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Change a Hytale server’s message of the day by editing the MOTD key in the server’s root config.json, then restarting the server. The stock value is an empty string: "MOTD": "". For example, set it to "MOTD": "Welcome to my server!".
Stop the server before editing, preserve valid JSON, and test with a new connection after startup. The MOTD is separate from the text shown in Hytale Server Discovery and from per-world configuration.
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What the Hytale server MOTD controls
The Hytale server MOTD is the message associated with your server when players join. In the stock configuration, it is controlled by a top-level MOTD entry in the server’s root config.json. The default is an empty string, so a newly configured server may show no message at all.
The setting is read when the server starts. Players who connect after that startup can receive the new text; changing the file while the process is running does not, by itself, update the running server. A restart is therefore part of the normal change procedure.
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Do not confuse the MOTD with the description used by Hytale Server Discovery. Discovery uses the description stored in your Hytale account’s server profile. Editing MOTD changes the join message, not the server-list description.
Before you edit the file
Prepare the change so a typo does not prevent the server from loading.
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- Know how to stop and start the server cleanly.
- Plan a short maintenance window so no one is writing to the configuration while you edit it.
- Make a copy of the existing root
config.json. A backup lets you restore the previous working version if the edited file fails validation. - Write the exact message you want, including punctuation, capitalization and any intended line breaks.
Keep the original encoding and surrounding settings intact. The safest edit changes only the value assigned to MOTD, rather than replacing the entire configuration file.
Where is the MOTD in Hytale config.json?
Look in the server tree’s top-level directory. The correct file is next to the mods/ and universe/ directories.
| Location | Use | Is it the stock MOTD file? |
|---|---|---|
Server root config.json |
Global server settings, including the MOTD key |
Yes |
universe/worlds/<name>/config.json |
Rules and settings for one world | No |
| A plugin or mod configuration file | Optional features supplied by that extension | No, unless the extension documents its own MOTD system |
| Hytale account server-profile description | Text shown in Server Discovery | No |
If you are browsing through a hosting panel, use the file manager’s server-root view rather than opening a world folder. Editing a per-world config.json will not change the global join message.
How to change the Hytale server MOTD step by step
-
Stop the server completely
Use the panel’s Stop button or the normal console shutdown command for your installation, then wait until the process is reported as offline. Stopping first prevents the running server from writing its in-memory configuration back over your edit during shutdown.
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Open the root config.json
In a file manager, SFTP client or hosting-panel editor, open
config.jsonin the top-level server directory. Confirm that the same directory containsmods/anduniverse/. If you see only world files, move back to the server root. -
Find the MOTD key
Search for the case-sensitive key
MOTD. The stock entry is an empty string:{"MOTD": ""}Your real file will normally contain many other keys. Leave them in place.
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Replace only the value
Put your message between the existing quotation marks. A basic value looks like this:
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MOTDentry is not currently empty, replace only its text. Keep the key spelling and capitalization exactly as shown. -
Handle punctuation and special characters as JSON
A quotation mark inside the message must be escaped with a backslash, and a backslash in the message must itself be escaped. For example:
"MOTD": "Welcome to our server!"For a visible quotation mark, use
"in the JSON source. For a line break, use the JSON escape sequencenrather than pressing Enter inside the quoted value. Avoid inserting an unescaped line break or quotation mark. -
Preserve commas and braces
If another property follows
MOTD, the MOTD line needs its separating comma. If it is the final property, it must not have a trailing comma. Do not add or remove the file’s outer braces.Recommended Free Tools
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Validate the complete file
Run the saved file through a JSON validator such as JSONLint before starting the server. A single missing comma, extra comma, unmatched quote or missing brace can make the configuration unloadable. Correct the line identified by the validator, then save again.
-
Save and start the server
Save the file, start the server and wait for the startup process to finish. Watch the console for configuration or JSON parsing errors. If startup fails, stop the process, restore the backup or correct the reported syntax, validate again and restart.
-
Join with a fresh connection
Connect after the restart has completed. The changed text is intended for players who join after that startup. A player who was already connected before the change may need to disconnect and reconnect to see it.
Changing the MOTD in common hosting panels
Panels expose the same underlying setting through different menus. Labels and layout can change as a host updates its software, but the field still represents the root server MOTD.
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| Panel | Path described by the panel workflow | Operational notes |
|---|---|---|
| Apex Hosting | Config Files → Hytale Server Settings | Enter the message, select Save, return to the main panel and choose Restart. Stop the server first when the panel permits it. |
| Nodecraft | Game Settings; the MOTD is the second option near the top | Open the settings after stopping the server, save the value and start it again. |
| SparkedHost Apollo | Properties tab → MOTD field | Save the field, then perform the panel’s restart or stop/start cycle so the server reads the new value. |
If a panel offers both a text field and a raw file editor, use one method only for a given change. Editing the file and then saving an older panel form can overwrite your work. After saving through a panel, reopen the value and verify that the intended text is still present.
How to verify that the change worked
Use a controlled test instead of relying on a cached screen.
- Confirm the server process reached its normal ready state.
- Connect from a client that was not connected during the edit, or disconnect and reconnect an existing client.
- Check the exact capitalization, punctuation and spacing of the displayed message against the saved value.
- If the message is absent, inspect the startup console before changing anything else. Configuration errors usually appear during loading.
- Reopen the root
config.jsonafter startup only if you suspect a panel or shutdown routine rewrote it. Compare it with your backup.
Testing with a distinctive temporary phrase, such as Test MOTD 14, can make it obvious whether you are seeing a new value or an old one. Replace the temporary phrase with the final message after verification.
Hytale MOTD not showing: troubleshooting guide
The server was not restarted
The most common cause is editing the file while the server remained online or restarting a different instance. Stop the correct instance, save the file, start it again and connect after startup. Verify the panel’s console and server address so you are testing the same installation you edited.
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One stray comma, missing quote or unmatched brace can prevent the configuration from loading. Validate the entire file, not just the MOTD line. Compare the edited file with the backup and reapply the smallest possible change. If the server will not start, restore the known-good backup first, confirm that the server runs, then make a corrected edit.
You edited the wrong config.json
A world folder can contain its own config.json. That file controls world-specific rules and does not replace the global MOTD. Return to the directory containing mods/ and universe/, then edit the config.json beside those directories.
The panel saved a different field
Some panels present several descriptions or properties together. Confirm that the field is explicitly labeled MOTD, not a server name, profile description or world description. Reopen the panel after saving to verify the value persisted.
Existing players still see the old text
Have the player leave and join again after the server restart. A client that remained connected across an administrative operation may not refresh every join-related message until a new connection is established.
A plugin is supplying the visible message
A third-party MOTD mod can replace or augment the stock behavior. Check the installed extensions and their configuration files. A plugin may require its own reload command, may format the message differently or may overwrite the stock value when it starts. Test with the plugin’s documented workflow before altering the base configuration repeatedly.
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The server starts but the text is still blank
Confirm that the key is spelled MOTD with matching capitalization and that its value is not still "". Check for duplicate keys: if the file contains more than one MOTD entry, remove the unintended duplicate and validate the result. Also make sure you joined after the restart rather than checking a discovery listing.
MOTD formatting, length and unsupported features
The basic setting accepts a JSON string. The available evidence does not establish a published character limit, a guaranteed color-code syntax or support for rich formatting in the stock server. Treat plain text as the portable option. Do not assume that markup, Minecraft-style formatting codes or arbitrary line breaks will render just because they can be stored in JSON.
If you need special styling, test it on a private server first and keep a plain-text fallback. A message that exceeds a client’s display area may be truncated or wrapped differently from one player to another, but a specific limit has not been verified here. Keep operationally important information near the beginning and avoid relying on formatting for meaning.
Use JSON escapes for characters that JSON treats specially. The following is valid as a single-line value:
"MOTD": "Welcome! Use /help for commands."For a two-line value, store the escape sequence in the file:
"MOTD": "Welcome!nPlease read the rules before building."Whether the client displays that escape as a visible line break depends on the game version and presentation layer, so verify the result in your target client.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Why Server Discovery text is different
Changing MOTD does not change the sentence players see while browsing a public server list. Server Discovery uses the description in the server profile associated with your Hytale account. To change that listing text, edit the profile description through the account or server-management interface that owns the listing.
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Why per-world config is different
The path universe/worlds/<name>/config.json belongs to one world. World-level rules can vary between worlds, but they are not the global server MOTD location. If a server hosts several worlds, changing one world’s file will not update the join message for the server as a whole.
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Use the root file for a message that should apply to the server. Edit a world file only when you are intentionally changing a documented world-specific setting. Keep separate backups when making both kinds of change so that a world rollback does not replace global settings.
Using a plugin for live MOTD changes
Some third-party MOTD plugins provide a live-edit workflow and a command such as /motd reload. That is separate from the stock config.json setting. A plugin may read its own file, override the base value, or require a permission that ordinary players do not have.
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Choose one source of truth for routine edits. If the plugin is active, follow its documented file path and reload command; if you want the stock behavior, disable the plugin according to the host’s procedure and use the root MOTD key. Do not assume that changing both files will merge their messages.
Operational practices for reliable changes
Keep versioned backups
Save a dated copy before each change, for example config.json.before-motd-2026-10-14. Retain the last known-good copy separately from the live file. This provides a quick recovery path when a panel save or manual edit introduces syntax errors.
Make one change at a time
Edit only the MOTD, validate, restart and test. Combining a message edit with unrelated server settings makes it harder to identify the cause of a startup failure or unexpected behavior.
Use a maintenance notice
If players are online, announce the planned stop through your normal community channel before shutting down. The MOTD will not notify players who are already connected, so a separate announcement is appropriate for disruptive maintenance.
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When moving a server between hosts or restoring a backup, confirm the active working directory. A restored archive may contain multiple server roots, and editing an inactive copy produces no visible change.
Recheck after updates
Configuration layouts and panel labels can change with Hytale or host updates. The MOTD key, its accepted formatting and the exact menu path should be rechecked after an update rather than assumed unchanged. If a release introduces a migration notice, follow that notice before editing manually.
Quick Recap
Quick change checklist
- Stop the correct Hytale server instance.
- Back up the root
config.json. - Open the file beside
mods/anduniverse/. - Set the case-sensitive
MOTDvalue. - Keep quotes, commas, braces and escape sequences valid JSON.
- Validate the complete file.
- Save and restart the server.
- Join after startup with a fresh connection.
- If nothing changes, check the startup log, file path, panel field and installed MOTD plugins.
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