What Are Minecraft Color Codes?

Quick answer: Minecraft color codes are two-character tags made of the section sign § and a digit or letter, such as §c for red or §l for bold. Each one changes the text that follows it until another code or §r resets it. Most servers also accept & in place of §, so &c and §c give the same red.

The same codes are often searched for as Minecraft colour codes or Minecraft text colors; the list does not change with the spelling.

Codes come in two kinds. Color codes use the digits 0 to 9 and the letters a to f, which gives 16 colors that both Java and Bedrock understand. Formatting codes use k, l, m, n, and o for scrambled, bold, strikethrough, underlined, and italic text, and r returns everything to normal. Newer Java versions add millions of hex colors through JSON text and server plugins, while Bedrock adds its own set of material colors.

• 16 Colors shared by Java and Bedrock
• 6 Formatting and reset codes
• 12 Extra Bedrock colors

How Do You Use Minecraft Color Codes?

1. Write your text: A chat message, rank, sign, or server description.
2. Put a code in front: A color first, then any formats, then the words.
3. Check the preview: The Color Code Editor shows it as players will see it.
4. Paste it in the right place: Chat, a sign, a plugin config, or server.properties.

Need a name to color? Get ideas from the nickname generator.

What Is the Full List of Minecraft Color Codes?

Code	Plugin code	Color	JSON name	Hex
§0	&0	Black	black	#000000
§1	&1	Dark Blue	dark_blue	#0000AA
§2	&2	Dark Green	dark_green	#00AA00
§3	&3	Dark Aqua	dark_aqua	#00AAAA
§4	&4	Dark Red	dark_red	#AA0000
§5	&5	Dark Purple	dark_purple	#AA00AA
§6	&6	Gold	gold	#FFAA00
§7	&7	Gray	gray	#AAAAAA
§8	&8	Dark Gray	dark_gray	#555555
§9	&9	Blue	blue	#5555FF
§a	&a	Green	green	#55FF55
§b	&b	Aqua	aqua	#55FFFF
§c	&c	Red	red	#FF5555
§d	&d	Light Purple	light_purple	#FF55FF
§e	&e	Yellow	yellow	#FFFF55
§f	&f	White	white	#FFFFFF

To write messages in the galactic enchanting table alphabet, use the enchanting table translator.

Every letter also draws a darker copy of itself one pixel down and to the right. That shadow is the same color at a quarter of the brightness, which is why dark blue and black text can be hard to read on a dark background.

Which Codes Make Text Bold, Italic or Underlined?

Code	Effect	JSON key	Editions
§k	Obfuscated: letters keep changing at random	obfuscated	Java and Bedrock
§l	Bold	bold	Java and Bedrock
§m	Strikethrough	strikethrough	Java only
§n	Underline	underlined	Java only
§o	Italic	italic	Java and Bedrock
§r	Reset to the default color and style	none	Java and Bedrock

Arrows, stars, and hearts for ranks and signs are in the text symbols library.

Order matters. In Java Edition, a color code switches off any bold, italic, or other format that came before it. Write the color first and the format second: §6§lGold bold works, while §l§6 gives plain gold. To change color in the middle of a bold phrase, repeat the format after the new color.

How Do You Type the § Symbol?

Device	How to type §
Windows	Hold Alt and type 0167 on the number pad, then let go of Alt
Mac	Option and 6 on a US keyboard
iPhone and iPad	Open the numbers keyboard and hold down the & key
Android	Look on the second page of symbols in most keyboards
Any device	Copy a code from the editor on this page

Many players never type § at all. Server plugins read & instead, because it sits on every keyboard, and the Code symbol switch above changes every style card between the two.

Where Can You Use Color Codes in Java and Bedrock?

Place	Java Edition	Bedrock Edition
Typing in chat	Only on servers with a chat plugin, using & codes	Yes, type § codes
Signs	Dye the whole sign, or use commands	Yes, type § codes
Renaming items on an anvil	No, § is removed	Yes
Books	Through commands or data packs	Yes
/tellraw and /title	JSON text with a color key	§ codes inside rawtext
Server list description	MOTD in server.properties, written with \u00A7	Set by the server software
Resource packs and plugin files	§ in language files, & in most plugin configs	§ in language files

Can You Use Hex Colors and Gradients in Minecraft?

It can, as long as players are on Java 1.16 or a newer release. The JSON text used by /tellraw, /title, books, and data packs accepts any color written as a six-digit hex code, so a command can give every letter its own shade. Typed chat and config files need a server plugin that understands one of the formats below. Bedrock Edition has no hex colors; the Gradient and Rainbow Maker can fall back to the nearest of the 16 standard colors for it.

Format	Example for orange	Read by
Hex with &#	&#FF8800	Many chat, MOTD, and hologram plugins
x format	&x&f&f&8&8&0&0	Spigot, Paper and plugins built on them
MiniMessage tag	<#FF8800>	Paper, Velocity and plugins that use MiniMessage
MiniMessage gradient	<gradient:#FF8800:#FFFF55>text</gradient>	Same as above
JSON text	{“text”:”Hi”,”color”:”#FF8800″}	Vanilla Java commands, books and data packs

How Do You Add Color to a Server MOTD?

The MOTD is the two-line description under your server name in the multiplayer list. On a vanilla Java server, it lives in the MOTD line of server.properties. A § typed straight into that file is often garbled by its text encoding, so each one is written as \u00A7 instead, and a \n splits the description into two lines.

Example: motd=\u00A7a\u00A7lSky Island \u00A78| \u00A77Survival\n\u00A76New winter event

Each line shows about 270 pixels of text before it is cut off. The Server MOTD Builder measures both lines against Minecraft’s default font, adds spaces to center them, and writes the result in server.properties format or as plain lines for a MOTD plugin.

What Extra Colors Does Bedrock Edition Have?

Bedrock Edition adds colors named after game materials. Two of them reuse letters that mean something else in Java: §m and §n are strikethrough and underline in Java but redstone and copper colors in Bedrock.

Code	Color	Hex
§g	Minecoin Gold	#DDD605
§h	Quartz	#E3D4D1
§i	Iron	#CECACA
§j	Netherite	#443A3B
§m	Redstone	#971607
§n	Copper	#B4684D
§p	Gold material	#DEB12D
§q	Emerald	#47A036
§s	Diamond	#2CBAA8
§t	Lapis	#21497B
§u	Amethyst	#9A5CC6
§v	Resin	#EB7114

What Can You Do with Colored Text in Minecraft?

• Ranks: give owners, moderators, and VIPs a colored tag in front of their name.
• Server lists: make your MOTD stand out next to other servers.
• Signs and shops: label warps, prices, and rules so players spot them.
• Map making: color story text, quest titles, and boss names in commands.
• Item names: rename tools and loot on Bedrock with bright colors.
• Announcements: broadcast events and restarts in colors nobody misses.

Minecraft Text Formatting Terms

Section sign

The § character that starts every vanilla formatting code.

Formatting code

A code that changes style rather than color, such as bold or italic.

Text component

A piece of JSON describing text, its color, and its style for commands.

MiniMessage

A tag-based text format, written with angle brackets, used by many modern servers.

MOTD

Message of the day: the description shown under a server in the list.

Hex color

A color written as six digits and letters, giving over 16 million shades.

What This Minecraft Color Code Tool Can Do

Click to color

Colors and formats at the cursor.

Live preview

Shadows, bold, and scrambled text.

Any code in

§, &, hex, MiniMessage, JSON.

Gradients

Two or three colors, six formats.

MOTD builder

Centered lines, server list view.

Bedrock colors

All 12 material colors.

Got a rank or welcome message to color?

Paste it into the editor and click the colors you want.

🎨 Open the Editor

Why Are My Minecraft Color Codes Not Working?

Problem	Cause	Fix
The codes show up as plain text	The server has no plugin that reads & codes	Use § where it is allowed, or add a chat plugin
Kicked for illegal characters in chat	Java does not let players type §	Use & codes on a plugin server instead
Bold stops after a color change	A color code clears formatting in Java	Put the format code after each color
Hex code appears as letters	Old version or a plugin that reads another format	Try the x format or MiniMessage output
MOTD is cut off	The line is wider than about 270 pixels	Shorten it; the MOTD Builder warns you
Underline turns brown on Bedrock	§n means copper on Bedrock	Switch the editor to Bedrock to see real results

Tips for Readable Colored Text

Keep dark colors for brackets

Dark gray around a bright rank reads well; dark blue body text does not.

Use two or three colors

A short palette looks designed, while every color at once looks noisy.

Many server names pair colors with tiny capital letters from the small caps generator.

Save scrambled text for accents

A few obfuscated characters draw the eye; whole words just look broken.

End with a reset

Adding §r stops your colors from spilling into whatever follows.

For fancy letters on Discord and social apps, open the font generator.

Minecraft Color Codes FAQ

What are Minecraft color codes?

Short codes made of the § sign and one character that change the color or style of the text after them in Minecraft.

What is the code for red in Minecraft?

§c is red and §4 is dark red. On plugin servers, the same letters work after an ampersand.

How many color codes does Minecraft have?

Sixteen colors work in both editions, from §0 black to §f white. Bedrock adds twelve material colors on top.

What does §l do?

It makes the following text bold until a color code or §r turns it off.

Why do servers use an ampersand instead of §?

The ampersand is on every keyboard, and Java blocks typed § in chat, so plugins translate ampersand codes into real ones.

How do I type the section sign?

Alt plus 0167 on a Windows number pad, Option plus 6 on a Mac, or copy it from this page.

Can I use color codes in Java chat?

Not in vanilla. A server needs a chat plugin that converts ampersand codes, and you may need permission to use them.

Can I use color codes on Bedrock?

Yes. Bedrock lets players type § codes in chat, on signs, in books, and when renaming items.

How do I color text on a sign in Java?

Use a dye on the sign for one color, or place a sign with formatted text through a command.

What is obfuscated text?

Text written after §k. Its letters swap at random every moment, which looks like a scrambled secret.

Why does my bold text stop after a new color?

Java resets formatting at every color code, so add §l again after the new color.

Can Minecraft show hex colors?

Yes, through JSON text on Java 1.16 or a later version. For chat and config files, the server needs a plugin that reads hex.

How do I make gradient text?

Pick two or three colors in the Gradient and Rainbow Maker and choose the format your server reads.

What is the x hex format?

A way of writing a hex color with seven legacy codes, which Spigot and Paper use internally.

What is MiniMessage?

A text format that uses tags in angle brackets for colors, gradients, and styles, used by Paper and Velocity.

How do I color my server MOTD?

Write the codes in the MOTD line of server.properties as \u00A7, or build both lines with the MOTD Builder.

How do I center a MOTD line?

Add spaces in front of it. The MOTD Builder measures the line and adds the right number for you.

Do color codes work in /tellraw?

In Java, use the color key inside JSON instead. In Bedrock, § codes inside the rawtext text work.

Why does §n look brown on Bedrock?

Bedrock uses §n for the copper material color instead of underline.

Is this Minecraft color code tool free?

Yes. Nothing here costs money or needs an account, from the editor and gradient maker to the MOTD builder.

Does the tool work on a phone?

Yes. Tap colors to insert codes, then copy the result into Minecraft on any device.

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