To change the message players see in Minecraft’s multiplayer server list, edit the proxy’s root config.yml and change listeners[].motd. Do not edit servers.lobby.motd (or another servers.<name>.motd) unless you intend to change a backend server entry. Save the file with its YAML indentation intact, then reload the proxy if your deployment supports that; a full proxy restart is the dependable option.
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Which BungeeCord MOTD do you want to change?
BungeeCord configurations can contain more than one field named motd. The field that controls the public message shown when a player pings your network in Minecraft’s multiplayer menu is under a listener in the proxy configuration. A backend entry has its own MOTD field, but that is a different setting.
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| Message you are targeting | Configuration path | Where it appears |
|---|---|---|
| Public network or proxy MOTD | listeners[].motd in the proxy’s root config.yml |
The server-list response players see when they ping the proxy in Minecraft’s multiplayer menu |
| Backend server MOTD | servers.<server-name>.motd, for example servers.lobby.motd |
The configured entry for an individual backend server; it is not the proxy’s public server-list MOTD |
If changing servers.lobby.motd did not alter the text in the multiplayer screen, that result is expected: you changed a backend value while the client is displaying the listener-level value.
Before you edit the file
- Identify the proxy installation. The required file is the BungeeCord proxy’s root
config.yml, not theconfig.ymlbelonging to a Spigot or Paper backend server. - Use the host’s safe editing procedure. Stop the proxy before editing when possible. If your host provides a controlled configuration editor, follow that panel’s procedure instead of modifying a live file while it is being written.
- Keep a copy of the original. A quick backup lets you restore a known-good configuration if a YAML formatting error prevents the proxy from starting.
- Check which listener players use. A configuration can contain multiple listener definitions. The listener address and port used by players determine which listener-level MOTD is returned.
Make the change in a plain-text editor that preserves spaces. YAML structure is significant, and tab characters must not be used for indentation.
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Step-by-step: change the public proxy MOTD
- Stop the proxy or enter the host’s safe configuration-editing mode. This prevents the running process or a hosting panel from overwriting the file while you work.
- Open the proxy’s root
config.yml. This is the configuration file beside the BungeeCord proxy files, not a backend server’s configuration. - Locate the
listenersblock. Find the listener that accepts the connection players use. In a standard configuration, the listener contains amotdfield along with settings such asquery_port,tab_list, andquery_enabled. - Replace only that listener’s
motdvalue. Keep the field nested under the intended listener and preserve the existing spacing. For example:
listeners:
- motd: '&6My Network &f| &aWelcome'
query_port: 25577
tab_list: GLOBAL_PING
query_enabled: false- Save the file. Keep the value quoted when punctuation, formatting characters, or other symbols could be interpreted as YAML syntax. Do not replace spaces with tabs or move
motdto the top level. - Start the proxy again, or use the reload process supported by your build or hosting panel. Reload behavior is deployment-dependent. If the previous text remains after a reload, perform a complete proxy restart.
- Verify from Minecraft. Open the multiplayer screen, ping the proxy address players normally use, and check that the displayed server-list message matches the new value.
How the listener YAML is organized
The example uses a YAML list. listeners: introduces the list, and the hyphen begins one listener item. The listener’s properties are indented beneath that hyphen. The motd line therefore belongs to that specific listener, just as query_port and tab_list do.
Do not flatten the structure into something like motd: at the file’s top level, and do not indent it at the same level as listeners:. Either change can make the value apply nowhere or cause the configuration parser to reject the file. Match the spacing style already present in your configuration and use spaces only.
When a file contains several listener items, edit the one associated with the address and port players actually enter. Editing a different listener can produce a perfectly valid file while leaving the visible MOTD unchanged for the audience you are testing.
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Formatting the message
Ampersand color codes
Documented BungeeCord configuration examples use ampersand color codes such as &1 and &4. The sample value &6My Network &f| &aWelcome follows that convention: the codes are embedded in the quoted MOTD string rather than placed in a separate setting.
Use the formatting syntax supported by the BungeeCord build and client combination you operate. If a code is displayed literally, first confirm that the value is in the listener-level field and that the proxy actually loaded the edited file; a backend MOTD or an overwritten configuration can make a formatting change appear ineffective.
Quoting and punctuation
Quotes make the intended value unambiguous when the text contains punctuation or formatting characters. Preserve the quote style that your existing file uses, and ensure the opening and closing quotes match. A missing quote can turn an otherwise correct MOTD into invalid YAML.
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Keep the message on the same scalar value as motd: unless your particular configuration format explicitly documents another form. The safest edit is to replace the text after motd: and leave the surrounding keys and indentation untouched.
Why changing servers.lobby.motd may appear to do nothing
The repository example configuration contains both a listener-level motd and a separate servers.lobby.motd. Their similar names do not make them interchangeable. The listener value is used for the proxy’s response to a multiplayer-list ping. The servers.lobby.motd value belongs to the configured backend named lobby.
Use the backend field only when your goal concerns that individual server entry. For the public network message, return to the listener selected by the player’s connection address and edit its motd. Testing from the multiplayer screen is important because it exercises the proxy response rather than merely showing what is written in a backend file.
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Reloading versus restarting
There is no single reload behavior that applies to every BungeeCord build or hosting panel. Some deployments provide a supported configuration reload; others require a stop-and-start cycle. Follow the procedure documented by your build or host, and allow the proxy to finish loading before testing.
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Troubleshooting an unchanged or broken MOTD
The multiplayer screen still shows the old message
- Confirm that you edited the proxy’s root
config.yml, not a backend Spigot or Paper configuration. - Check that the edited
motdis nested under the listener players use. If there are multiple listeners, compare their addresses and ports with the address being tested. - Make sure the file was saved in the active proxy directory. A duplicate installation or a host panel’s generated configuration can make an edit appear to vanish.
- Use the deployment’s supported reload method, then perform a complete proxy restart if the old value persists.
- Check for a plugin or hosting panel that rewrites the configuration during startup or deployment. If it does, change the managed source or disable the overwrite according to that system’s procedure.
The proxy will not start after the edit
- Restore the backup or undo the last change, then start the proxy to confirm that the original file works.
- Inspect the edited block for a missing quote, a moved colon, inconsistent spaces, or a tab character. YAML indentation determines which listener owns the field.
- Reapply the MOTD as a short quoted value first. Once the proxy starts normally, add additional text or formatting one change at a time.
Colors or symbols look wrong
- Verify that the ampersand codes are inside the listener’s quoted value, for example
'&6My Network'. - Check that you are viewing the proxy’s server-list response, not a backend server’s separate MOTD.
- Confirm that the proxy was restarted or successfully reloaded after the edit.
The change works briefly and then disappears
This usually indicates that another process is regenerating or overwriting config.yml. Compare the file immediately after saving with the file after a restart or deployment. If a host panel manages the configuration, make the change through its editor or template; if a plugin writes the MOTD, use that plugin’s documented setting instead of repeatedly editing a value it replaces.
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Working with multiple listeners
Multiple listeners are useful when a proxy accepts connections on different addresses or ports, but they also make MOTD troubleshooting more specific. Treat each listener as a separate candidate:
| Check | Question to answer | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Target message | Is the desired text for the public proxy list or for one backend entry? | Use listeners[].motd for the public list; use servers.<name>.motd only for the backend setting. |
| Connection endpoint | Which listener address and port does the player enter? | Edit the motd under that listener, not an unused listener. |
| Configuration ownership | Does a panel, deployment script, or plugin regenerate the file? | Change the managed source or plugin setting so the value survives reloads and restarts. |
| Apply method | Does this deployment support reload, or does it require a restart? | Use the documented reload process; choose a full proxy restart when the new value is not loaded. |
After editing one listener, test the exact address and port associated with it. Testing a different hostname can send you to another listener and make a correct change look ineffective.
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For a small MOTD change, limit the diff to one value. Before editing, copy the existing listener block. After editing, compare the two blocks and verify that only the text after motd: changed. This makes accidental indentation changes easier to spot and gives you a quick recovery path.
listeners:
- motd: '&1Old message'
query_port: 25577
tab_list: GLOBAL_PING
query_enabled: falseAfter replacing the value, the surrounding keys should remain in the same order and indentation:
listeners:
- motd: '&4New message &f| &aWelcome'
query_port: 25577
tab_list: GLOBAL_PING
query_enabled: falseThe important change is the listener’s scalar value; the query and tab-list settings are shown to illustrate the nesting and should not be altered as part of an MOTD edit.
Final verification checklist
- The file edited is the active proxy root
config.yml. - The target is the listener-level
motd, notservers.<name>.motd. - The listener is the one used by the address and port being tested.
- Indentation uses spaces, with no tabs, and the quote marks are balanced.
- The proxy has been reloaded through a supported method or fully restarted.
- The message has been checked from Minecraft’s multiplayer screen by pinging the proxy.
- No plugin, panel, or deployment process is restoring the old value.
Once those checks pass, the public BungeeCord MOTD is controlled by the edited listener value and will be returned to players who ping that proxy endpoint.
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