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How to Enable the MOTD on a RimWorld Together Server

Set EnableMoTD to true in ChatConfig.json, add your welcome text to MessageOfTheDay, save, restart, and reconnect to verify the RimWorld Together MOTD.
Length8 min Posted Quest giverVGSources Team
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To enable the Message of the Day (MOTD) on a RimWorld Together server, open the server’s chat configuration, set EnableMoTD to true, and enter your welcome text in MessageOfTheDay. Save the change, then restart the server when your hosting workflow requires it. On a self-managed installation, the file is normally Config/ChatConfig.json. A player must reconnect to see the join message.

The setting names are consistent even when hosting panels use different labels. The RimWorld Together server-configuration documentation identifies ChatConfig.json as the chat settings file, EnableMoTD as the switch that sends a welcome message when players log in, and MessageOfTheDay as the message text.

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What the MOTD does

MOTD means “Message of the Day.” In RimWorld Together, it is a welcome message shown to a player when that player joins or logs in to the server. It is useful for a short rules reminder, a Discord or community notice, maintenance information, or instructions that every connecting player should see.

Two configuration keys control it:

  • EnableMoTD turns the feature on or off.
  • MessageOfTheDay contains the text displayed to connecting players.

Changing only the text is not enough if EnableMoTD remains disabled. Conversely, enabling the switch with an empty or unchanged message will not produce the welcome text you intended. Both values belong in the chat configuration, either through your host’s form or in ChatConfig.json.

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What you need before changing the setting

Have the following ready before editing:

  • Access to the game server’s control panel or to the server files.
  • The ability to stop the server before editing. Stopping prevents the running process from rewriting the file while you work.
  • The exact welcome text you want to show.
  • Permission to save configuration changes and start the server again.

For a self-managed server, the RimWorld Together server-creation documentation places configuration files in the server’s Config directory. Hosted panels may hide that directory behind a menu named Chat Config, Configuration Files, or simply Chat.

Enable the MOTD on a self-managed server

Edit the configuration while the server is stopped, preserve the JSON syntax, and restart after saving. Follow these steps in order.

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  1. Stop the server. Use your service manager, startup script, or server console to shut it down cleanly. Do not edit a file that the active server may still be writing.
  2. Open the server’s configuration directory. Browse to the installation’s Config folder.
  3. Open ChatConfig.json. This is the chat settings file identified by the official server-configuration documentation.
  4. Find EnableMoTD. Change its value from false to true. In ordinary JSON, the Boolean value is written without quotation marks.
  5. Set MessageOfTheDay. Replace the existing text between quotation marks with your welcome message.
  6. Save the file. Keep every required comma, quotation mark, and brace. A missing delimiter can make the configuration invalid.
  7. Start the server. Launch it using your normal startup method.
  8. Reconnect a player. Join with a client that was not already connected, or disconnect and reconnect, to verify that the MOTD appears at login.

Illustrative JSON shape

Your file will contain other chat options, so do not replace the whole file with a short example. Locate the existing keys and edit only their values. The relevant portion should have the same basic shape as this:

{
  "EnableMoTD": true,
  "MessageOfTheDay": "Welcome to our RimWorld Together server!"
}

The example shows the required key spelling and JSON types. Keep the property names exactly as EnableMoTD and MessageOfTheDay; capitalization matters when a program reads a configuration key. If your file has additional properties, retain them and preserve the commas separating each property.

Enable the MOTD through a hosting panel

Managed hosts wrap the same settings in their own interfaces. The labels and save controls differ, but the underlying operation is still enabling EnableMoTD and supplying MessageOfTheDay.

Shockbyte

Shockbyte’s procedure, dated March 11, 2026, uses a form rather than requiring you to edit raw JSON:

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  1. Open the Shockbyte control panel.
  2. Stop the server.
  3. Open Config.
  4. Choose Chat Config.
  5. Enable Enable MOTD (Message Of The Day).
  6. Enter the welcome text in the MOTD field.
  7. Save the configuration.
  8. Start the server and connect again to check the message.

Shockbyte describes the MOTD as a message shown to players when they join. Its complete procedure is documented in the Shockbyte RimWorld Together MOTD guide.

Citadel Servers

Citadel Servers exposes the JSON file through a text editor:

  1. Sign in to the game control panel.
  2. Stop the server.
  3. Open Configuration Files.
  4. Select ChatConfig.json in the editor.
  5. Set EnableMoTD to True in the panel’s displayed format.
  6. Enter your text in MessageOfTheDay.
  7. Save the file.

The provider’s instructions are available in its MOTD configuration article. The capitalized True label is a panel presentation; when editing strict JSON directly, use the JSON Boolean spelling true.

BisectHosting

BisectHosting’s instructions, dated September 2, 2026, use a menu labeled Starbase in its panel:

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  1. Open the Starbase panel.
  2. Stop the server.
  3. Go to Configuration Files > Chat.
  4. Set EnableMoTD to true.
  5. Enter the message in MessageOfTheDay, keeping the text between double quotation marks.
  6. Save the file.
  7. Start the server and reconnect to test it.

The provider’s published steps are in the BisectHosting MOTD article.

Host workflow comparison

Use this table to identify the closest workflow when your panel’s wording is unfamiliar. The setting names remain the reliable reference.

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Provider or installation Where to edit How the switch is shown Stop/start sequence Published timing or note
Self-managed Config/ChatConfig.json EnableMoTD: true Stop before editing; start afterward; reconnect to test Location and keys documented by the RimWorld Together wiki
Shockbyte Config > Chat Config Enable MOTD (Message Of The Day) checkbox or control Stop, save, start, then reconnect Procedure dated March 11, 2026
Citadel Servers Configuration Files > ChatConfig.json EnableMoTD displayed as True Stop, edit, save; start again before testing Panel text-editor workflow
BisectHosting Configuration Files > Chat EnableMoTD set to true Stop, save, start, then reconnect Instructions dated September 2, 2026

How to find the setting when labels differ

Do not search only for the acronym “MOTD.” A provider may call the page Chat Config, Chat, or Configuration Files. The most dependable search terms are:

  • ChatConfig.json
  • EnableMoTD
  • MessageOfTheDay
  • Message Of The Day

If a panel offers both a form and a file editor, they should modify the same underlying chat settings. The official documentation identifies ChatConfig.json as the source file, while provider panels act as wrappers around those settings. If you cannot find a chat page, open the configuration-file browser and look for that filename instead.

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Safe JSON editing and recovery

Back up before editing

Make a copy of ChatConfig.json before changing it, or use a panel backup feature if one is available. A backup gives you a clean version to restore if the server rejects the file or another chat setting is accidentally changed.

Preserve JSON punctuation

JSON is unforgiving about syntax. Keep property names and string values inside double quotation marks, separate neighboring properties with commas, and retain the opening and closing braces. Do not add a trailing comma after the final property if the file does not already use one. The safest edit is to replace only the existing Boolean value and the existing MOTD string.

Do not confuse a display label with a raw value

Some panels show True with an uppercase first letter, while raw JSON uses lowercase true. Follow the format of the editor you are using. In a text file that is parsed as JSON, use true without quotes; in a provider form, use its enabled toggle or the exact value accepted by that editor.

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Stop before editing and restart after saving

Stopping first prevents the running process from overwriting your change. After saving, start the server again so it reads the updated configuration. If your provider has a separate Apply, Save, or Restart control, complete each required action rather than closing the page immediately after typing.

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Verify that the MOTD is active

Testing the setting requires a new login event. A player who was already connected before the change may not see a message immediately. Use this verification sequence:

  1. Confirm that EnableMoTD is enabled in the saved configuration, not merely changed in an unsaved form.
  2. Confirm that MessageOfTheDay contains the intended text and that the quotation marks remain intact.
  3. Check that the server was started after the save.
  4. Disconnect a test player completely.
  5. Connect again and watch the chat or join-message area.
  6. If the message appears, ask a second player to reconnect so you know the result is not limited to one client session.

The MOTD is a join-time message, so reconnecting is a more useful test than remaining connected while repeatedly refreshing the panel.

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Troubleshooting: MOTD not showing after restart

The switch is still disabled

Reopen the saved file or chat form and check the exact key. It must be EnableMoTD, including the capital letters. A similarly named or misspelled key will not enable the documented setting. In a raw JSON editor, verify that the value is the Boolean true, not the quoted string "true".

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The text was entered in the wrong field

Make sure the welcome text is stored under MessageOfTheDay. Some panels contain several chat or announcement fields; changing another message does not configure the MOTD. If you are editing a file, use the exact property name and keep the text inside double quotation marks.

The server was not actually restarted

A panel may report that a file was saved without reloading the running server. Stop and start it explicitly, then reconnect. If the host provides a restart button, use it only after the configuration save has completed.

You tested with an existing connection

The MOTD is shown when a player joins. Leave the server fully and connect again. Testing from an already active session can make a working change appear ineffective.

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The file is invalid

Restore the backup if the server fails to load the configuration after your edit. Otherwise, inspect the lines around the two changed properties for a missing comma, an unmatched quote, or a deleted brace. Reapply the smallest possible edit: set EnableMoTD to true and replace only the string assigned to MessageOfTheDay.

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The panel uses different navigation

Look for the stable names rather than an exact menu path. Depending on the provider, the route may be Config > Chat Config, Configuration Files > ChatConfig.json, or Configuration Files > Chat. If none is visible, search the panel for “Chat,” “MOTD,” or the filename.

The message contains unexpected punctuation

Review the string for unescaped double quotation marks. A quotation mark inside the message can terminate the JSON string early. Remove it, use ordinary apostrophes, or follow the editor’s escaping rules before saving. Keep the MOTD text simple while diagnosing the setting so syntax errors are easier to isolate.

Writing a useful RimWorld Together MOTD

The configuration determines whether the message appears; the content determines whether players can act on it. Keep the first line recognizable as a welcome message, then put the most time-sensitive instruction next. Because the MOTD is shown at login, write for someone who may be joining for the first time and may not know your server’s context.

  • State the server’s basic expectation, such as where to read rules or how to report a problem.
  • Put a temporary notice first when maintenance or a schedule change is important.
  • Use concise sentences so the complete message can be read without hunting through unrelated text.
  • Remove outdated events and replace them in the same MessageOfTheDay field rather than creating multiple similarly named settings.

These are content choices, not additional configuration keys. The technical requirement remains the same: enable EnableMoTD, place the text in MessageOfTheDay, save, restart as required, and verify with a fresh connection.

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Quick checklist

  • Server stopped before editing.
  • Correct file or panel opened: ChatConfig.json, Chat Config, or the equivalent chat configuration page.
  • EnableMoTD enabled.
  • Welcome text entered under MessageOfTheDay.
  • Quotation marks, commas, and braces preserved in raw JSON.
  • Configuration saved successfully.
  • Server started after the change.
  • Player disconnected and reconnected to test the join message.

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