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Verify every entry in a MiniMOTD rotation

Applies to: MiniMOTD; match the linked maintainer documentation to your installed platform and release.
Documentation checked .

A rotating server-list message can hide one broken entry among several working ones. Validate each candidate on its own before treating a few successful refreshes as proof that the complete rotation is ready.

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. Copy the current main.conf and list every configured MOTD entry in a private checklist. Mark time-sensitive claims, joining addresses and formatting tags so an old event message does not remain in the random pool unnoticed.
  2. On a staging instance or quiet test window, leave one intended entry in the motds list while preserving the others in your saved copy. Keep its line1, line2 and icon together as one entry.
  3. Apply the file through the installed release’s supported method and refresh the actual public address in a Minecraft server list. Inspect both lines, the icon and readability, then repeat this isolated check for each candidate.
  4. Restore the reviewed entries into the list and refresh several times. The documented rotation chooses randomly, so do not expect entries to appear in order or assume a missing entry is broken after only one refresh.

Check the result

Every isolated entry should display correctly, and the restored rotation should contain only reviewed messages. Keep the checklist with an expiry reminder for event announcements rather than relying on random refreshes to reveal stale wording later.

If the test fails

Restore the previous complete configuration if HOCON parsing fails. Compare the bracket and entry structure around the last edit instead of replacing the whole plugin or disabling its other player-count and icon features.

If the public message never changes during the isolated test, establish which proxy or backend answers the status request. Editing a backend’s file cannot validate a proxy-owned server-list response.

References and related help

Check the official MiniMOTD documentation against your installed release before using a command or setting from another version.

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