Formatting codes

This article is about the legacy §-based formatting system. For the modern JSON system, see Raw JSON text format.

A book showing the possible formatting options with the character that performs them.

Formatting codes (also known as color codes) add color and modifications to text in-game.

Text in Minecraft can be formatted with the section sign (§). In Bedrock Edition, the section sign can be entered into signs, world names, books, renaming items and in the chat. In Java Edition, section signs may be used in server.properties, pack.mcmeta, splashes.txt, world titles, books, and server names. External programs can be used to insert it in other locations.

Usage

Text can be formatted using the section sign (§) followed by a character. A § symbol followed by a hex digit in the message tells the client to switch colors while displaying text. In Bedrock Edition, the § symbol can be used in any text input, while in Java Edition, it may be used in server.properties, pack.mcmeta, world titles, and server names.

In Java Edition, if a color code is used after a formatting code, the formatting code is disabled beyond the color code point. For example, §cX§nY displays as XY, whereas §nX§cY displays as XY. Therefore, when using a color code in tandem with a formatting code, ensure the color code is used first and reuse the formatting code when changing colors.

In Bedrock Edition, formatting codes persist after a color code. Furthermore, if an obfuscated code is used and a reset code is not used before the end of the line, the client GUI continues to obfuscate text past the MOTD and into the version number display.

Color codes

Hex digit to color mapping. Use "§" followed by the corresponding color letter/number; e.g. "§e" gives yellow.

Messages sent from the server to the client can contain color codes, which allow coloring of text for various purposes.

Code	Name	Foreground color				Background color				Version
		R	G	B	Hex	R	G	B	Hex
m1	black	0	0	0	#000000	0	0	0	#000000
m2	dark_blue	0	0	170	#0000AA	0	0	42	#00002A
m3	dark_green	0	170	0	#00AA00	0	42	0	#002A00
m4	dark_aqua	0	170	170	#00AAAA	0	42	42	#002A2A
m5	dark_red	170	0	0	#AA0000	42	0	0	#2A0000
m6	dark_purple	170	0	170	#AA00AA	42	0	42	#2A002A
m7	gold	255	170	0	#FFAA00	42	42	0	#2A2A00	‌
						64	42	0	#402A00	‌
m8	gray	170	170	170	#AAAAAA	42	42	42	#2A2A2A
m9	dark_gray	85	85	85	#555555	21	21	21	#151515
m10	blue	85	85	255	#5555FF	21	21	63	#15153F
m11	green	85	255	85	#55FF55	21	63	21	#153F15
m12	aqua	85	255	255	#55FFFF	21	63	63	#153F3F
m13	red	255	85	85	#FF5555	63	21	21	#3F1515
m14	light_purple	255	85	255	#FF55FF	63	21	63	#3F153F
m15	yellow	255	255	85	#FFFF55	63	63	21	#3F3F15
m16	white	255	255	255	#FFFFFF	63	63	63	#3F3F3F
m17	minecoin_gold	221	214	5	#DDD605	55	53	1	#373501	‌

Formatting codes

Code	Name	Compatible with Bedrock	Compatible with Java
1	Obfuscated	Yes	Yes
2	Bold	Yes	Yes
3	Strikethrough	No	Yes
4	Underline	No	Yes
5	Italic	Yes	Yes
6	Reset	Yes	Yes

The random characters placed after §k are always the same width as the original characters. For example, any random character cycled through where the letter "m" would be wide characters while any random character in the spot of an "i" would be narrow characters.

§r resets the styles of following characters; e.g., §nXXX§rYYY displays as XXXYYY.

Typing

See also: Wikipedia:Unicode input

• To enter "§" on Windows with most US/UK English keyboards type Alt + NUMPAD2NUMPAD1 (alt code on cp437). For any other keyboard, the Windows ANSI version Alt + NUMPAD0NUMPAD1NUMPAD6NUMPAD7 often works.
• If EnableHexNumpad is enabled in the Windows registry, Alt + NUMPAD+ANUMPAD7 (using the main keyboard for "A") works for any language due to it being Unicode.
• On a Mac with a US keyboard, type ⌥ Option + 6 (or ⌥ Option + 5 for US Extended). For any other keyboard, type ⌥ Option + 00a7.
• On Linux with the compose key activated, type Composeso. The symbol can also be typed by using Unicode shortcuts: Ctrl + ⇧ Shift + u00a7.
• To enter "§" on a Nintendo Switch, select languages (globe icon), scroll to the bottom to find the "Symbols" language, and then select Page 2 to find the symbol to the right in the bottom line.
• For various Android keyboards:
  • Google Keyboard (GBoard): The "§" is under the paragraph "¶" mark. To access, tap the number/symbol button, tap button above "ABC" to access more symbols, then hold down the paragraph key.
  • Samsung Keyboard: The "§" is under the "s" key. To access, hold down on the "s" and then slide over to the "§" mark.
• For iOS:
  • On the iPad the "§" is under the percent sign. To access, tap the number/symbol button and then swipe down on the percent sign.
  • On the iPhone the "§" is under the ampersand "&". To access, tap the number/symbol button then hold down the ampersand key and slide over to the "§" mark.
• For Xbox:
  • On the Xbox One the "§" is under the backwards P "¶". To access, use left trigger, hold down A while on ¶ until other options pop up. Move the cursor over to the "§" mark and use A to select.

When part of JSON text, the symbol can be written as \u00A7 or \u00a7.

Alternatively in Bedrock Edition, the character can be copied from this page (§) and Ctrl + V (Windows) or ⌘ Cmd + V (macOS) can be pressed to paste the character into a book. Note that pasting does not work on everything (e.g. chat, command blocks, world names) and using the JSON format or another method may be necessary.

When used in chat in Java Edition, this character will disconnect the user, even in 'offline' single player mode, and thus can't be used directly in commands such as /say.

In early Java Edition Classic versions, the character used was & instead of §.

Sample text

The following text can be pasted into a Book and Quill (prior to 1.14) to produce what is shown in the picture:

§nMinecraft Formatting§r §00 §11 §22 §33 §44 §55 §66 §77 §88 §99 §aa §bb §cc §dd §ee §ff §rk §kMinecraft §rl §lMinecraft §rm §mMinecraft §rn §nMinecraft §ro §oMinecraft §rr §rMinecraft

Use in server.properties and pack.mcmeta

In order to get an MOTD colored or formatted, \u00A7 must be used instead of §; for example, §5 would be \u00A75. The full list of them is listed below. Colors can be used in conjunction with formatting. The formatting must be done after the color.

Given that pack.mcmeta files accept raw JSON text as descriptions, the usage of § can be replaced by text components with different color and style, though using § still works.

Code	Official Name	MOTD code	Note
s1	Black	\u00A70
s2	Dark Blue	\u00A71
s3	Dark Green	\u00A72
s4	Dark Aqua	\u00A73
s5	Dark Red	\u00A74
s6	Dark Purple	\u00A75
s7	Gold	\u00A76
s8	Gray	\u00A77
s9	Dark Gray	\u00A78
s10	Blue	\u00A79
s11	Green	\u00A7a
s12	Aqua	\u00A7b
s13	Red	\u00A7c
s14	Light Purple	\u00A7d
s15	Yellow	\u00A7e
s16	White	\u00A7f
s17	Obfuscated	\u00A7k
s18	Bold	\u00A7l
s19	Strikethrough	\u00A7m	‌
s20	Underline	\u00A7n	‌
s21	Italic	\u00A7o
s22	Reset	\u00A7r
s23	New line	\n

Compatibility with older versions

Formatting codes can be used in the motd line in a server.properties file, but the section signs must be escaped as \u00A7. If a section sign is entered directly, the server replaces it with \u00C2\u00A7 (§); clients display the \u00C2 character as a question mark. Delete the \u00C2 character in the MOTD if it comes with a bunch of question marks: this happens if something is not compatible.

Use in custom language packs

Formatting codes can be used to color names and description in language files by using § then any of the numbers/letters displayed above. This is also used in end.txt and credits.txt. An example of this is §dDiamond to make the name of a diamond appear as Diamond.

Since Java Edition 1.16, §r can no longer be used to remove italics from custom translation tags within language files. For example, if the translation tag "item.example.test": "§rTest Item" is applied to the Name display data of a custom item ({display:{Name:'{translate:"item.example.test"}'}), it still appears as Test Item rather than simply Test Item. This is not true of any other formatting options.

Use in world names

With the use of external tools, such as NBTExplorer, world names can have custom colors and formatting codes. To modify the name, choose the LevelName tag in the world's level.dat. In this example, LevelName is set to §1R§2e§3d§4s§5t§6o§7n§8e §9C§ar§be§ca§dt§ei§fo§1n§2s.

Additionally, the player can rename the world's folder to contain one of the codes. In the world selection menu, the specified color or effect appears.

The player can also use a resource pack with a § already in the world name when creating a world and all the user has to do is to change or alter the color code after the §.

In Bedrock Edition, the player is allowed to use a § inside of the world name when creating the world. This allows for using custom colors and formatting codes inside of the world name without having to modify the game.

Use in server names

File:ColouredServer.PNG

With the use of a third party tool such as NBTExplorer, server names can have custom colors. To utilize this functionality, select the Name attribute in the servers.dat file inside the .minecraft directory using a third party tool. In the following example, the Name tag is set to §4§lMinecraft §6§lServer:

History

Obfuscated format §k has changed 3 times in Java Edition after being introduced in Beta 1.8. On the right is an image of how the obfuscated text of 1234567890abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz~!@#$%^&*()-=_+{}[] looks in 4 different versions.

Trivia

• The color codes almost exactly match, in order, the 16 colors available using a Color Graphics Adapter (CGA), as released in 1981. Only color 6 differs; the value for color 6 in Minecraft –
   #FFAA00 – differs from that made for CGA –
   #AA5500.