How to use colored server descriptions
Here’s a cleaned-up rewrite that sounds like a human who’s done this before, not a tutorial generator on autopilot. You can paste this straight into WordPress and keep the structure.
Customizing Your Server Message (MOTD)
Your MOTD (Message of the Day) is the first thing players notice when your server shows up in their multiplayer list. It’s basically your storefront window. A decent MOTD makes your server look polished and alive. A bad one makes it look abandoned or thrown together at 2 a.m.
Whether you just want a simple text update or something colorful and dynamic, there are a few solid ways to handle it.
Method 1: The Standard Way (No Plugins)
If you only need a basic MOTD and don’t want to install anything extra, you can edit it directly in the server settings.
First, generate your MOTD text. Online MOTD generators let you add colors, bold text, and formatting. They’ll usually give you a string that includes \u00A7 color codes.
Next, open your server’s file manager and find the server.properties file.
Look for the line that starts with motd=. Delete whatever is there and paste your new formatted text right after the equals sign.
Save the file, restart the server, and you’re done. Simple, boring, effective.
Method 2: Using ServerListPlus
If you want rotating messages or personalized MOTDs, ServerListPlus is a popular choice.
Download the plugin and drop the .jar file into your plugins folder. Restart the server so it can generate its config files.
After that, open the ServerListPlus folder and edit config.yml.
Inside the “Default” MOTD section, you can add multiple lines or variations. Once you’re finished, save the file and run /slp reload in-game to apply the changes without restarting.
Method 3: Modern Styling with MiniMOTD
For newer servers (1.16 and up), MiniMOTD is usually the best option. It uses MiniMessage formatting, which is much cleaner than old color codes and supports RGB gradients.
Install it by placing the file in your plugins folder if you’re on Paper, or in the mods folder for Fabric or Sponge. Restart the server.
Then open main.conf inside the MiniMOTD folder.
MiniMOTD supports advanced features like multiple server icons and custom player count text. You can replace the player count with messages like “Maintenance” or “Join Now”.
It also supports gradients using tags such as <gradient:red:blue>, which looks far better than the classic formatting system.
How to Change Your MOTD on Velocity
If you’re using a Velocity proxy, the MOTD is handled at the proxy level, not on each individual backend server.
The built-in method is editing velocity.toml in your Velocity folder. Find the motd section and paste your formatted text there.
If you prefer plugins, both ServerListPlus and MiniMOTD offer Velocity versions. Installing them on the proxy lets you display a single MOTD across your entire network.
Velocity also supports virtual hosts, meaning you can show different MOTDs depending on which IP or domain players use to connect. This is useful if multiple domains point to the same network.
Finding Plugins for Colored MOTDs
If you’re looking for plugins that support colored or animated server descriptions, the easiest approach is to browse trusted plugin repositories and developer documentation.
For a more detailed walkthrough, check out our blog post About Finding Plugins, which covers how to evaluate and choose plugins without installing sketchy junk.