How to add a logo to your Minecraft server

What is the server icon?

When you add a server to your server list in Minecraft, a small square icon appears next to the name. This icon is known as the "server icon" or server logo. By default, if you don't configure one, a gray question mark appears.

Setting up a custom logo gives your server identity and makes it more recognizable for your players in their server list.

Icon requirements

The server icon must meet these exact conditions:

⚠️ Importante

If the file isn't named exactly server-icon.png, isn't exactly 64x64 pixels, or isn't PNG format, Minecraft silently ignores it and shows the default icon.

Step 1: Create or prepare your image

If you already have a logo

If you already have a logo image (for example a PNG or JPG of any size), you need to resize it to exactly 64x64 pixels.

Option A: Use an online resizer (easiest)

1. Go to a free resizer like birme.net or iloveimg.com
2. Upload your image
3. Set the size to 64 x 64 pixels
4. Choose "Crop" if the image isn't square
5. Download the result in PNG format
6. Rename the file to server-icon.png

Option B: Use Paint (Windows)

1. Open your image with Paint
2. Go to Home → Resize
3. Select Pixels
4. Uncheck "Maintain aspect ratio"
5. Enter 64 for horizontal and 64 for vertical
6. Click OK
7. File → Save as → PNG → Name: server-icon.png

Option C: Use GIMP (free, more control)

1. Open your image in GIMP
2. Image → Scale Image
3. Enter 64 for width and 64 for height
4. Click Scale
5. File → Export As → server-icon.png

Option D: Use Photoshop

1. Open your image
2. Image → Image Size
3. Enter 64x64 pixels
4. File → Export → Export As → PNG → server-icon.png

If you don't have a logo

If you want to create one from scratch:

• Canva (free): Create a 64x64 pixel design, or make it larger and resize later
• Pixel art: Use editors like Piskel or Pixilart to make a 64x64 pixel art icon — looks great with Minecraft's aesthetic
• Online generators: Search for "Minecraft server icon maker" and you'll find tools that generate Minecraft-style icons

Step 2: Upload the icon to the server

From the Pterodactyl panel (panel.baires.host)

1. Log in to panel.baires.host
2. Select your Minecraft server
3. Go to the Files tab
4. Make sure you're in the root folder (where you see server.properties, server.jar, etc.)
5. Click Upload (arrow up icon)
6. Select your server-icon.png file
7. Wait for it to upload

Via SFTP console

If you prefer using an SFTP client like FileZilla or WinSCP:

1. Connect to your server via SFTP (credentials are in the panel under "Settings")
2. Navigate to the server root folder
3. Upload the server-icon.png file

Via SSH (if using your own VPS)

# From your PC, upload with scp
scp server-icon.png user@YOUR_IP:/opt/minecraft/server-icon.png

# Or if you're already on the server, download directly
cd /opt/minecraft
wget -O server-icon.png https://your-site.com/logo.png

Step 3: Restart the server

The icon is loaded when the server starts. After uploading the file you need to restart:

From the Pterodactyl panel

1. Click the Restart button (or Stop then Start)

From console/SSH

sudo systemctl restart minecraft

From the game console

/stop

And wait for it to restart automatically (if you have systemd configured).

Step 4: Verify it works

1. Open Minecraft
2. Go to Multiplayer
3. If you already have the server added, wait for it to refresh (or click Refresh)
4. If you don't have it added, click Add Server and enter the IP
5. You should see your icon next to the server name

📝 Nota

If you already had the server added, sometimes the client caches the previous icon. Try closing and reopening Minecraft, or remove the server from the list and add it again.

Changing the icon in the future

To change the icon:

1. Create the new image (64x64, PNG)
2. Name it server-icon.png
3. Upload it to the server root folder (it will overwrite the previous one)
4. Restart the server

You don't need to change any configuration — the filename is always the same.

Troubleshooting

The icon doesn't appear

• Check the name: Must be exactly server-icon.png (all lowercase, with hyphen, not underscore)
• Check the size: Must be exactly 64x64 pixels. Not 63, not 65, not 128. Exactly 64x64.
• Check the format: Must be a real PNG. If you rename a JPG to .png it won't work — it has to be a true PNG file.
• Check the location: The file must be in the same folder as server.properties (server root, not in a subfolder).
• Did you restart? The icon only loads when the server starts. If you didn't restart, it won't change.

The icon looks pixelated or blurry

• It's normal for a 64x64 icon to look pixelated — it's very small. To make it look good:
• Use simple designs with few details
• Avoid very small text (it won't be readable)
• Pixel art style logos look better at 64x64
• If your logo has lots of detail, simplify it for the icon

The icon looks fine on my PC but not on a friend's

• The Minecraft client caches icons. Your friend can try:
• Refreshing the server list
• Removing the server and adding it again
• Closing and reopening Minecraft

Error "server-icon.png is not a valid PNG"

• Make sure the file is a real PNG (not a renamed JPG)
• Try opening the file with an image viewer — if it doesn't open, it's corrupted
• Re-export the image from an editor like GIMP or Paint

Additional information

Can I use an animated GIF?

No. Minecraft only supports static PNG for the server icon. There's no animation support.

Can I have different icons based on time or events?

Yes, but it requires a plugin. Plugins like ServerListPlus or MiniMOTD allow automatic icon rotation. The plugin replaces server-icon.png or overrides it in memory.

Does it work on Bedrock/Geyser?

The server icon works on Minecraft Java Edition. On Bedrock (including Geyser connections), the icon only shows if the server is listed as a featured server. For custom Bedrock servers, the icon is configured differently (in Bedrock's server.properties with server-icon=path).

Does the icon affect performance?

No. The icon is a 64x64 pixel file sent once when the client pings the server. It has zero performance impact.

Quick summary

1. Create a PNG image of exactly 64x64 pixels
2. Save it as server-icon.png
3. Upload it to the server root folder (where server.properties is)
4. Restart the server
5. Done — your logo appears in every player's server list