Minecraft Color Codes
Complete reference for Minecraft color codes (§0–§f) and formatting codes (bold, italic, underline, strikethrough, obfuscated). Copy in §, &, \u00A7, MiniMessage, or hex formats. Works for chat, MOTD, /tellraw, plugins.
Color Codes
16 Minecraft color codes. Click any cell to copy. Use § prefix in chat and commands, & prefix in many plugin configs, \u00A7 (unicode) in server.properties.
Format Codes
Obfuscated
Random characters, cycling
Bold
Bold text
Strikethrough
Line through text
Underline
Underlined text
Italic
Italic text
Reset
Clears all prior formatting
Quick Reference
| Where | Prefix | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Chat (in-game) | § | Use a § symbol or type command directly |
| Most plugins (config.yml) | & | message: "&aGreen!" |
| server.properties (MOTD) | \u00A7 | motd=\u00A7aMy Server |
| /tellraw, /title (JSON) | color: name | {"text":"hi","color":"red"} |
| Paper / Adventure (MiniMessage) | <tag> | <red>Error</red> |
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Minecraft Color Codes — Quick Reference
Minecraft Java Edition uses 16 color codes (0–9 and a–f) plus 6 formatting codes (bold, italic, underline, strikethrough, obfuscated, reset). Each code is prefixed with § (section sign) in chat and commands, & in most plugin configs, and \u00A7 (unicode escape) in server.properties. Every color also has a MiniMessage tag (<red>, <gold>, etc.) for Paper/Adventure-based plugins.
Click any color or format code to copy it in the format you need. The hex column matches the wiki's official foreground RGB values exactly — use it in tellraw JSON or any tool that accepts hex colors.
Common uses: custom server names and MOTDs, colored chat prefixes via LuckPerms or Essentials, rank display names, /tellraw messages, book text, sign text, named items. The same codes work for all of them.
One gotcha: colors reset all formatting. If you want bold red text, you have to write &c&l — writing &l&c gives you just red because the color code wipes the bold. Order matters.
Minecraft Color Codes — FAQ
How do I use Minecraft color codes in chat?
Type § (section sign) followed by the color code. Example: §aHello gives green text. On most keyboards, § is typed via Alt+0167 (Windows) or Option+6 (Mac). Some servers rebind §, so & with a plugin like Essentials is often easier.
What's the difference between § and &?
§ is the actual Minecraft code prefix — it's what the client reads. & is a placeholder used by plugins and config files because you can't easily type § on most keyboards. Plugins convert & to § before sending to the client.
Why do my color codes not work in server.properties?
server.properties uses Java's unicode escape format: \u00A7 instead of § or &. So motd=\u00A7aMy Server gives green text. If you paste § directly, Java treats the file as ISO-8859-1 by default and mojibake happens.
Does Bedrock Edition support color codes?
Partially. Bedrock supports the same § codes in chat, signs, and books, but with different hex values for some colors (especially Dark Aqua). MOTD support was historically limited on Bedrock. Java codes are the standard reference.
What are hex colors (1.16+ and MiniMessage)?
Minecraft Java 1.16 added hex color support via /tellraw JSON: {"text":"hi","color":"#ff5500"}. MiniMessage (Paper/Adventure library) extends this with <#ff5500>hi</#ff5500> tags. Both give you the full 16M RGB palette instead of 16 presets.
Why does color reset bold/italic?
In Minecraft, a new color code resets all formatting. So &l&aHello is 'bold green' but &a&lHello is 'green, then reset to just bold green' — the second works. Order: color first, then format codes.
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