Which banner size do you need?
There is no single size every server list uses. Each list sets its own rules for width, height, file type and file size, so check them before you upload. These are the sizes Banner Studio exports and what they are good for:
| Size | Pixels | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Classic web banner | 468×60 | The old IAB "full banner" format. Many sites and lists still use it, even though the IAB dropped it from its standard list in 2011. |
| Server list card | 740×200 | The banner on your BestMCServerList card and server page, which is wider and taller than a classic banner. |
| Wide header | 960×200 | Website headers, forum posts and Discord announcements. |
Make one banner per size instead of stretching one file. A 740×200 design squeezed into 468×60 loses most of its text, and scaling pixel art to odd sizes makes it blurry.
BestMCServerList accepts banners as GIF, PNG, WebP or JPEG, up to 2 MB.
Step 1: Decide what the banner has to say
A banner is read in about the time it takes to scroll past it. Pick three things and leave out the rest:
- The server name, as big as the space allows.
- One hook: the game mode or the one thing that makes you different, for example "Survival with towns" or "Skyblock 1.21".
- The address, so players can copy it without opening your page.
Feature lists, Discord links and long slogans do not fit into 60 pixels of height. Put them into your server description instead.
Step 2: Design for readability
- Big pixel text. On a 468×60 banner the name should fill most of the height. Thin fonts and small taglines turn into noise.
- Contrast. Light text with a dark outline works on any background, including busy landscapes and particles.
- A calm background. Moving clouds, stars or water are fine. A background that moves as much as the text pulls the eye away from the name.
- A first frame that works alone. Make sure the name and address are already visible in frame one. Some places show a still image, and that is usually the first frame.
- Matching colours. Use the same colours and symbol as your server icon and your MOTD, so players recognise you across the list, the game and Discord.
Step 3: Animate it without flashing
Animation should support the banner, not shout. Slow particles, a light sweep over the logo or drifting clouds draw attention without making the text hard to read.
Avoid hard flashes and fast blinking. The web accessibility guidelines (WCAG 2.1, success criterion 2.3.1) say content should not flash more than three times per second, because flashing can trigger seizures. A smooth loop is also simply more pleasant on a page with many banners.
Make the loop seamless: the last frame should lead back into the first. An animated GIF can repeat forever; in the file this is a loop count of 0 in the NETSCAPE2.0 extension. Banner Studio exports looping GIFs.
Step 4: Keep the GIF file small
A GIF stores every frame, and each frame can have its own palette of up to 256 colours. The file grows with the canvas size, the number of frames and the amount of detail that changes from frame to frame. These steps make it smaller, roughly from the biggest effect to the smallest:
- Lower the frame rate. 10 to 12 frames per second is enough for most pixel animations.
- Shorten the loop. Two to four seconds is plenty for particles or a light sweep.
- Use chunkier pixels. Larger art pixels compress far better than fine detail.
- Cut fine noise and particles. Small things that change in every frame cost the most.
- Use fewer colours. 64 colours instead of 128 or 256 often looks the same in pixel art.
In Banner Studio the size meter estimates the file while you edit. If the banner is over the limit, "Make it fit 2 MB" tries these steps one after another and stops as soon as the file fits.
Step 5: Upload it and use it elsewhere
Export a GIF for the animation, or a PNG if a site only accepts still images. On BestMCServerList you can send the finished banner straight to one of your listings with "Use this banner", or upload the file in the banner field of your server form.
On your own website, give the image a fixed width and height, so the page does not jump while the GIF loads, and a meaningful alt text:
<a href="https://example.com/">
<img src="/img/banner-468x60.gif" width="468" height="60"
alt="MyServer – Survival with towns – play.example.com">
</a>For Discord announcements and forum posts, the wide 960×200 header has room for the name, a hook and the address in large text.
Common mistakes
| Problem | Fix |
|---|---|
| The upload is rejected as too large | Lower the frame rate, shorten the loop or use fewer colours. Check the limit of each list. |
| The text is unreadable on the 468×60 version | Make a separate design for that size with only the name and address. |
| The banner looks blurry | It was scaled to a size it was not made for. Export it in the exact size the list wants. |
| The colours have bands or dots | A gradient was reduced to too few colours. Use flat colour areas or allow more colours. |
| The loop jumps | The last frame does not lead back into the first. Make moving elements leave and enter the frame at the same speed. |
| Everything blinks | Slow the animation down and avoid flashes, especially more than three per second. |
Once the banner is done, it helps with the bigger job of getting the first players to your server.
