JoinMessagePlus: Customize Your Server's Join and Quit Messages
Every Minecraft server owner knows that the default join and quit messages can feel a bit lifeless. "Player123 joined the game" gets the job done, but it doesn't reflect your community's personality. Whether you run a small survival world or a sprawling BungeeCord network, the messages players see when someone logs in or out set the tone. JoinMessagePlus is a lightweight Bukkit and BungeeCord plugin that gives you full control over these notifications, letting you craft welcoming or humorous farewells without touching a single line of code.
What Is JoinMessagePlus?
JoinMessagePlus is a server-side plugin designed to replace or completely disable the standard join and quit announcements. It works seamlessly on both single-server Bukkit/Spigot setups and multi-server BungeeCord networks. With over 83,000 downloads, it has become a go-to tool for administrators who want a clean, customizable messaging system. The plugin stands out because it requires no commands and no permissions—just a straightforward configuration file that you can tweak in minutes.
Key Features at a Glance
- Full control over join and leave messages, including the ability to turn them off entirely.
- Native support for PlaceholderAPI, unlocking dynamic placeholders like player names, ranks, and server stats.
- BungeeCord compatibility, so you can unify messages across an entire network.
- Integration with AuthMeReloaded, ensuring messages display correctly even when authentication plugins are in use.
- No commands to memorize and no permission nodes to manage—ideal for admins who prefer simplicity.
Installation and Setup
Getting JoinMessagePlus running on your server is a four-step process that takes less than a minute. First, download the JoinMessagePlus-X.X.jar file from its official page. Next, place that JAR into your server's plugins folder. If you're running a BungeeCord network, you'll put it in the BungeeCord plugins directory instead. Then, start or reload your server, and the plugin will generate a fresh config.yml inside plugins/JoinMessagePlus/. That's it—no extra commands needed. If you prefer a more visual way to manage server add-ons, you can also handle this plugin through the foxygame.net launcher, a flexible and modern Minecraft launcher that lets you download and install plugins like JoinMessagePlus right from its built-in menu.
Configuration Deep Dive
All the magic happens inside the config.yml file. Open it with any text editor, and you'll see two main sections: one for join messages and one for leave messages. Each can be customized with color codes, formatting, and placeholders. The plugin supports standard Minecraft color codes using the & symbol, so you can make messages pop with vibrant hues. If you have PlaceholderAPI installed, you can insert placeholders like %player_name%, %player_displayname%, or any other placeholder from your loaded expansions. For example, you might set the join message to &aWelcome back, %player_name%! &eThe adventure continues. After editing, simply reload the server or use a plugin manager to apply the changes.
Example Configurations
Here's how a typical join message might look in your config:
Join-Message: "&8[&a+&8] &7%player_name% &ejoined the realm."
And a leave message:
Leave-Message: "&8[&c-&8] &7%player_name% &eleft the realm."
If you want to disable messages entirely for a specific world or server, you can set the value to an empty string or use the disable option. The plugin's flexibility means you can have different messages for different servers in a BungeeCord network, all controlled from a single config if you use the Bungee version.
Compatibility and Integrations
JoinMessagePlus plays nicely with several popular server tools. PlaceholderAPI support is a game-changer, allowing you to pull data from economy plugins, rank systems, and even custom placeholders. On BungeeCord networks, the plugin can broadcast join and quit messages globally or per-server, depending on your setup. AuthMeReloaded compatibility ensures that the join message only fires after a player has successfully authenticated, preventing confusing notifications when someone is still typing a password. This tight integration makes it a reliable choice for both public and private servers.
Why Choose JoinMessagePlus?
Many server admins gravitate toward JoinMessagePlus because it removes friction. There are no commands to accidentally mistype, no permission nodes to assign, and no complex dependencies. The entire plugin revolves around a single config file that you can edit and forget. Its lightweight nature means it won't bog down your server's performance, and the active source code repository at github.com/4ndyZ/JoinMessagePlus shows that it's maintained with community feedback in mind. If you run into issues, opening a ticket on the plugin's page gets you direct support.
Conclusion
JoinMessagePlus turns a mundane server feature into an opportunity for creativity. Whether you want to greet players with their in-game rank, broadcast a custom message when a staff member logs in, or simply silence the default spam, this plugin delivers without any hassle. Its support for PlaceholderAPI, BungeeCord, and AuthMeReloaded makes it versatile enough for nearly any server environment. By spending just a few minutes in the config, you can give your community a more polished and personalized experience—one join message at a time.