Reference

Minecraft Color Codes

Every Minecraft chat color and formatting code with all four common syntaxes: chat code (§0), ampersand code (&0), name code ("color":"black"), and MOTD code (§0). Each is copyable. Covers both Java and Bedrock Edition 1.21.8. For a live preview composer, see the color & formatting code tool.

Color codes

Tap any code to copy. These 16 colors render identically in Java and Bedrock. Bedrock adds extra material colors — see the section below.

Black&0
Dark Blue&1
Dark Green&2
Dark Aqua&3
Dark Red&4
Dark Purple&5
Gold&6
Gray&7
Dark Gray&8
Blue&9
Green&a
Aqua&b
Red&c
Light Purple&d
Yellow&e
White&f

Bedrock material colors

Bedrock Edition (1.19.80+) adds these extra § colors. They use the § code form only — there are no &, MOTD, or JSON name equivalents — and Java does not render them. §m and §n are strikethrough and underline in Java, but Redstone and Copper colors in Bedrock.

Minecoin Gold§g
Quartz§h
Iron§i
Netherite§j
Redstone§m
Java: Strikethrough in Java
Copper§n
Java: Underline in Java
Gold (material)§p
Emerald§q
Diamond§s
Lapis§t
Amethyst§u

Color code generator

Type any text, tap a color or formatting button to insert a code at the cursor, then copy the result. Accepts both & and § prefixes.

Colors
Formatting
Preview on

Dark translucent overlay, as in /tellraw and chat messages.

Welcome to my Minecraft server! Now running 1.21 with SECRET features.

Formatting codes

Stack on top of a color — order is color first, then formatting (§c§lBOLD RED). §r clears every active code. Bedrock supports bold, italic, obfuscated, and reset — but not strikethrough (§m) or underline (§n).

BoldHeavier weight
Sample
ItalicSlanted text
Sample
UnderlineJava onlyUnderlined
Sample
StrikethroughJava onlyCrossed out
Sample
ObfuscatedRandomized glyphs
Sample
ResetCancels all formatting
Sample

Hex colors (1.16+)

Since 1.16, Java accepts any 6-digit hex color in JSON text components, item display names, and the chat shorthand §#RRGGBB. Bedrock does not support arbitrary hex — only its fixed palette (the standard 16 plus the material colors above).

/tellraw @a {"text":"Custom","color":"#FF8800"}
Sign / chat: §#FF8800 Custom orange

The interactive composer includes a hex color picker that emits the correct §# shorthand.

Where each format is used

Chat codes (§)

Signs, books, world names, anvil renames, command-block names, chat messages typed directly, and resource-pack lang files. The § (U+00A7) character is what the game scans for at runtime.

Ampersand codes (&)

Bukkit, Spigot, Paper, and many plugin configs translate & to §. Common in config.yml and chat-plugin messages. Vanilla Java does not read & codes — the plugin translates them.

Name codes

JSON text components for /tellraw, /title, item components (display name + lore), advancement text, and datapack functions. Always lowercase, underscored.

MOTD codes (§)

server.properties stores ISO-8859-1 by default, so § must be written as the unicode escape §. Same applies to some launcher and server-list APIs.

FAQ

How do I type the § symbol?
On Windows hold Alt and type 0167 on the numpad. On macOS press ⌥ Option + 6. On Linux use Compose so or Ctrl+Shift+U then 00A7. Or just copy it from this page.
Why doesn't my § code work in /give?
Modern Minecraft (1.20.5+) uses item components with JSON text for display names and lore — use the name code form ("color":"gold") inside the component, not § codes. The /give builder emits the current syntax automatically.
Can I combine multiple formatting codes?
Yes — apply a color first, then stack formats: §b§l§nAqua bold underlined. Setting a new color does not clear formatting on signs (it does in chat). Use §r to be explicit.
Does Bedrock support hex colors?
No. Bedrock is limited to the 16 standard colors plus its own material colors (Minecoin Gold, Quartz, Iron, Netherite, Emerald, Diamond and more — see above). Arbitrary §#RRGGBB hex requires Java 1.16 or later.