Minecraft MOTD Generator
Build the message that appears under your server name in the multiplayer list. Pick your colours, see exactly how it will look, then copy it straight into your server.
How it looks in the server list
Server type
Sets which colours are available. It does not change which output you copy.
Only used in the preview above, not part of the MOTD.
Line 1
19/45
Line 2
13/45
Copy your MOTD
Server settings
Use this one
Paste this into the MOTD field in your control panel, under MC Settings. This is the one almost everyone wants.
§6§lMy Minecraft Server\n§eWelcome back!
Other formats
Server settings, escaped
The same thing with the section signs written as escape codes. Use it only if the symbol above gets mangled on the way in.
\u00A76\u00A7lMy Minecraft Server\n\u00A7eWelcome back!
Plugin config only
For plugins that render the MOTD themselves, such as ServerListPlus. The server does not understand ampersands on its own, so pasting this into your server settings shows them as plain text.
&6&lMy Minecraft Server\n&eWelcome back!
In your MCHosts control panel the MOTD field is under MC Settings, in the Gameplay panel. Save your changes, then restart the server from the Dashboard for it to take effect.
Got a MOTD you like?
You will need a server to put it on. Every MCHosts plan runs in Australia, is ready in minutes, and lets you edit server.properties straight from the control panel.
🔒 Risk-free, 7 day money back guarantee. Australian servers, set up in minutes.
Minecraft colour codes
Every colour is a section sign followed by a single character. These sixteen work on every server, whether you run vanilla, Paper, Spigot or a modded setup.
| Colour | Name | Code | Hex |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black | §0 | #000000 | |
| Dark Blue | §1 | #0000AA | |
| Dark Green | §2 | #00AA00 | |
| Dark Aqua | §3 | #00AAAA | |
| Dark Red | §4 | #AA0000 | |
| Dark Purple | §5 | #AA00AA | |
| Gold | §6 | #FFAA00 | |
| Grey | §7 | #AAAAAA | |
| Dark Grey | §8 | #555555 | |
| Blue | §9 | #5555FF | |
| Green | §a | #55FF55 | |
| Aqua | §b | #55FFFF | |
| Red | §c | #FF5555 | |
| Light Purple | §d | #FF55FF | |
| Yellow | §e | #FFFF55 | |
| White | §f | #FFFFFF |
Formatting codes
Formatting works the same way. One thing to watch: a colour code clears any formatting already in effect, so the colour has to come before the formatting rather than after it.
| Code | Name | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| §l | Bold | Heavier text. |
| §o | Italic | Slanted text. |
| §n | Underline | A line under the text. |
| §m | Strikethrough | A line through the text. |
| §k | Obfuscated | Characters scramble constantly. Use sparingly. |
| §r | Reset | Clears the colour and all formatting back to normal. |
Why colour codes sometimes do not work
The most common reason by far is using an ampersand instead of a section sign. Ampersands are a plugin convention, translated by the plugin itself before the text reaches the server. The server file has no idea what they mean, so they appear as plain text alongside the letter that was meant to be a colour.
The generator gives you all three forms. If you are pasting into the MOTD field of a server, whether that is your control panel or server.properties directly, you want the first one. The ampersand form is only correct when a plugin is doing the translating.
| Format | Written as | Use it for |
|---|---|---|
| Server settings | §c | Paste this into the MOTD field in your control panel, under MC Settings. This is the one almost everyone wants. |
| Server settings, escaped | \u00A7c | The same thing with the section signs written as escape codes. Use it only if the symbol above gets mangled on the way in. |
| Plugin config only | &c | For plugins that render the MOTD themselves, such as ServerListPlus. The server does not understand ampersands on its own, so pasting this into your server settings shows them as plain text. |
Hex colours and gradients
Beyond the sixteen standard colours, Paper and Spigot on 1.16 and newer accept any hex colour. It is written as a chain: a section sign, an x, then each of the six hex digits with its own section sign in front. That is fourteen characters for a single colour, so a gradient across a whole line makes the underlying value very long even though what players see stays short.
A plain vanilla server cannot render hex at all. If you select vanilla in the generator the hex controls disappear, and anything you had already coloured with hex is converted to the closest of the sixteen standard colours rather than being left broken.
Frequently asked questions
For step by step instructions on changing your server name and MOTD, see our guide in the knowledgebase. Not hosting with us yet? Take a look at our server plans or work out what you need with the RAM calculator.