Add or replace a Minecraft Java server-list icon

The icon in the Minecraft Java multiplayer list is a small image supplied by the server answering the status request. Updating it does not require a world reset, a new Minecraft version or a plugin. Prepare the artwork locally before opening the game panel. Use an image you own or have permission to publish.

Prepare the file

Export a real PNG image exactly 64 pixels wide and 64 pixels high. Name it server-icon.png, using lowercase letters. Changing a JPEG filename to end in PNG does not convert the image. Open the exported file in an image editor to confirm its format and dimensions, and enable filename extensions in your desktop file browser to catch names such as server-icon.png.png.

Keep the design readable at its actual size. Thin lettering and a detailed banner usually become difficult to recognise after reduction. Check both light and dark backgrounds if the picture contains transparent areas. This is presentation advice; it does not change the network address or authenticate the server to players.

Replace the icon

Arrange a short restart window. In the panel file manager, find the running server's main directory, normally the directory containing server.properties. Download the existing icon before replacing it. Keep that copy outside the server so it cannot be confused with the active filename.

Stop the game server cleanly and wait for the console to finish saving. Upload the new file into the main directory with the exact name server-icon.png. Do not place it inside a world folder, resource pack or plugin directory. Start the server and wait for normal startup to complete. Leave your worlds and startup settings untouched.

Check the endpoint players use

Refresh the entry in the Java multiplayer list. If necessary, close and reopen that screen to clear a cached display. Confirm you are testing the public address advertised to players, rather than a second test server with a similar name. An outdated list entry can still point to another service after an address change.

A Velocity proxy or a server-list plugin may supply its own icon. If players connect through a proxy, editing a backend icon alone may have no visible effect. Check which process answers the public ping before changing additional files. Ask the network administrator when you do not control the proxy; do not disable forwarding or authentication to troubleshoot artwork.

Recover or investigate

If the icon remains unchanged, inspect startup messages for an image-loading error and check filename, dimensions and file format again. Paper versions and plugins can differ in when they load status assets; a clean restart avoids relying on a reload command. These steps apply to the standard Java icon mechanism, not a Bedrock listing image or a panel dashboard thumbnail.

To roll back, stop the server and restore only the saved icon file, then start and refresh the client list. If no icon existed before, download your new file and remove only that icon through the file manager. Do not restore an entire world backup for a cosmetic change.

Reference

Bukkit server API: loading and validating server icons. Paper server-icon loading implementation. Paper configuration locations.