DayZ has two separate server-message systems. Use motd[] and motdInterval in the configuration file loaded by the server for rotating MOTD lines. Use the active mission’s db/messages.xml for join messages, recurring broadcasts, and restart countdowns. They are edited in different files and use different controls, so changing one system will not change the other.
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The setup is: identify the file passed with -config=, add the MOTD or create the mission message file, validate the syntax, then restart the server with logging enabled so you can confirm that the intended files were loaded.
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Choose the right DayZ message system
Decide what should trigger the message before editing anything. A welcome or rules notice that appears when players connect belongs in messages.xml as an on-connect message. A short set of lines that the server cycles through as an MOTD belongs in serverDZ.cfg (or whatever file your startup command names). Recurring announcements and restart warnings also belong in messages.xml.
| Requirement | Use | File location | Control | Supported placeholders |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rotating MOTD lines | motd[] |
Configuration file loaded by -config= |
motdInterval |
Not stated for the MOTD array |
| Message when a player connects | <onConnect>1</onConnect> |
Active mission db/messages.xml |
<onConnect> |
#name, #port |
| Recurring broadcast | <repeat> with a positive value |
Active mission db/messages.xml |
<repeat> |
#name, #port |
| Restart or shutdown countdown | <deadline> plus <shutdown>1</shutdown> |
Active mission db/messages.xml |
<deadline> and <shutdown> |
#name, #port, countdown-only #tmin |
Bohemia Interactive documents the two locations separately: MOTD settings are server-configuration assignments, while scheduled and event-driven messages can be added, updated, or deleted in the mission’s messages.xml.
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Find the files that your server actually loads
Locate the active configuration file
Read the command or service definition used to start the server and find the argument beginning -config=. A typical entry is -config=serverDZ.cfg. The filename is not fixed; an administrator can rename it as long as the startup argument points to the renamed file. Edit that selected file, not an unused copy elsewhere in the installation.
The configuration normally sits beside the server executable on a manually managed Windows installation, but hosting panels may expose it through a file manager or generate the startup command for you. The decisive test is still the -config= argument in the launch command.
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Locate the active mission directory
Scheduled messages are read from the mission that is currently running. The documented example path is mpmissions/dayzOffline.chernarusplus/db/messages.xml. Replace dayzOffline.chernarusplus with the mission folder selected by your server. A Livonia or custom mission therefore uses its own mission directory and its own db subfolder.
If messages.xml is missing, Bohemia Interactive’s documentation allows you to create it. Create the db directory as well if the mission does not already contain it, preserving the exact lowercase filename and extension.
Configure a rotating MOTD in the server configuration
1. Make a backup and open the loaded configuration
Stop the server before editing, copy the existing configuration as a backup, and open the file identified by -config=. Keep the existing syntax and placement conventions. DayZ configuration assignments terminate with semicolons, strings use double quotation marks, and arrays use braces.
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2. Add the MOTD array
Use the documented array form. Each quoted item is one MOTD line:
motd[] = { "Welcome to the server", "Read the rules before playing." };The server displays the entries as in-game chat messages. Keep each line short enough to be readable in chat; the 160-character limit documented for messages.xml should not be treated as permission to make MOTD lines unwieldy, because MOTD presentation and XML message validation are separate features.
3. Set the interval between MOTD lines
Set motdInterval to the interval you want between successive MOTD entries. The setting controls the delay between lines, while the array controls their text and order. If you want a single persistent line, use one array item rather than duplicating the same sentence.
Do not place motd[] or motdInterval inside messages.xml; they are configuration parameters and will not become valid XML by being moved there.
Configure scheduled and event-driven messages in messages.xml
1. Create the XML structure
In the active mission directory, create or edit db/messages.xml with a single <messages> root and one or more <message> elements. This minimal recurring example follows the documented element names:
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<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="yes"?>
<messages>
<message>
<delay>0</delay>
<repeat>15</repeat>
<onConnect>0</onConnect>
<deadline>0</deadline>
<shutdown>0</shutdown>
<text>Welcome to #name. Follow the server rules.</text>
</message>
</messages>Use one complete <message> block per announcement. Keep the opening and closing tags paired exactly; malformed XML can prevent the file from being read.
2. Choose the trigger fields
- Connection message: set
<onConnect>1</onConnect>. This targets players as they connect. - Recurring broadcast: give
<repeat>a positive value. The scheduler then repeats the message according to that configured value. - Countdown: set a positive
<deadline>. Put#tminin the text when you want the remaining countdown minutes shown. - Shutdown after the deadline: set
<shutdown>1</shutdown>. A deadline without shutdown does not express the documented terminating-restart pattern. - One-time or inactive fields: use zero where a feature is not required, as in the official example.
3. Write the message text
Place the announcement between <text> and </text>. The documented maximum length is 160 characters. Count the final text, including spaces and any expanded placeholder output, conservatively; split a long notice into separate messages instead of relying on truncation.
Use placeholders without breaking a message
DayZ supports three documented placeholders in server messages:
| Placeholder | Expansion | Restriction |
|---|---|---|
#name |
The server name | None stated |
#port |
The server port | None stated |
#tmin |
Remaining countdown minutes | Works only with a countdown |
For example, a normal broadcast can say Welcome to #name on port #port.. A shutdown notice can say #name will shutdown in #tmin minutes.. Do not use #tmin in a message that has no positive <deadline>; it is documented as countdown-only and has no defined value in an ordinary recurring message.
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A countdown combines a positive deadline, the shutdown flag, and the countdown placeholder. The official pattern is:
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<message>
<delay>0</delay>
<repeat>0</repeat>
<onConnect>0</onConnect>
<deadline>30</deadline>
<shutdown>1</shutdown>
<text>Hello, #name will shutdown in #tmin minutes.</text>
</message>Replace the deadline value with the countdown duration you intend to schedule, retaining a positive value. The text updates the remaining minutes through #tmin, and <shutdown>1</shutdown> tells the server to terminate at the deadline. Treat this as an operational shutdown: warn players about the expected interruption and verify the timing on a test or quiet server before using it during a busy event.
A countdown is not the same as a recurring reminder. A recurring message uses a positive <repeat>; the shutdown pattern uses <deadline> and the shutdown flag. Mixing both behaviors in one block makes the intended trigger harder to diagnose, so use separate blocks when you need routine announcements as well as a scheduled shutdown.
Add several messages without making the schedule confusing
Separate connection text from general broadcasts
Create distinct <message> elements for a connection greeting and a repeating rules reminder. That lets each trigger be changed independently and prevents a joining player from receiving text intended only for an interval-based broadcast.
Keep each announcement within the limit
Write one purpose per message: a rules reminder, restart notice, or community contact instruction. If the text exceeds 160 characters, shorten it or split it into two messages with their own scheduling settings. The limit applies to the message text documented for this XML system.
Make the timing intentional
Use <repeat> for information that can be missed and should return. Use <onConnect> for information every new player must see. Use a deadline only for an actual countdown. These choices make it clear which setting to inspect when players report that a notice is missing or appearing at the wrong time.
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Validate DayZ configuration syntax before restarting
Configuration-file checks
- Every assignment ends with a semicolon, including the closing line of the MOTD array.
- Text values are enclosed in straight double quotes.
- Array values are enclosed in braces, as in
{ "Line one", "Line two" }. - Do not paste XML tags into the configuration file.
- Check that a previous line does not accidentally swallow the next parameter. A missing semicolon can cause later parameters to be ignored, according to the community configuration reference.
XML checks
- Use one
<messages>root element. - Close every
<message>, field, and root tag. - Keep numeric fields numeric: use values such as
0or a positive number rather than explanatory words. - Escape XML-sensitive characters in text when necessary; for example, use
&for an ampersand in XML content. - Save the file as
messages.xmlin the active mission’sdbdirectory, not beside an unused mission.
Restart the server with a command that exposes errors
Changes are normally read when the server starts, so stop and restart it after editing. A representative Windows launch command is:
DayZServer_x64.exe -config=serverDZ.cfg -port=2302 -profiles=profiles -dologs -adminlog -netlog -freezecheckAdjust the executable path, port, profile directory, and flags to match your installation. The important parts for this task are that -config= names the file containing the MOTD settings and that the profile and logging options point to a location you can inspect. A hosting panel may express the same options in separate fields rather than one command line.
After launch, check the server’s startup and profile logs for configuration or mission-loading errors. If the server starts but no message appears, confirm the active mission and the exact path to db/messages.xml before changing the message text.
Troubleshoot messages that do not appear
The MOTD is missing
- Read the actual startup command and confirm the
-config=filename. - Open that file and verify the array uses
motd[], quoted strings, braces, and a terminating semicolon. - Confirm
motdIntervalis present and has the intended value. - Restart the server after saving; an already running process will not necessarily reread the file.
- Inspect logs for a syntax error that caused later configuration parameters to be ignored.
A scheduled message is missing
- Verify that the server is running the mission folder where you edited the file.
- Confirm the path is exactly
mpmissions/<active-mission>/db/messages.xml. - Check that the file has a single root element and properly closed tags.
- For a connection notice, verify
<onConnect>1</onConnect>. - For a repeating notice, verify that
<repeat>is positive rather than zero. - Restart and test with a fresh connection so you can distinguish an on-connect trigger from a recurring broadcast.
The countdown text is wrong or the server does not shut down
- Use a positive
<deadline>. - Use
#tminonly in that countdown message. - Set
<shutdown>1</shutdown>when the deadline must terminate the server. - Keep the countdown text under the 160-character documented limit.
- Check the logs and test the schedule away from peak play, because the shutdown flag is an actual termination instruction.
The server starts but later settings behave strangely
Recheck the line immediately before the first setting that behaves incorrectly. In the configuration file, one missing semicolon can cause subsequent parameters to be ignored. In XML, one unclosed tag can invalidate the document. Restore the backup, reapply one change at a time, and restart after each verified edit.
Operational checklist
- Identify the command’s
-config=file. - Decide whether the requirement is an MOTD, on-connect message, recurring broadcast, or countdown.
- Edit
motd[]andmotdIntervalonly for the configuration-based MOTD. - Edit or create
db/messages.xmlinside the active mission for scheduled messages. - Use only the documented placeholders:
#name,#port, and countdown-only#tmin. - Keep XML message text at or below 160 characters.
- Check semicolons, quotes, braces, XML tags, and numeric values.
- Restart with the intended profile and logging flags.
- Test a connection message with a new connection, a repeat message over its interval, and a countdown on a non-critical schedule.
Once those checks pass, the distinction is straightforward: the configuration file controls the rotating MOTD, while the active mission’s messages.xml controls event-driven announcements and shutdown scheduling.
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