# Pair a MiniMOTD message with the intended icon

An unexpected icon may be a deliberate random selection rather than a missing file. Check the installed configuration generation before renaming images, because older MiniMOTD icon-index instructions do not describe modern entries.

## Prepare the test

Test the address players use in their multiplayer list. A proxy can answer its own status request, so changing the backend file may leave the public listing unchanged.

## Make the change

1. Record the installed MiniMOTD version and preserve `main.conf` plus the icons directory. Inspect the icon value inside the affected MOTD entry, keeping it alongside the two message lines it is meant to accompany.
2. For the documented modern format, use the filename stem from the icons directory without its .png extension. A value of random deliberately selects from the available icons; a numeric index from an older tutorial is a different scheme.
3. Choose an existing valid icon for the first test and assign it to one isolated MOTD entry. Apply the change using the supported method, then refresh the public listing without replacing every image at once.
4. Once the pairing works, restore the rotation and inspect each message-icon combination independently. Check filename spelling and case exactly, especially when a file was uploaded from a desktop with different case-handling behaviour.

## Check the result

The selected message should consistently display its intended icon in the isolated test. Random icon behaviour should remain only where you deliberately requested it, and the other reviewed message entries should retain their own pairing.

## If the test fails

Restore the saved icon value if the test falls back or the configuration fails. Check file format, filename and log warnings before using an old index-based recipe; the official historic icon page explicitly marks that recipe obsolete for version 2 onward.

Keep source artwork that you own or have permission to use. A working image file is still unsuitable for a public listing if it includes another server’s branding or material you cannot publish.

## References and related help

Check the [official MiniMOTD documentation](https://github.com/jpenilla/MiniMOTD/wiki) against your installed release before using a command or setting from another version.

- [Customise the Minecraft server list with MiniMOTD](https://help.cloudexa-hosting.com/books/minecraft-plugins/page/customise-the-minecraft-server-list-with-minimotd)
- [Update Paper, Purpur and plugins safely](https://help.cloudexa-hosting.com/books/game-hosting/page/update-paper-purpur-and-plugins-safely)