Minecraft Server MOTD Generator — AlaCraft
MOTD (Message of the Day) is the welcome text displayed in the Minecraft server list before a player connects. The AlaCraft MOTD Generator builds this message visually with color codes and formatting, then outputs a ready-to-paste string for server.properties — no manual code entry required.
Technical Limits of Minecraft Java Edition MOTD
A Minecraft Java Edition MOTD supports up to 2 lines of text, with a maximum of 59 characters per line — text beyond that is cut off in the server list UI. Lines are separated by \n in the motd= field of server.properties. Non-ASCII characters such as accented letters require Unicode escape notation when entered manually (e.g. é = é). The AlaCraft MOTD Generator handles this escaping automatically.
Minecraft MOTD Color Codes: 16 Colors and 6 Formats
Java Edition MOTD supports 16 color codes: §0 (black), §1 (dark blue), §2 (dark green), §3 (dark cyan), §4 (dark red), §5 (purple), §6 (gold), §7 (gray), §8 (dark gray), §9 (blue), §a (green), §b (cyan), §c (red), §d (pink), §e (yellow), §f (white). Six formatting codes are also available: §l (bold), §o (italic), §n (underline), §m (strikethrough), §k (obfuscated/random), §r (reset). All 22 codes work in Java Edition MOTDs.
How to Add a MOTD to server.properties — Step by Step
Adding a MOTD requires no manual code typing: (1) type your welcome text in the AlaCraft MOTD Generator and pick colors, (2) click "Create MOTD" and copy the generated string, (3) open server.properties and find the line motd=, (4) paste the code after the equals sign, (5) save the file and restart the server. Compatible with Spigot, Paper, Vanilla, and Forge — Java Edition 1.7–1.21.
Java Edition vs Bedrock Edition: MOTD Differences
Java Edition MOTDs use the § prefix for color codes (§6 = gold), and all 22 codes work. Bedrock Edition (MCPE, consoles) also supports § codes, but §k (obfuscated) renders as dots instead of random characters, and without §r before the end of the line, the obfuscation bleeds into the version number display. The AlaCraft MOTD Generator outputs strings for Java Edition servers.
The AlaCraft MOTD Generator is a free online tool for building colorful Minecraft server MOTDs: live preview, automatic Unicode escaping, ready-to-paste output for server.properties — no sign-up needed.
