How to change your Terraria server description (MOTD) and password Print

This article explains how to change the description (MOTD) and password of your Terraria server on PlayNHost.

1. Log in to the Game Panel and stop the server

1. Go to https://panel.playnhost.com and log in.
2. Select your Terraria server from the list.
3. On the server dashboard, click Stop and wait until the server is fully offline.

2. Open your Terraria configuration file

Terraria server settings (including the MOTD and password) are stored in a configuration file.

4. In the Game Panel, open the File Manager for your Terraria server.
5. Look for the Terraria config file, usually named something like serverconfig.txt (or similar, depending on the egg).
6. Click the file name to open it in the editor.

You should see lines for options such as world, max players, port, password and motd.

3. Change your server description (MOTD)

The text players see as the server description / MOTD is usually controlled by a line similar to:

motd=Welcome to my Terraria server!

• Find the line beginning with motd= (or a similar key for the message of the day).
• Replace the text after = with the message you want.
• Avoid special characters that Terraria does not support; keep the message simple and clear.

Examples:

motd=Co-op Terraria on PlayNHost - be friendly!
motd=Survival world - no griefing, have fun!

4. Set or change your server password

The server password is controlled by the password setting.

password=

• Find the line that starts with password=.
• To set a password, enter it after the =, for example:

password=MySecret123

• To remove the password and make the server public again, clear the value so the line looks like:

password=

Tips:

• Use a password that is easy for your players to type but not something you use for any personal accounts.
• Remember that passwords are usually case-sensitive.

5. Save the file and restart the server

7. After editing motd and password, click Save in the file editor.
8. Return to the Terraria server dashboard.
9. Click Start (or Restart) to bring the server back online.
10. When the server is running, join from your Terraria client to confirm:
    • The new MOTD/description is shown.
    • The password works as expected (or is no longer required, if you removed it).

6. If the server does not start

• If the server fails to start after editing the config file, reopen it and check for:
  • Accidental line breaks in the middle of a value.
  • Extra spaces or special characters that might not be supported.
• Restore the previous version of the file from a backup if necessary, then try editing again more carefully.

If you are unsure which config file your Terraria server uses on PlayNHost, or your changes are not applying, please open a ticket from Support → Submit a Ticket and include your server IP, the text you used for motd and whether you set a password.