MOTD Generator

Server list preview

A Minecraft Server▮▮▮▮▮147/500

ArdenHub Network » 1.21 Survival

✦ Now with custom gradients! ✦

Line 1

Line 2

Colors and formats insert into line 1 (the last field you clicked).

server.properties

motd=\u00A7a\u00A7lArdenHub Network \u00A77» \u00A7e1.21 Survival\n\u00A7b✦ \u00A7fNow with \u00A76custom gradients\u00A7f! \u00A7b✦

Raw § string

§a§lArdenHub Network §7» §e1.21 Survival
§b✦ §fNow with §6custom gradients§f! §b✦

How to change your server MOTD

Write your two lines and style them using the color and format buttons.
Copy the server.properties output — it already escapes the section signs to \u00A7 and joins the two lines with \n.
Open server.properties in your server folder and replace the existing motd= line with the copied one.
Restart the server (a reload is not enough for this file) and refresh your multiplayer list.

Using a network proxy like BungeeCord, Velocity or a host panel? Paste the raw § string into the proxy's MOTD field instead.

MOTD length, icons and best practices

Each line fits roughly 45 characters before it is clipped in the vanilla client — keep it punchy.
The server icon is a separate 64×64 PNG named server-icon.png placed in the server root; the MOTD does not control it.
Center text with padding spaces, and use a single accent color plus white for the best readability at small sizes.
Want a gradient MOTD? Build the string in the gradient text generator and paste it into a line here.

Why escaping matters

The server.properties file is a Java properties file, so it cannot store the raw section sign or a literal line break. That is why the generator outputs \u00A7 for each color code and \n between the two lines. If you paste an un-escaped string, you will usually see the MOTD collapse to one line or the colors turn into visible ? characters.

Frequently Asked Questions

My MOTD colors show as question marks — how do I fix it?

Save server.properties as UTF-8, or use the escaped \u00A7 output from this tool. The raw § character can corrupt if the file is saved in a different encoding, so the \u00A7 form is the safest.

How many lines can a Minecraft MOTD have?

Two. The multiplayer list shows exactly two lines, which is why this generator gives you Line 1 and Line 2. Longer text is truncated with an ellipsis.

Do I need to restart the server after changing the MOTD?

Yes. server.properties is only read at startup, so a full restart is required. In-game /reload will not pick up the new MOTD.

Can I use hex gradient colors in the MOTD?

On modern Paper-based servers and many proxies, yes — paste a §x gradient string into a line. Vanilla 1.16+ also renders hex colors in the MOTD if your host supports it.

Where do I put the server icon?

Save a 64×64 pixel PNG as server-icon.png in the same folder as server.properties. It is unrelated to the MOTD text and appears to the left of it.