Maintain an existing ServerListPlus configuration safely

ServerListPlus customises the Minecraft server-list response, including descriptions and player-dependent presentation. This guide is for maintaining an existing installation. Its development and compatibility history require care: do not assume an older build supports a newly released Minecraft server.

Check support before changing a working setup

Read the official project and release notes for the exact platform and version you run. If a current supported build is unavailable, keep the existing installation unchanged while you test a maintained alternative on a separate copy. A presentation plugin is not a reason to downgrade a live world.

Record which server or proxy answers your public status ping. A backend's configuration will not control a proxy response if that proxy replaces it. Keep the old JAR, configuration and relevant proxy settings together so you can reverse a presentation change.

Review the actual generated file

For documented Bukkit-style installations the configuration file is plugins/ServerListPlus/ServerListPlus.yml. It is not necessarily named config.yml like many other plugins. Confirm the path created by your installed build and retain a copy before editing.

1. Schedule a quiet test and read safe plugin installation before replacing a JAR.
2. Open the existing YAML and find the description/message section corresponding to the response you want to change.
3. Change one plain-text line using the structure already present. Retain indentation and quoted values rather than pasting an entire configuration from another server.
4. Use the documented /slp reload command from an authorised in-game account, or restart normally. Console commands omit the leading slash.
5. Refresh the public server-list entry from a normal client and inspect Console for parse or compatibility errors.

Understand its enabled state

The upstream setup describes a deliberate enable step: /serverlistplus enable starts modifying status responses. A successful plugin startup alone does not prove its presentation is active. The longer command name also helps when another plugin already owns the short /slp alias.

Use /slp disable to stop ServerListPlus modifying the response while investigating a conflict. Do not delete the whole plugin folder to perform that test. Administrative editing commands require the appropriate ServerListPlus permission; operators' access can hide a missing permission on a staff account.

Test variation and plan a reversible replacement

Player-specific messages, random selections and cached player information can make two clients see different results. Compare the same hostname, client version and refresh conditions. Review every relevant response rule before assuming that a saved file was ignored.

If moving to MiniMOTD or another supported alternative, disable the old status handler and test the new one in a maintenance window. Do not leave both active to race over the ping response. Keep the prior configuration until you have checked text, icons and proxy behaviour.

See MiniMOTD setup for a separate option. Include the exact ServerListPlus build, public endpoint and redacted parse error in a support request. Further reading: official setup and commands, configuration and project status.

Looking for another plugin? Browse the Minecraft plugin guide directory.