Getting a solid roblox nametag script fe set up is one of those things that seems simple until you realize your players are the only ones who can see their own tags. Because of Filtering Enabled (FE), anything you do on the client stays on the client. If you want everyone in your server to see those cool custom titles, group ranks, or just a simple name floating above a character's head, you have to do it the right way through a server-side script.
It's honestly one of the first "real" hurdles for a lot of new developers. You might have found some old tutorials from 2016 that don't work anymore, or maybe you tried to just put a BillboardGui inside the StarterCharacterScripts and realized it's a mess to manage. Today, we're going to walk through how to build a robust, FE-compatible nametag system that looks good and, more importantly, actually functions across the whole server.
Why Filtering Enabled changes everything
Back in the day, Roblox was a bit of a "wild west" when it came to scripting. You could change things locally and they would just show up for everyone. But that was a massive security risk, so Roblox switched to Filtering Enabled by default. Now, the server is the source of truth.
When we talk about a roblox nametag script fe, we're talking about a script that runs on the server (usually in ServerScriptService). This script listens for when a player joins, waits for their character to load, and then "gifts" them a UI tag. Because the server is the one placing the tag on the player's head, every other player's client sees it too. If you tried to do this with a LocalScript, you'd be the only person seeing your fancy "Developer" tag while everyone else just sees your blank avatar.
Setting up the BillboardGui
Before we even touch the code, we need to design what the tag actually looks like. You can't really "script" the visual look of a UI easily without having a template to work from. I usually suggest creating a folder in ServerStorage called "Assets" and putting your nametag UI in there.
- Insert a BillboardGui into your workspace just to design it.
- Set the
Adorneeto a part (like a dummy's head) so you can see what you're doing. - Set the
Sizeto something like{0, 200}, {0, 50}. - Change the
StudsOffsetto something like0, 2, 0so it floats above the head and doesn't clip into the player's face. - Inside that BillboardGui, add a TextLabel. Make sure to set the background transparency to 1 if you want it to look clean.
One little tip I've learned over the years: always enable TextScaled. It makes sure your text fits the box regardless of how long the player's name is. Also, play around with the AlwaysOnTop property. If it's off, the tag will hide behind walls. If it's on, you can see everyone's name through bricks. Depending on what kind of game you're making (like a horror game vs. a social hangout), this setting makes a huge difference.
Writing the server script
Now for the meat of the project. We need a script in ServerScriptService that handles the heavy lifting. We're going to use the PlayerAdded and CharacterAdded events. These are basically the two most important events for any script that deals with players.
The logic goes like this: - Player joins the game. - We wait for their character (the physical body) to spawn in the workspace. - We grab a copy of that BillboardGui we made in ServerStorage. - We parent that copy to the player's head. - We change the TextLabel inside to match the player's name.
The reason we have to wait for the character is that sometimes a player joins, but their body hasn't actually loaded yet. If your script tries to put a tag on a head that doesn't exist, it'll throw an error and stop working. Using player.CharacterAdded:Wait() is a lifesaver here.
Handling Group Ranks
If you're making a game for a group—like a cafe or a military roleplay—you probably want the tag to show their rank. This is where a roblox nametag script fe becomes really useful. You can use the GetRoleInGroup function.
Inside your script, after you've cloned the tag, you can check: local rank = player:GetRoleInGroup(YOUR_GROUP_ID). Then, you just set the TextLabel to say something like player.Name .. " - " .. rank. It's an easy way to make your game feel a lot more professional. People love seeing their hard-earned ranks displayed for everyone to see.
Making it look "Premium"
A plain white text tag is okay, but we can do better. If you want to add some flair, you can use UIGradient or UIStroke. A thin black outline (UIStroke) makes the text much easier to read against bright backgrounds, like the sky or white parts of your map.
I've seen some developers get really fancy with it by changing the tag's color based on who the player is. For example, you could have a list of UserIDs for "VIPs" or "Friends," and if the player's ID matches, the script changes the TextLabel's TextColor3 to a nice gold or neon green. It's a small touch, but players really eat that stuff up. It makes them feel special and gives people an incentive to buy gamepasses if you link the colors to a VIP purchase.
Common pitfalls to avoid
Even with a perfect roblox nametag script fe, things can go wrong. One of the most common issues is the "double tag" bug. This happens if your script runs every time a character spawns but doesn't check if an old tag is still there. When a player resets or dies, their old character is destroyed, but sometimes things can get messy if you aren't careful with your parenting.
Another thing is the NameDisplayDistance on the Humanoid. By default, Roblox has its own built-in nametags. They're kind of ugly and gray. To get rid of them so your custom tag is the only thing showing, you should set Humanoid.DisplayDistanceType to None. You can do this right in the same script that gives them the custom tag. This ensures that the clunky default nametag doesn't overlap with your beautiful custom one.
Optimizing for large servers
If you're planning on having 50 or 100 players in a single server, you have to think about performance. While a few BillboardGuis won't lag the game, having hundreds of them with complex gradients and scripts might start to eat at some mobile players' frame rates.
Keep your UI elements simple. You don't need five different frames and ten images inside a single nametag. One BillboardGui and two TextLabels (one for the name, one for the rank) is usually plenty. Also, make sure you aren't using a while true do loop to update the text. Only update the text when it needs to change—like when they first spawn or if they buy a rank up in-game.
Troubleshooting tips
If your tag isn't showing up, the first place to look is the Output window. If you see an error saying "Head is not a valid member of Model," it means your script ran too fast and the player's head hadn't loaded yet. Adding a char:WaitForChild("Head") usually fixes that right up.
Another common issue is the tag appearing inside the player's chest or at their feet. This usually means your StudsOffset is set to 0 or you parented the tag to the HumanoidRootPart instead of the Head. The HumanoidRootPart is the center of the character, so a tag parented there will look like it's coming out of their stomach. Stick to the head for the best results.
Wrapping things up
Setting up a roblox nametag script fe is a rite of passage for Roblox devs. It teaches you the basics of server-to-client replication, UI parenting, and how to handle player events. Once you get the hang of it, you can start adding even cooler features, like overhead health bars, level indicators, or even icons for developers and staff members.
The beauty of scripting in Roblox is that once you have a template that works, you can reuse it in every project you make. Just keep your code clean, make sure you're doing everything on the server, and don't be afraid to experiment with the visuals. At the end of the day, a good nametag is more than just a label—it's part of the identity players have in your game world. So, go ahead and get that script running, and watch your game come to life with a bit more personality.