# Minecraft Color & Formatting Codes Cheatsheet

> Every Minecraft color and formatting code with hex values, where each renders, and copy-ready snippets for Java & Bedrock.

Source: https://minebuildr.com/blog/minecraft-color-codes-cheatsheet
Category: Reference
Author: MineBuildr Team
Published: 2026-06-05
Updated: 2026-06-26
Reading time: 6 min read
Keywords: minecraft color codes, section sign, formatting codes, motd, team prefix, sign colors, book and quill, minecraft chat colors

## Key takeaways

- Minecraft uses the § (section sign) character as the prefix for every legacy color and formatting code.
- There are 16 colors (§0–§f) and 6 formatting codes: §k (obfuscated), §l (bold), §m (strikethrough), §n (underline), §o (italic), §r (reset).
- Server software like Spigot and BungeeCord also accept & as a substitute that gets translated to § at runtime.
- Modern Minecraft (1.16+) also supports full hex colors via JSON text components — useful for resource packs and command books.
- The [MineBuildr Color Codes tool](https://minebuildr.com/tools/color-codes) lets you click any code to copy in either § or & notation.

If you've ever written a server MOTD, edited a book, or styled a team prefix, you've used a Minecraft color code. The system is older than most modern games — it's based on the section sign character (§) prefixing a single hex digit. Here is the full reference, plus where each code actually renders. Designing a server banner or shield to match? See our [banner design guide](https://minebuildr.com/blog/minecraft-banner-design-guide).

## All 16 color codes

- §0 — Black (#000000)
- §1 — Dark Blue (#0000AA)
- §2 — Dark Green (#00AA00)
- §3 — Dark Aqua (#00AAAA)
- §4 — Dark Red (#AA0000)
- §5 — Dark Purple (#AA00AA)
- §6 — Gold (#FFAA00)
- §7 — Gray (#AAAAAA)
- §8 — Dark Gray (#555555)
- §9 — Blue (#5555FF)
- §a — Green (#55FF55)
- §b — Aqua (#55FFFF)
- §c — Red (#FF5555)
- §d — Light Purple (#FF55FF)
- §e — Yellow (#FFFF55)
- §f — White (#FFFFFF)

## All 6 formatting codes

- §k — Obfuscated (scrambled animated text)
- §l — Bold
- §m — Strikethrough
- §n — Underline
- §o — Italic
- §r — Reset (returns to default style)

## Where each code works

- server.properties MOTD — all colors and formats
- Signs — colors and most formats since 1.14 (dye-driven on later versions)
- Books & quills (Java) — colors via /give NBT, not via plain typing
- Team prefix/suffix — colors and all formats
- Chat (vanilla) — read-only display; servers can color outgoing chat

## Using & instead of §

Most server software (Spigot, Paper, BungeeCord, Velocity) accepts & as a substitute that gets translated to § at runtime. This is what you'll see in plugin configs: &cWelcome &7to the server. Vanilla Minecraft does not understand & — only § — so use § when editing data packs or NBT directly.

## Hex colors in modern Minecraft

Since 1.16, JSON text components support arbitrary hex colors via the "color" key, e.g. {"text":"Hello","color":"#FF8800"}. This is the only way to use colors outside the 16-color palette and is the standard for resource pack lang files and command books.

> Where hex colors don't work: Server MOTD, signs, and team prefixes are all locked to the legacy 16-color palette. If you need a brand-accurate orange, you'll have to settle for §6 (Gold) or §e (Yellow).

## Common snippets

- MOTD: §6§lMy Server §7| §aOpen Now
- Sign: §lWelcome
- Team prefix: §c[Admin]
- Book line: §0§oA hand-written note.

## Copy them instantly

Open the [MineBuildr Color Codes tool](https://minebuildr.com/tools/color-codes) to click-to-copy every code in both § and & notation. The tool also previews each color and formatting combination in real time so you can sanity-check a MOTD before deploying it.

## Frequently asked questions

### What is the § symbol in Minecraft?

The § (section sign) is the prefix character Minecraft uses to mark a legacy color or formatting code. It's followed by a single hex digit (0–9, a–f) for colors or a letter (k, l, m, n, o, r) for formatting.

### Can I use & instead of § in Minecraft?

& works on most server software (Spigot, Paper, BungeeCord, Velocity) as a translatable shortcut, but vanilla Minecraft only understands §. Use § when editing data packs or raw NBT.

### How do I use hex colors in Minecraft?

Use JSON text components with the "color" key set to a hex value, e.g. {"text":"Hello","color":"#FF8800"}. This is supported since 1.16 and works in tellraw, books, signs (Java), and resource pack lang files.

### Why don't my color codes work on signs?

Vanilla signs accept color codes since 1.14 in Java Edition. If they're not rendering, either you're using & instead of § on vanilla, the text was placed before 1.14, or the server has a plugin restricting sign formatting.

### What does §r do?

§r resets the text style to default, clearing any active color or formatting code. Use it between styled segments to avoid bleed-through.

## Related guides

- [Minecraft Banner Designs: 40+ Recipes & Patterns (2026)](https://minebuildr.com/blog/minecraft-banner-design-guide)
- [12 AI Minecraft Build Prompts That Actually Work (2026)](https://minebuildr.com/blog/ai-build-prompts-that-work)
- [Best Minecraft Seeds for 1.21 (2026)](https://minebuildr.com/blog/best-minecraft-seeds-1-21)

## Related free tools

- [Color Codes](https://minebuildr.com/tools/color-codes)
- [Banner Generator](https://minebuildr.com/tools/banner-generator)
- [Command Generator](https://minebuildr.com/tools/command-generator)

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