For server owners
How to write a good Minecraft server listing
Players scan a server list in seconds. What makes them stop at yours.
A name players can say
Short, easy to read and easy to remember. Leave the address and the version out of the name: lists show them in their own place. On CraftVote a name is at most 40 characters.
A description that answers questions
The first lines matter most. Say what the server is and what makes it different, then answer what players want to know before they join:
- The gamemodes, and what is special about them.
- Java, Bedrock or both, and which versions.
- Who it's for: relaxed or competitive, new players or veterans.
- The rules in short: pay to win or not, griefing, age.
- How to start, and where to find your Discord.
Short paragraphs are easier to read than one long block. On CraftVote a description has at least 200 characters. Skip walls of emojis and lists of search words.
A banner and an icon
The banner is the biggest part of your row on a list: 468×60 pixels, PNG, GIF or JPEG, at most 1 MB on CraftVote. Keep the name readable, use your server's colours and add the address. The banner maker does all of that.
The icon shows next to your server in the game's multiplayer list and on CraftVote. Make it with the server icon maker.
A MOTD that says what you are
The MOTD is the two lines under your server's name in the game. First line: the name and the version. Second line: what's special. The MOTD generator shows where a line gets cut off.
Be online when players look
A server that's offline when a player tries it rarely gets a second try. CraftVote checks every listed server every 3 minutes and shows its uptime. A server that is offline most of the time (under 25% over 30 days) is warned, then taken off the list until it's back.
If your server shows as offline but you can join it, test it from outside your network with the status checker, and read why a server shows as offline.
Links that work
A Discord invite that never expires, your website and a short trailer. Click your own links now and then: an expired invite loses players who already wanted to join.
Keep it fresh
Update the version range, the description and the banner when things change: a new season, a new gamemode, an event. A listing that matches the server builds trust.
Questions and answers
How long should a description be?
A few short paragraphs. On CraftVote it needs at least 200 characters. Long enough to answer players' questions, short enough to read on a phone.
Can I put the IP in the server's name?
Better not. The address has its own place on the list, with a copy button.
Should I use emojis?
A few help players scan the text. Many in a row look like spam.
What size is a server banner?
468×60 pixels, PNG, GIF or JPEG, at most 1 MB on CraftVote.
Read next
Your server, on the list
Listing your server on CraftVote is free: live status, uptime, vote rewards and a ranking that starts again every month.