1. Installation

1. Download the plugin’s compiled JAR (or build it with Maven).
   
   
2. Drop the JAR file into your server’s plugins/ folder.
   
   
3. Restart (or start) your Minecraft server.
   
   
4. The plugin will create a folder plugins/ServerMOTD/ with a config.yml.
   

⚙️ 2. Configuration
Open plugins/ServerMOTD/config.yml and edit the MOTDs. Example:

motds:
- "&aWelcome &b%player_name% &ato our server!"
- "<gradient:#FF0000:#0000FF>Gradient MOTD!</gradient>"
- "<rainbow>Rainbow Power!</rainbow> Online: %online%/%max%"
cycle: true # true = cycle through motds on each ping
center: true # true = auto-center lines

• motds: – list of possible MOTD lines (random or cycled).
  
  
• cycle: – if enabled, the plugin rotates between MOTDs.
  
  
• center: – auto-centers text in the server list.
  

3. Formatting Options

• Legacy Colors: &a, &b, &c etc.
  
  
• Hex Colors (1.16+): &#FF00FF
  
  
• Gradients: <gradient:#FF0000:#00FF00>Hello</gradient>
  
  
• Rainbow: <rainbow>Fun MOTD</rainbow>
  

4. Placeholders

• %player_name% → Player’s username.
  
  
• %player_timezone% → Player’s timezone.
  
  
• %online% → Number of online players.
  
  
• %max% → Maximum server slots.
  
  
• PlaceholderAPI Support: If PlaceholderAPI is installed, you can use any of its placeholders here too (e.g., %luckperms_prefix%).
  

️ 5. Commands

• /servermotd reload → Reloads the config without restarting.
  
  
• Permission: servermotd.reload.
  

6. Compatibility

• Works on Spigot / Paper servers from 1.8 → 1.21.4.
  
  
• Hex/gradient/rainbow features automatically downgrade gracefully on older versions.