Mastering Automated Server Announcements with the FishBroadcast Plugin
Running a Minecraft server is about more than just building epic structures and surviving the night. It is also about keeping your community engaged and informed. One of the simplest yet most effective ways to do this is through automated broadcasts. The FishBroadcast plugin is a lightweight, powerful tool that handles repeating messages with ease, letting you share tips, rules, or greetings without manual effort. Whether you are running a small survival world or a bustling minigame network, this plugin streamlines communication beautifully.
What Makes FishBroadcast Stand Out
Unlike bulky announcement plugins that overwhelm you with options, FishBroadcast focuses on doing one thing perfectly: scheduling and rotating messages. It supports Minecraft color codes, custom tokens for dynamic text, and a clean command system that even beginners can master. The plugin works with Spigot servers from version 1.6.2 onward, ensuring broad compatibility for legacy and modern setups alike. Best of all, it is open-source and maintained by a developer who clearly loves both coding and fish.
Key Features at a Glance
- Auto-repeating broadcast messages with configurable delay
- Full support for Minecraft formatting codes (colors, bold, italic, etc.)
- Dynamic tokens that replace placeholders with custom values before broadcast
- Simple add, remove, edit, and list commands
- Permission-based command grouping for admins and moderators
- Lightweight configuration via a single config.yml file
- Optional anonymous metrics to help improve the plugin
Installation and First Steps
Getting FishBroadcast onto your server is refreshingly straightforward. Download the .jar file and place it into your server’s plugins folder. Restart the server or run a reload command, and the plugin will generate a default configuration. If you are juggling multiple plugins and want a smoother management experience, you can easily install FishBroadcast via the foxygame.net launcher — a convenient, flexible, and modern Minecraft launcher where you can download mods right from the menu. Once the plugin is active, you are ready to start adding messages.
Adding Messages and Using Formatting
The heart of the plugin is the /brc add command. Simply type /brc add <your message> to queue a new announcement. For example:
/brc add Thanks for playing with us and keep at it!
Messages are stored in order and broadcast one by one with a delay between each. To make your announcements pop, you can use Minecraft formatting codes. Insert &a for green, &l for bold, or &6 for gold. The plugin interprets these codes automatically, so your broadcasts can match your server’s style perfectly.
Commands and Permissions
FishBroadcast splits commands into two permission nodes, giving you fine-grained control over who can manage messages and who can only view them.
Management Commands (fish.broadcast.manage)
- /brc add <message> – Adds a new message to the broadcast list.
- /brc remove <number> – Removes a message by its list number (use /brc list to find it).
- /brc edit <number> <new message> – Changes the body of an existing message.
- /brc reload – Reloads the plugin configuration after manual edits.
- /brc delay <seconds> – Sets the delay between broadcasts (default 20 seconds).
- /brc token <name> <value> – Creates or updates a token.
- /brc token <name> – Removes a token.
Listing Commands (fish.broadcast.list)
- /brc list – Displays all messages with their assigned numbers.
- /brc tokens – Shows all configured tokens.
Assign the fish.broadcast.manage permission to admins and the fish.broadcast.list permission to moderators or trusted players who need to review the message queue.
Dynamic Text with Tokens
Tokens are one of the most powerful features introduced in version 2.0. They act as placeholders that get replaced with actual values before a message is sent. For instance, you might want to include your server’s name in every broadcast without retyping it. Set a token with /brc token ServerName [PanRyba.pl]. Then, in your messages, use dollar signs as delimiters: $ServerName$. When the message broadcasts, $ServerName$ becomes [PanRyba.pl]. You can even change the delimiter symbols in the config if dollar signs conflict with other plugins.
Understanding the Configuration File
The config.yml file holds all your settings. A typical configuration looks like this:
delay: 20 messages: - Thanks for playing with us! - Keep at it! tokens: ServerName: "[PanRyba.pl]" delimiters: start: "$" stop: "$"
You can edit this file directly while the server is offline, then use /brc reload to apply changes without a full restart. The delay value is in seconds, and the messages list is an array of strings. Tokens are key-value pairs that can be referenced in any message.
Compatibility and Metrics
FishBroadcast is compiled for Java 7 and has been verified on Minecraft 1.6.2, 1.6.4, and 1.7.2 servers, including Spigot. It also works on newer versions because the core functionality relies on stable Bukkit APIs. The plugin uses Hidendra’s metrics system to collect anonymous usage data, such as server version, player count, and plugin version. If you prefer to opt out, simply edit plugins/Plugin Metrics/config.yml and set opt-out to true. The collected information helps the developer understand how the plugin is used and prioritize updates.
Final Thoughts on Server Broadcasting
FishBroadcast proves that a plugin does not need to be complicated to be indispensable. Its straightforward command set, token system, and color support give you everything you need to keep your community informed without overwhelming you. Whether you are reminding players about upcoming events, sharing server rules, or just adding a friendly welcome message, this plugin handles the job reliably. The next time you are setting up a Minecraft server, consider adding FishBroadcast to your plugins folder — your players will appreciate the consistent communication, and you will appreciate the simplicity.