NapNodes
Free tool · Project Zomboid

Project Zomboid welcome message generator

The first thing every player reads when they join your server comes from ServerWelcomeMessage in the .ini: the rules, your Discord, what the server is about. Write it here with colours and on several lines, see how it looks in chat and copy the line. It all happens in your browser: nothing is sent.

Start from a template:

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3

Welcome to the server!
 
Rules:
1. No stealing from other people's bases.
2. PvP only in the marked zone.
3. Be respectful in chat.

For the panel’s “Welcome message”

<RGB:1,0.82,0.29> Welcome to the server! <LINE> <LINE> <RGB:1,0.42,0.42> Rules: <LINE> <RGB:1,1,1> 1. No stealing from other people's bases. <LINE> <RGB:1,1,1> 2. PvP only in the marked zone. <LINE> <RGB:1,1,1> 3. Be respectful in chat.

The whole .ini line

ServerWelcomeMessage=<RGB:1,0.82,0.29> Welcome to the server! <LINE> <LINE> <RGB:1,0.42,0.42> Rules: <LINE> <RGB:1,1,1> 1. No stealing from other people's bases. <LINE> <RGB:1,1,1> 2. PvP only in the marked zone. <LINE> <RGB:1,1,1> 3. Be respectful in chat.

236 characters, on a single line.

Already have one? Paste it and see it

How to put it on your server

  1. On your PC or another host: stop the server, open its .ini (in the Zomboid\Server folder, servertest.ini if you haven't renamed it), replace the line starting with ServerWelcomeMessage= with the one you copied and start it again.
  2. With the server running: an admin can change it on the spot from the console with /changeoption ServerWelcomeMessage "your message" and then /reloadoptions.
  3. At NapNodes: in the panel, “Settings” → “The essentials” → “Welcome message”. Paste the message (without “ServerWelcomeMessage=”: the field already is that option), it saves by itself, and restart the server so it reads it.

The rest of the .ini options (password, public list, PvP, safehouses) are explained in the Project Zomboid server .ini; and if you'd rather change them all at once in plain words, use the settings editor.

What to put in the message

  • The rules, short: three or four, the ones that are actually enforced (stealing, PvP, chat). Nobody reads long text in chat.
  • Where the community is: the Discord invite, short, because it can't be clicked.
  • What makes your server different: if it's roleplay, PvP, modded or with a harsher world, say so on the first line. For a roleplay one, see also how to set up a roleplay server.
  • One colour to stand out and the rest default: if everything is coloured, nothing stands out.

Frequently asked questions

How do I add colour to the welcome message?

With <RGB:r,g,b> in front of the text, each number from 0 to 1: <RGB:1,0,0> is red and <RGB:1,1,1> is white. The colour carries on until the next tag. They don't go from 0 to 255 like elsewhere: this tool does the maths for you.

How do I make several lines?

With <LINE> wherever you want the break, with a space on each side. Two in a row leave a blank line. In the .ini everything goes on a single line: if you press Enter inside the value, what follows is no longer part of the message.

Where does it go?

In the server's .ini (servertest.ini if you haven't renamed it), on the ServerWelcomeMessage= line. On Windows it's in C:\Users\<your user>\Zomboid\Server. Change it with the server stopped: it's read at startup.

Can I add a link that opens when clicked?

No. The game only understands colour and line breaks; a link shows up as text, to be copied by hand. That's why it's best kept short, like a Discord invite.

How often do players see it?

Every time they join: it's the first thing in chat when they connect. If you want to announce something right now, an admin can type in chat or use /servermsg from the console.

Does it work for Build 41?

Yes: the option and the tags are the same in Build 41 and 42. This tool follows the Build 42 .ini, which is the one played today.

No server yet?

At NapNodes you get a free Project Zomboid server, no card, on Build 42 and with every .ini setting explained in plain words in “Settings”: you start it when you want to play and it stops on its own when nobody is on. If you want it always on, you move to a plan with the same save.

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