Customizing Your Server Icon and MOTD

First impressions are everything. When a player adds your server to their list, your Icon and your MOTD (the little message under the name) are the only things they see. A crisp icon and a colorful, inviting message can be the difference between a new player and a skipped server.

1. Setting Your Server Icon

A custom icon makes your server look professional and easy to find in a long list. Fern provides two ways to set your server icon:

Option A: Use a Curated Preset Icon (Easiest)

We provide a library of beautiful, pre-resized Minecraft-themed icons you can choose directly from the dashboard:

Open your server dashboard in Mission Control.
Click the Server Icon (or the Edit button next to it) in the top-left header panel next to your server status.
Browse and select from the curated preset icons in the modal list.
Click Save Changes and restart your server to apply!

Option B: Upload Your Own Custom Icon

If you have a custom logo or design:

The Specs: Create a 64x64 pixel PNG image. It has to be exactly this size (Minecraft is picky!).
The Name: Save the file as server-icon.png.
The Upload: Open the Files tab in Mission Control and drop the image into the main (root) folder. [image - Mission Control > Files | Root Directory | Highlighting the 'server-icon.png' file in the root folder alongside the jar files]
The Restart: Icons only load when the server starts. Give it a reboot and check your multiplayer list!

2. Writing a Great MOTD

The MOTD is where you tell players what makes your server special, or just announce a new update.

Go to Settings > Properties in Mission Control.
Find the MOTD field.
Pro Tip: Use \n to force the text onto a second line for a cleaner look. [image - In-Game > Multiplayer List | Server MOTD | Screenshot of the server list showing a customized MOTD with colors and bold text]

Making it Pop (Colors & Styles)

You can use special codes to add color. Use \u00A7 (which is the code for the § symbol) followed by a letter:

Code	Effect	Code	Effect
`\u00A7a`	Green	`\u00A7l`	Bold
`\u00A7c`	Red	`\u00A7o`	Italic
`\u00A7b`	Aqua	`\u00A7n`	<u>Underline</u>
`\u00A7e`	Yellow	`\u00A7r`	Reset (Normal)

Example: \u00A7aWelcome to \u00A7lSurvival\u00A7r\n\u00A77New map just launched!

3. Going Dynamic

If you want an MOTD that changes automatically or greets players by name, the basic settings won't cut it. We recommend installing the ServerListPlus plugin. It lets you create animations and personalized messages that will really wowed your players!

Ready to go advanced? Check out our ServerListPlus Guide to learn how to animate your MOTD.