Minecraft Server Icon

Goals

• Create an icon with exact specifications
• Install it in the correct path via SFTP
• Apply changes without surprises
• Test the display in the client
• Troubleshoot common cases

Requirements

• A Minecraft server (Java or Bedrock)
• SFTP access or your hosting panel console
• An image editor (GIMP, Photoshop, Paint.NET, or Canva)

1) Design the icon

Mandatory specs

• Format: PNG (transparency supported)
• Dimensions: exactly 64 x 64 pixels
• Recommended depth: 32‑bit RGBA
• File name: server-icon.png (exact name and casing)
• Suggested size: under 50 KB

Design tips

• High contrast so it remains legible on light and dark backgrounds
• Keep it simple; avoid tiny details at this scale
• Use bold colors to stand out in the server list
• Match your gameplay theme (medieval, modern, survival, etc.)

Create with different tools

GIMP (free)

1. File → New → 64 x 64 pixels
2. Create or import your artwork
3. Image → Scale Image → 64 x 64
4. File → Export As → server-icon.png (compression 6–9)

Canva (web)

1. Create a custom 64 x 64 design
2. Use an icon or logo template
3. Download as PNG, transparent background if needed

Photoshop

1. File → New → 64 x 64 (72 DPI)
2. Build your artwork on layers
3. File → Export → Export As → PNG

Paint.NET (Windows)

1. Image → Resize or New Image → 64 x 64
2. Draw or paste your image
3. File → Save As → PNG

Verify the file before upload

Linux

file server-icon.png
identify server-icon.png

Windows PowerShell

Get-ChildItem server-icon.png | Select-Object Name, Length

Final checklist

• Exact name: server-icon.png
• Dimensions: 64 x 64
• Format: PNG
• Reasonable file size
• Readable at small scale
• Consistent with your theme

2) Upload the icon to the server

Exact location

Place the file in the root folder of your Minecraft server, next to the server.properties file.

Typical layout

/path/to/your-server/
├── server-icon.png   ← put it here
├── server.properties
├── world/
├── plugins/          (Bukkit/Spigot/Paper)
├── mods/             (Forge/Fabric)
└── logs/

Upload methods

Method 1 — FileZilla

1. Open FileZilla and connect via SFTP
2. Navigate to the server root
3. Drag and drop server-icon.png into that folder

Method 2 — WinSCP (Windows)

1. Connect via SFTP
2. Open the server root
3. Right‑click → Upload → server-icon.png

Method 3 — Terminal or SSH (advanced)

From your local machine

scp server-icon.png user@server-ip:/path/to/server/

From the server

wget https://example.com/my-icon.png -O server-icon.png

Permissions to check

ssh user@server-ip
ls -la server-icon.png
chmod 644 server-icon.png
chown minecraft:minecraft server-icon.png   # adjust to your user/group

3) Apply the change

The icon is loaded when the server starts. A restart is required.

Via your hosting panel

1. Open your Minecraft service page
2. Click Restart

Via the Minecraft console

stop
# Wait for a full stop, then start from the panel

Via SSH (self‑managed server, example)

pkill -SIGTERM java
./start.sh
# or
java -jar server.jar nogui

Propagation

• Immediate effect after restart
• Client cache: you may need to refresh the server list
• If you use a domain, DNS resolution might take a few minutes

4) Test

Minecraft client

1. Open Minecraft (Java or Bedrock as appropriate)
2. Multiplayer → Add the server if needed
3. Refresh the list
4. Confirm your custom icon appears

Multi‑platform checks

• Java: PC, Mac, Linux
• Bedrock: mobile, console, Switch
• Common versions: 1.19, 1.20, 1.21 and later

5) Troubleshooting

Icon not showing

• Confirm PNG format
• Confirm 64 x 64 dimensions
• Confirm the exact file name
• Restart the server after upload

Icon not updating (client cache)

# Linux
rm -rf ~/.minecraft/server-resource-packs/
rm -rf ~/.minecraft/assets/

# Windows (cmd or PowerShell; adapt as needed)
del /s "%appdata%\.minecraft\server-resource-packs\*"

# macOS
rm -rf ~/Library/Application\ Support/minecraft/server-resource-packs/

Server‑side permissions

ls -la server-icon.png
chown minecraft:minecraft server-icon.png
chmod 644 server-icon.png

Plugin or config conflicts

• Advanced list managers or hot‑reloads can interfere
• Perform a full restart if a reload is not enough

Summary

• Icon created as PNG 64 x 64 and named server-icon.png
• Uploaded to the server root next to server.properties
• Restart required for the change to apply
• Quick checks and ready‑to‑use fixes for common issues