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To change a vanilla Terraria server MOTD, edit the motd= line in the serverconfig.txt file supplied to the server with the -config launch option, then restart the server. On a TShock server, edit motd.txt in the tshock folder and restart. Hosting panels may provide their own MOTD field, which should be used before manually editing files.
“MOTD” is the welcome message players see when they join. “Server description” can also mean the name displayed in a server list. The verified vanilla setting is the MOTD; a separate, confirmed vanilla server-name key is not established here. The steps below keep those two ideas separate so you do not edit the wrong file.
Choose the instructions for your server
Terraria servers do not all store the welcome message in the same place. Identify the software that starts your server before changing anything.
| Server type | File or control | What to do | Persistence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vanilla Terraria dedicated server | serverconfig.txt |
Set motd=Your message in the configuration file passed with -config. |
Persists after a restart when the server starts with that file. |
| TShock | motd.txt in the tshock folder |
Edit the text file that TShock reads for its join message. | Use the file used by the active TShock installation, then restart. |
| Managed hosting panel | A panel MOTD or startup-settings field | Change the value in the panel first, save it, and restart from the panel. | Panel behavior varies; a manual file edit can be replaced by panel-generated settings. |
If you cannot tell which type you run, look at the startup program or control panel. A vanilla server normally starts the Terraria server executable with a configuration file. TShock has a tshock directory and TShock-specific configuration files. A managed host usually displays server settings in a web interface rather than asking you to edit files directly.
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Prepare before editing
A MOTD change is a small text edit, but preparing correctly prevents the most common “it changed back” and “the server ignored it” problems.
- Identify the active server instance. Make sure you are editing the files for the world and process your players actually join. Multiple Terraria installations, test copies, or staging folders can contain similarly named files.
- Stop the server cleanly. Use the server console or your host’s Stop control. Do not save a configuration file while the process is being forcibly terminated or while a panel is rewriting its startup files.
- Make a backup. Copy the existing configuration file or
motd.txtto a separate location. A plain-text backup lets you restore the previous message without guessing what was there. - Check panel controls first. If a host exposes an MOTD field, that field may generate the file or command-line settings at startup. Save the message there instead of editing a generated file by hand.
- Use a plain-text editor. Avoid word processors that add formatting, smart quotes, or hidden document metadata. Keep the file as ordinary text.
Change the MOTD on a vanilla Terraria server
1. Find the configuration file used at startup
The official Terraria server configuration option is motd. The configuration file is the file supplied to the server process with the -config flag. That means the correct file is not necessarily the first serverconfig.txt you find; it is the one referenced by the command or shortcut that launches this server.
Open the startup command, script, shortcut, or panel startup setting and locate the -config argument. The value following that argument identifies the active configuration file. If a panel hides the command line, use its configuration-file or startup-settings view, or use the panel’s own MOTD field.
2. Edit the motd= line
Open the active file in a plain-text editor and find the line beginning with motd=. Replace only the value after the equals sign. For example:
motd=Welcome to my Terraria server!Keep the setting on one line unless your server software explicitly documents another format. Do not add quotation marks around the message, and do not change unrelated settings such as maxplayers, difficulty, port, or password while making this edit. Those settings commonly appear near motd, which makes accidental changes easy.
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A blank value, written as motd=, may result in no useful welcome text. If you want a message, put the complete text after the equals sign. Use normal letters, numbers, punctuation, and spaces first; unusual control characters make troubleshooting harder.
3. Save without changing the file type
Save the file as plain text with the same name and location. Check that your editor did not append an extra extension such as .txt.txt or convert the file into a rich-text document. If the file already has a particular text encoding, preserve it rather than using a word processor’s default document format.
4. Start the server with the same configuration
Restart the server using the same shortcut, script, executable command, or panel action that uses the active -config file. Starting a second server executable without that argument can make it appear that the edit failed because the process is reading another configuration or using defaults.
5. Verify from a fresh join
Connect after the restart and check the join message. If you were already connected, leave and rejoin so you test the login message rather than relying on a message displayed before the change. If it is still old, follow the troubleshooting section rather than editing additional files at random.
Change the MOTD on a TShock server
1. Confirm that TShock is the active server software
TShock uses a separate MOTD file rather than the vanilla serverconfig.txt setting. Look for the installation’s tshock folder and its motd.txt file. If your process is not running TShock, editing this file will not change a vanilla server’s message.
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2. Stop the server and back up motd.txt
Stop the running process through the console or hosting panel. Copy the current motd.txt before editing it. This is especially useful when a panel or update has created more than one TShock-related directory.
3. Replace the text in motd.txt
Open motd.txt in a plain-text editor and enter the welcome message you want players to receive. Keep the file as text and avoid rich formatting. Save it in the same tshock directory, using the exact filename expected by the installation.
Some hosting documentation reports support for the placeholders %map% (the world name) and %players% (logged-in players). Those placeholders are not confirmed here against current TShock documentation, so treat them as version- or host-dependent. If a placeholder appears literally in the message, remove it and use ordinary text rather than assuming the server will expand it.
4. Restart TShock and test
Restart the same TShock instance that uses the edited folder. Join after the restart, or disconnect and reconnect if you were online. A message shown in an existing session may not prove that the current file was loaded.
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Many game-hosting panels expose an MOTD field alongside player slots, difficulty, port, and password settings. When that field exists, it is normally the safest place to make the change because the panel knows which server instance it starts.
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- Open the server’s settings or startup-configuration page.
- Find the field labeled MOTD, Message of the Day, or a similar welcome-message label.
- Enter the new text and save the settings.
- Use the panel’s Restart control, not just a browser refresh.
- Reconnect to verify the result.
Do not assume that a manual edit will survive a panel restart. Some panels write startup settings themselves, and a generated configuration can replace a hand-edited value. If the message reverts only after a panel restart, the panel field is the authoritative setting for that host.
“Server description” versus MOTD
The MOTD is the verified welcome-message setting
For a vanilla server, motd is the configuration option documented as the message of the day. It is the setting to use when your goal is to change what players read as they join.
A server-list name is a different concept
Players also use “description” to mean the name or description shown in a server browser or connection list. A separate vanilla key for that name was not verified here. Do not invent a setting such as servername or rename unrelated configuration keys based on guesses; an unknown key can simply be ignored.
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Why the new message does not appear
| Symptom | Likely cause | Check and fix |
|---|---|---|
| The old MOTD still appears after a restart. | The server read a different file or a panel rewrote the setting. | Recheck the -config path, confirm the active TShock folder, or change the panel’s MOTD field. |
| The message changes while the server runs but disappears after restarting. | The change was temporary or was made in a generated file. | Use the persistent file setting or panel field. A console-only change may apply only to the current session. |
| TShock ignores the edited text. | The file is in the wrong directory, has the wrong name, or the process is not TShock. | Stop the process, locate the active tshock/motd.txt, save it as plain text, and restart the same instance. |
| The message contains strange symbols or missing characters. | The editor changed encoding or inserted formatting. | Reopen the backup in a plain-text editor and save a simple text version without smart quotes or rich formatting. |
| The placeholder text appears literally. | The installed version or host does not expand that placeholder. | Remove %map% or %players% and use fixed wording unless your current TShock documentation confirms support. |
| The panel change works once but is lost later. | Another startup action or scheduled configuration reset replaced it. | Make the panel field the source of truth and check for startup templates or automated resets supplied by the host. |
Confirm which process is running
When troubleshooting, first establish that the process you restarted is the process players join. A common mistake is editing a development copy while a service, container, scheduled task, or hosting panel continues to launch another copy. Compare the executable, working directory, world, port, and configuration argument used by the running instance.
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Check the exact filename and path
File managers can hide extensions, and a file saved as motd.txt.txt may look correct at a glance. Display full filenames, confirm the directory, and make sure the editor saved the file rather than creating a second copy in a documents folder.
Restart fully, then reconnect
Some changes are read only during startup. Closing and reopening a console window is not enough if a background service continues running. Use the server’s actual stop and start controls, wait for the process to exit, and then reconnect after startup has completed.
Temporary console changes
A guide reports that a console motd command can change the message for the current session. That behavior is not confirmed here against the official Terraria Wiki, so use it only as a temporary test rather than as your permanent configuration method. If the message disappears after a restart, set motd= in the active vanilla configuration file, or edit TShock’s motd.txt, and restart.
Write a useful, safe welcome message
The MOTD is usually the first text a player sees, so make it actionable rather than filling it with information that belongs in a rules page.
- State the server’s basic identity and play style in one short sentence.
- Tell new players where to read rules or ask for help if those resources exist.
- Include a maintenance or restart notice only while it is current; remove stale dates and temporary warnings.
- Use plain punctuation and readable line lengths so the message remains legible in the game client or panel preview.
- Do not put passwords, private administrative details, or personal contact information in a message visible to every player.
Test the final wording with a second account or trusted player when possible. Verify that the join message is visible to a newly connected player and that no placeholder, old event notice, or accidental configuration text remains.
What is and is not covered
The vanilla procedure above applies to the Terraria dedicated-server configuration documented with the motd option. The TShock procedure applies to TShock’s motd.txt arrangement. The available documentation does not establish that these instructions apply to tModLoader servers, so a tModLoader installation should be treated as a separate case and checked against its own current server documentation.
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No separate, confirmed vanilla server-description key is established here. If your requirement is specifically to change a name shown in a server browser rather than the join message, use a distinct field exposed by your hosting panel or the server software’s current documentation; do not assume the vanilla motd setting changes that listing name.
Quick Recap
Quick verification checklist
- You identified vanilla Terraria, TShock, or a managed panel.
- You stopped the correct server instance before editing.
- For vanilla, you edited the
serverconfig.txtfile passed with-config. - For TShock, you edited the active
tshock/motd.txt. - You saved as plain text with the original filename and location.
- You restarted through the same command or panel that normally launches the server.
- You disconnected and rejoined to test the new message.
- You checked the panel if a manual edit was overwritten.
- You did not treat an unverified server-name key or placeholder as guaranteed support.
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