server list.

Quick Answer: How Do I Change My Minecraft Server MOTD?

On Beacon Hosting, open your Minecraft server → Files → server.properties, find the motd setting, enter your new message, save the file, and restart the server from Console.

The new MOTD should then appear underneath your server name in the Minecraft multiplayer server list.

Beacon Hosting Minecraft Server Configuration

Beacon Hosting provides direct access to Minecraft server configuration files through the server control panel, allowing you to modify settings such as the MOTD without manually downloading and uploading configuration files.

For the MOTD, simply use:

Your Servers → Minecraft Server → Files → server.properties → motd

Save your changes and restart the server to apply them.

For more Minecraft server configuration, administration, plugin, mod, and troubleshooting guides, explore the Beacon Hosting Knowledgebase.