How to Add a Custom Minecraft Server Icon

The rules for a server icon

A Minecraft server icon is a single image with three strict requirements. Miss any one and it simply will not appear:

• Exactly 64x64 pixels. Not 63, not 128 — exactly 64 by 64.
• PNG format. It must be a .png (transparency is supported and looks great for logos).
• Named server-icon.png — that exact name, all lowercase, with the hyphen.

This is a Java Edition feature. Bedrock does not use a server-icon.png the same way, so this guide is for Java servers.

Step 1: Make a 64x64 PNG

You need a 64x64 PNG. Any image editor does it:

1. Pick or design an image — a logo, a symbol, a screenshot. Simple, high-contrast images read best at this tiny size.
2. Resize it to 64x64. Crop it square first (so it does not stretch), then resize to exactly 64x64 in your editor or a free online resizer.
3. Export as PNG and name the file server-icon.png. Keep transparency if your logo has rounded or non-square edges.

Step 2: Drop it in the server folder

The icon goes in the server's root folder — the same place as server.properties, not inside the world.

1. Place the file. Put server-icon.png in the top-level server directory, next to server.properties.
2. Restart the server. The icon is loaded at start-up, so it will not appear until you restart.
3. Re-add the server in your client. Minecraft caches the old (blank) icon, so remove and re-add the server in your multiplayer list — or restart the client — to see the new one.

Self-hosted, copy the file in with your file explorer. On hosting, upload it through the panel's file manager (drag-and-drop) or over SFTP into the root folder, then hit restart.

Why your icon is not showing

If it is still blank, it is almost always one of these — check them in order:

• Wrong size. It must be exactly 64x64 pixels. This is the number-one cause; re-check in your editor.
• Wrong name or format. Exactly server-icon.png, lowercase, and a real PNG (not a JPG renamed to .png).
• Wrong folder. It belongs in the server root beside server.properties, not in the world folder or a subfolder.
• No restart. The server only reads the icon at start-up — restart after adding it.
• Client cache. Your client remembers the old blank icon; remove and re-add the server entry to refresh it.

Making it look sharp

• Use transparency. A PNG with a transparent background sits cleanly on the server list instead of a coloured square.
• Match your brand. If your server has a name, colours or a Discord, echo them in the icon so it is instantly recognisable.
• Animated icons are not vanilla. The stock server list shows a static icon; animated server icons need a specialised plugin and only some clients honour them, so do not count on it.
• Keep the source file. Save your full-size original so you can re-export if you rebrand — re-shrinking a shrunk image looks rough.

The one-click way on hosting

On a HytHost Minecraft server this is about as easy as it gets: open the panel's file manager, drag your server-icon.png into the root folder, and click restart. No SFTP client, no router, nothing to configure — your icon is live in the server list in under a minute. It is a small touch, but a sharp icon is the difference between a server people click and one they scroll past.