Minecraft Color Codes

Minecraft has 16 color codes and 6 formatting codes. The color codes run from 0 to 9 and a to f, from §0 (Black) to §f (White). The formatting codes are §k (obfuscated), §l (bold), §m (strikethrough), §n (underline), §o (italic), and §r (reset). The color code table lists each color with its & code, § code, MOTD escape, HEX value, and MiniMessage tag; formatting codes have an & code, § code, and MiniMessage tag.

Put the color code directly before your text. In Bedrock Edition, you type or paste it with the section sign, for example §cRed for red text in chat, on signs, or when renaming an item in an anvil. Java Edition doesn’t let you enter §: there you color text with plugins that convert & into color (for example &cRed in chat plugins and plugin configs), or in server.properties with the Unicode escape sequence \u00A7c. Click the appropriate code in the table to copy it.

§ is Minecraft’s actual formatting character: it’s the only character the game evaluates when it displays text. You can only type it in Bedrock Edition, though, for example in chat, on signs, or in an anvil. Java Edition filters § out of what you type, so there it only appears in files such as data packs or in text sent by servers and plugins. Most plugins (Bukkit/Spigot/Paper) automatically convert & to § in their own config files. That’s a plugin convenience, not a Minecraft standard. MiniMessage is the tag-based text format for Paper and Velocity plugins, such as <red>Red</red>, and also supports gradients like <gradient:red:blue>.

Depending on your keyboard layout, the § character may be on a different key or missing entirely. The easiest way is to click the code in the “Chat (§)” column: It’s copied to your clipboard with the § character included. That helps in Bedrock Edition and in files such as data packs. In Java Edition chat, on signs, and in the anvil, the game filters § out even when you paste it. In plugin configs and with chat plugins, write & instead, and in server.properties use \u00A7.

server.properties is traditionally read as ISO-8859-1, where a raw § character may not work reliably. Use the Unicode escape sequence \u00A7 followed by the code instead, for example motd=\u00A7cRed \u00A7aGreen. The “MOTD” column in the color code table copies exactly this format. Go to the Minecraft MOTD Generator

Each of the 16 colors has a fixed HEX value, such as Red #FF5555, Gold #FFAA00, Green #55FF55, and Dark Blue #0000AA. Custom RGB HEX colors are available only from Minecraft 1.16 onward. This page shows them using #FF5555 as an example in four formats: Spigot/Bukkit (&#FF5555), MiniMessage (<#FF5555>), JSON text for tellraw, and BungeeCord (&x&F&F&5&5&5&5). On older versions, you can use only the 16 standard colors.

Mostly yes: The 16 color codes (0-9, a-f) and formatting codes §k, §l, §o, and §r work the same in Java and Bedrock Edition. One important exception is §m and §n: In Bedrock, these codes represent material colors (Redstone and Copper, respectively) and don’t produce strikethrough or underline effects as they do in Java. HEX colors and MiniMessage are specific to Java Edition or Paper and aren’t available in Bedrock.

It’s usually the order: Formatting codes such as bold or italic must come after the color code, not before it, or the following color code will cancel the formatting. So &c&lText is correct. §r also resets all colors and formatting if you’ve included it by mistake.