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First Impressions & Strategic Onboarding

The “Message of the Day” (MOTD) is the primary visual interface every player encounters when initializing their connection to your Counter-Strike: Source (CSS) server. using a full web-browser implementation within the Source 1 engine, the MOTD enables you to deliver rich HTML content, stylized community rules, and vibrant promotional banners directly to your participants. A professionally architected MOTD is essential for establishing community standards and promoting external resources such as your Discord Server.

Difficulty

Beginner

Time

3 Minutes

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Technical Registry Management

The authoritative content for your welcome screen is governed by a single text file situated within your server’s primary directory.
  • Technical Path: /cstrike/motd.txt

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Implementing a Stylized Interface

Open the motd.txt file and input your structural HTML data. We recommend using an internal CSS block to maintain a consistent visual identity. 
<html>
<head>
    <style>
        body { background-color: #121212; color: #ffffff; font-family: sans-serif; padding: 20px; text-align: center; }
        h1 { color: #ffcc00; border-bottom: 2px solid #ffcc00; padding-bottom: 10px; }
        ul { list-style-type: none; padding: 0; }
        li { padding: 5px; font-size: 1.1em; }
    </style>
</head>
<body>
    <h1>Welcome to FREAKHOSTING Elite</h1>
    <p>Please adhere to our community protocols:</p>
    <ul>
        <li>[1] Absolute zero tolerance for malicious exploitation.</li>
        <li>[2] Maintain professional conduct with all participants.</li>
    </ul>
    <img src="https://yourdomain.com/community-banner.jpg" style="max-width: 100%; margin-top: 20px;">
</body>
</html>

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Technical Limitations & Compatibility

The internal MOTD browser is architected upon a legacy engine. To ensure absolute compatibility for all players, avoid implementing complex JavaScript, modern CSS Grid/Flexbox, or external video embeds. Simple, semantic HTML ensures that your rules load instantaneously regardless of the player’s hardware configuration.
If you prefer to host your MOTD on a specialized web server, you can use a single redirection line within your motd.txt. Simply input the full URL (e.g., http://yourvtc.com/rules.html) and the engine will programmatically fetch and render the remote content.

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Need Extra Help?

If you encounter any issues, our support team is ready to assist:

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Last Updated: January 2026 | CSS: Welcome to the team.