Minecraft Color Codes: Complete Guide & How to Use Them

Minecraft Color Codes Basics (The 10-Second Version)

Minecraft formatting codes (often called “color codes”) use a simple pattern:

§ + (code) + (your text)

Example: §aHello! makes “Hello!” green, and §lHello! makes it bold. Combine them like §a§lHello! for bold green text. Use §r to reset back to normal.

One important detail: the same-looking concept behaves differently depending on edition and context. In many modern Java command situations, you’ll get cleaner results using JSON text components (like /tellraw) instead of stuffing legacy codes into strings.

Complete Minecraft Color Code Table (16 Standard Colors)

These are the classic 16 text colors used across Minecraft’s legacy formatting system. If you’ve ever seen §a or §c in a server MOTD or plugin config, this is what it means.

Formatting (Style) Codes

These change how text looks (bold, italic, underline, etc.). Use §r to reset color and formatting back to defaults.

Where Minecraft Color Codes Work (Java vs Bedrock)

Bedrock Edition: “Yes, You Can Just Use §”

Bedrock is generally more friendly about letting you type section-sign codes directly into many text inputs: signs, books, world names, and more. It’s the edition where players most often learn color codes “in the wild” because you can actually use them without installing anything or editing server files.

Java Edition: “Sometimes Yes, Sometimes JSON, Sometimes Pain”

Java supports legacy formatting codes, but many of the most useful modern scenarios (like command-driven chat messages) are best handled with Raw JSON text components (think /tellraw, /title, /bossbar). Java also uses formatting codes heavily in server configuration files (like the server list message/MOTD) and in resource pack text.

Important Behavior Difference (The Sneaky One)

In Java, certain combinations can “turn off” styles if you apply colors after formatting. That means §l§cHello might not behave the way you expect in some Java contextsso if you’re mixing bold/underline with colors, it’s safer to set the color first and re-apply formats after color changes (or use JSON where you can).

How to Type the § Symbol (Without Rage-Quitting)

The section sign isn’t on most keyboards, so you have three realistic options:

1. Copy/paste it: just copy this: §
2. Use an Alt-code on Windows (numpad required): common inputs include Alt+21 or Alt+0167.
3. Use an alternate shortcut on macOS depending on layout (many players just copy/paste because it’s faster).

If you’re working in config files (like a Java server MOTD), you can often use the Unicode escape u00A7 instead of the actual symbol. That’s basically “§, but safe for files and picky encodings.”

Java Edition: How to Use Minecraft Color Codes

1) Server MOTD (server.properties)

The MOTD is the message players see in the multiplayer server list. Java servers commonly style it with legacy codes. In many setups, you should write the section sign as u00A7 in the file (instead of pasting “§” directly), because encoding can bite you and your MOTD turns into random question marks or “§”.

Example (single line):

Example (two lines):

Pro tip: don’t forget §r (reset). Otherwise, styles can “leak” and your second line might inherit formatting you didn’t mean.

2) Commands: Prefer JSON for Clean Results

For command output in Java, use JSON text components whenever possible. It’s clearer, more controllable, and it unlocks hex colors in modern versions.

Basic /tellraw with named colors:

Multiple colors in one message (using an array):

/title example (big on-screen text):

3) Resource Packs & Text Files

Java also uses formatting in places like language files, pack metadata, and other text resources. If you’re doing resource-pack UI text or custom language strings, legacy codes may still show up. Just remember: when you’re already in a JSON-capable area, JSON styling is usually the more future-proof choice.

Bedrock Edition: How to Use Minecraft Color Codes

1) Quick Coloring in Text Inputs

In Bedrock, you can often place § codes directly into the text you’re typing. Example: §cDanger Zone to make “Danger Zone” red. If you can’t easily type §, copy/paste it, or use u00A7 where supported.

2) /tellraw and /titleraw (Rawtext JSON)

Bedrock uses a “rawtext” structure. The nice part: you can still embed § codes inside the text node itself.

Bedrock /tellraw example:

Bedrock /titleraw example:

If your environment prefers the escaped form, you can swap §c with u00A7c. Same effect, fewer encoding surprises.

Hex Colors & Gradients (Java 1.16+ and Beyond)

The classic color code system is limited to 16 colors. If you want modern “any color you can imagine” styling, you’ll want hex colors via JSON in Java (and, in server/plugin ecosystems, sometimes special encodings).

Java JSON Hex Colors (1.16+)

In Java, you can set "color":"#RRGGBB" in JSON text components on versions that support it.

DIY Gradients (Readable, No Plugin Required)

A “gradient” in vanilla JSON is basically just text split into chunks, each chunk assigned a slightly different hex color. It’s more manual than a gradient generator, but it’s 100% under your control.

Server MOTD Reality Check

Even if your server community is living in 24-bit color paradise, your server.properties MOTD may still be limited depending on whether you’re running official/vanilla or a server proxy/plugin stack. Translation: test before you commit.

Troubleshooting: When Minecraft Color Codes Don’t Work

• “I typed §c and it just shows §c.”
  You’re likely in a context that doesn’t parse legacy codes (common in Java chat without plugins). Use JSON commands instead.
• My MOTD shows weird symbols like § or question marks.
  This is almost always encoding. Use u00A7 in server.properties instead of pasting “§”.
• Formatting randomly stops after I change colors.
  In Java, style interactions can be picky. Re-apply formatting codes after changing colorsor use JSON booleans like "bold":true.
• My text is unreadable.
  Dark gray on black is basically “stealth mode.” Favor high contrast for signs and important messages, especially on servers.
• Obfuscated text is melting the UI.
  That’s not a bug. That’s §k doing its job. Use it for short effects only, and reset with §r.

Best Practices: Make It Look Good (Not Like a Rainbow Accident)

Use color with purpose

Players read color as meaning. Common patterns: green for success, red for danger, gold/yellow for warnings or highlights, and aqua for info or UI-style prompts.

Reset early, reset often

The most common formatting mistake is forgetting §r (or the JSON equivalent), which causes later text to inherit styles. Treat reset like washing your hands: not glamorous, but it prevents disasters.

Prefer JSON when available

JSON text components are clearer for complex messages, allow hex colors (in supported versions), and reduce “why did bold vanish” moments.

Design for readability

Signs and server messages aren’t just decorationthey’re navigation. If your rules sign looks like a neon spaghetti bowl, players will ignore it, then pretend they “didn’t know” TNT was banned. (They knew.)

Experiences Related to Minecraft Color Codes (Lessons Players & Admins Actually Learn)

Here’s the funny thing about Minecraft color codes: almost nobody sits down and decides, “Today I will study text styling.” It usually starts with a practical needlike a server announcement that keeps getting ignored, or a spawn area where new players wander in circles like lost villagersthen suddenly you’re deep in formatting land, arguing with your own MOTD at 2:00 a.m. because one character refuses to behave.

A classic first experience is the “my sign needs to look important” moment. Someone builds a shop, adds a sign that says “Prices Inside,” and realizes it blends into the background like camouflage. So they try §6 (gold), add §l (bold), and suddenly the sign looks like a real storefront banner. That’s when it clicks: color isn’t just decorationit’s hierarchy. Gold becomes “headline,” white becomes “details,” and gray becomes “fine print.” Players who never cared about aesthetics suddenly care a lot when it affects whether anyone can find the nether hub.

Server admins tend to have their own rite of passage: the MOTD. You write something simple, refresh the server list, and it looks perfect. Then you edit it again and it turns into question marks and weird symbols. This is where many admins learn the hard truth that text files have feelings about encoding. Once you swap to u00A7 escapes and everything stabilizes, it feels like you unlocked a secret admin perk: “I can now speak in colors without breaking reality.”

Another common experience: players discover formatting “stacking” and go a little wild. Bold + underline + red + obfuscated turns a normal announcement into a haunted carnival. It’s funny for five minutes, and then you realize you’ve created the text equivalent of someone shouting through a megaphone in your ear. The best servers learn to set formatting rules the same way they set build rules: a little structure keeps things readable and keeps chat from looking like a broken LED billboard.

The biggest “level up” experience usually happens when someone moves from legacy codes to JSON in Java commands. The first time you run a clean /tellraw message with multiple colors, bold emphasis, and a neat structure, it feels like switching from writing with crayons to using a design tool. It’s also when players start doing UI-like messaging: color-coded quest updates, structured event announcements, even faux “menus” where each line has a different visual role. Once hex colors enter the picture, it gets even more dramaticpeople build server branding palettes, match text to team colors, and create gradients that look like they belong in a modern app.

And yes, there’s always at least one person who uses §k (obfuscated) for “secret lore,” forgets to reset it, and accidentally obfuscates half a message. It’s the Minecraft equivalent of leaving caps lock onexcept it summons chaos. The lesson tends to stick: formatting is powerful, but it needs cleanup. Reset codes (or JSON resets) are your best friend, and testing in the real environment beats guessing every time.

If you take anything from these experiences, let it be this: color codes are most satisfying when they make gameplay smoother. Use them to guide players, highlight what matters, and keep your world readable. When you do it right, players won’t even say, “Nice formatting.” They’ll just… follow the sign, understand the announcement, and stop walking into the lava. Honestly, that’s the real victory.