Minecraft text color generator: § codes, hex, MOTD, tellraw JSON
Colored text is one of the easiest ways to stand out in Minecraft: in server chat, on signs, in books and in MOTDs. Minecraft supports 16 text colors through section sign codes (§), and since version 1.16 you can also use any hex color, with over 16 million shades. Our generator lets you pick a color, add formatting (bold, italic, underline) and get ready-to-paste code for the game, in chat, MOTD, JSON or tellraw format.
The tool runs entirely in your browser, with no download and no sign-up. It supports all 16 Minecraft colors, hex colors (1.16+), 5 text formatting styles and a gradient generator, a smooth transition between two colors that is popular on big servers and in tellraw commands.
§fWelcome to the server!Type your text and pick a start and an end color. The generator gives each character its own hex color, which creates a smooth color transition.
§x§f§f§5§5§5§5G§x§f§1§5§5§6§3r§x§e§3§5§5§7§1a§x§d§5§5§5§8§0d§x§c§6§5§5§8§ei§x§b§8§5§5§9§ce§x§a§a§5§5§a§an§x§9§c§5§5§b§8t§x§8§e§5§5§c§6 §x§8§0§5§5§d§5t§x§7§1§5§5§e§3e§x§6§3§5§5§f§1x§x§5§5§5§5§f§ft/tellraw @a [{"text":"G","color":"#ff5555"},{"text":"r","color":"#f15563"},{"text":"a","color":"#e35571"},{"text":"d","color":"#d55580"},{"text":"i","color":"#c6558e"},{"text":"e","color":"#b8559c"},{"text":"n","color":"#aa55aa"},{"text":"t","color":"#9c55b8"},{"text":" ","color":"#8e55c6"},{"text":"t","color":"#8055d5"},{"text":"e","color":"#7155e3"},{"text":"x","color":"#6355f1"},{"text":"t","color":"#5555ff"}]All Minecraft color codes: the full table
Minecraft uses the § (section sign) as a control character for text formatting. After the § symbol you add one digit or letter (0-9, a-f) that sets the color. The system resembles ANSI codes and works the same in Java Edition and Bedrock Edition for the 16 basic colors.
Here is the full list of the 16 color codes with their hex equivalents:
- §0: Black (#000000), practically invisible on the dark chat background
- §1: Dark Blue (#0000AA), used for emphasis, but hard to read on the dark chat background
- §2: Dark Green (#00AA00), a classic color for system messages
- §3: Dark Aqua (#00AAAA), popular for server info
- §4: Dark Red (#AA0000), warnings and error messages
- §5: Dark Purple (#AA00AA), rarely used, but it stands out
- §6: Gold (#FFAA00), a warm accent color for titles and highlights
- §7: Gray (#AAAAAA), a neutral color for plain text
- §8: Dark Gray (#555555), subtle, secondary information
- §9: Blue (#5555FF), bright and vivid, good for links
- §a: Green (#55FF55), often the color of success messages
- §b: Aqua (#55FFFF), bright, easy to read on a dark background
- §c: Red (#FF5555), errors, warnings, important messages
- §d: Light Purple (#FF55FF), decorative, used for events
- §e: Yellow (#FFFF55), secondary highlights, game messages
- §f: White (#FFFFFF), full brightness, easy to read on dark backgrounds
How do I type the § symbol in Minecraft?
The section sign § is the key to text formatting in Minecraft. How you type it depends on your operating system and where you use it:
On Windows
Hold Alt, then type 0167 on the numeric keypad (Num Lock must be on). When you release Alt, § appears. This method works in config files, on signs in Bedrock Edition and in the text fields of editors.
On macOS
Press Option + 6 (on a US keyboard layout). Layouts differ, so if that doesn't work, open the character viewer (Ctrl + Cmd + Space) and search for "section sign".
On Java Edition servers
Most server plugins (EssentialsX, CMI, ChatManager) support a substitute: the & character instead of §. For example, &aHello works the same as §aHello. It makes things easier for players who can't type § on their keyboard.
On mobile devices (Bedrock)
On iOS and Android keyboards, you can find § in the special characters section. On iOS, press and hold "&" and choose §. On Android, go to the symbols (usually the ?123 key) and look in the extended character set.
Hex colors in Minecraft 1.16+: a full guide
Since version 1.16 (the Nether Update), Java Edition supports any hex color in chat text. Instead of the 16 predefined colors, you can use any of 16,777,216 (256^3) shades. In section sign codes the format is:
§x§R§R§G§G§B§B, where each letter is one hexadecimal digit of the RGB color.
For example, the color #FF5555 (light red) is written as §x§F§F§5§5§5§5. It looks long-winded, but plugins like EssentialsX shorten it to the &#FF5555 format, which is a lot more convenient.
In /tellraw commands and other JSON text formats (such as signs), you give hex colors directly as a string:
/tellraw @a {"text":"Hello","color":"#FF5555"}
Hex colors open up a lot of decorative options: gradients, pastel shades, colors that match a server's theme, or an exact match for the colors in a logo. Our generator lets you pick any color from the palette and copy the finished code right away.
Text formatting: bold, italic, underline
Besides colors, Minecraft supports 5 text formatting styles. Each has its own section sign code:
- §l (Bold): the text is thicker and stands out more. Great for headings and important messages.
- §o (Italic): slanted text. Used by default in item descriptions.
- §n (Underline): a line under the text. Handy for marking links on signs.
- §m (Strikethrough): a line through the middle of the text. Used for "before the discount" prices in server shops.
- §k (Obfuscated): the characters change randomly, creating a "scrambled" text effect. Used on mystical signs and in adventure builds.
You combine formatting codes with a color code. Order matters: the color has to come first, then the formatting: §c§lRed bold text. The §r code resets all formats and colors to the defaults.
Server MOTD: a colorful description in the server list
The MOTD (Message of the Day) is the text shown in the Minecraft server list next to the server name. You set it in the server.properties file, in the motd= field. The catch is that this file needs Unicode encoding instead of the § symbol:
Instead of §a you write \u00A7a. For example:
motd=\u00A7a\u00A7lMy server \u00A77- \u00A7eWelcome!
This displays a bold green "My server", a gray dash and a yellow "Welcome!". The MOTD supports two lines of text, so use \n to split them. Our generator converts § codes to the Unicode format for the MOTD automatically.
Keep in mind that the MOTD in server.properties doesn't support hex colors, only the 16 standard colors. If you want hex colors in your MOTD, you need a plugin such as ServerListPlus or MiniMOTD.
Tellraw JSON: advanced text formatting
The /tellraw command (available since Java Edition 1.7.2) lets you send text in JSON format with full formatting. It's the most powerful way to color text in Minecraft, because besides colors and styles it supports:
- Click events: actions on click (open a URL, run a command, copy text)
- Hover events: text shown when you hover over it with the cursor
- insertion: text inserted into the chat box on Shift+click
- translate: translation keys from the game's language files
- selector: entity names inserted into the text dynamically
Tellraw syntax:
/tellraw @a {"text":"Welcome to the server!","color":"#55FF55","bold":true}
Tellraw is especially useful on servers for building text interfaces: menus, voting systems, welcome messages and interactive guides. Our generator builds ready-made tellraw commands with the color and formatting you choose.
Gradient generator: a smooth color transition
A text gradient is an effect where the color flows smoothly from one shade to another across the whole text. Each character gets its own hex color, calculated by linear interpolation between the start color and the end color.
For example, a gradient from red (#FF5555) to blue (#5555FF) on the text "Hello" assigns:
- H: #FF5555 (red)
- e: #D55580 (pink)
- l: #AA55AA (purple)
- l: #8055D5 (indigo)
- o: #5555FF (blue)
Gradients require Minecraft 1.16+ (hex support) and work in chat, tellraw, books and on signs. On servers with plugins such as MiniMessage (Adventure API), a gradient is written more simply: <gradient:red:blue>Hello</gradient>. Base Minecraft, however, needs per-character hex codes, which our generator creates automatically.
Colors in Bedrock Edition vs Java Edition
Both editions support the 16 basic colors (§0-§f) and 5 formatting styles (§k, §l, §m, §n, §o). The differences:
- Hex colors: Available only in Java 1.16+. Bedrock doesn't support hex colors.
- Typing §: In Bedrock, § is easy to reach on a mobile keyboard. In Java it takes Alt+0167.
- Tellraw: Both editions support it, but the JSON syntax differs in the details (Bedrock uses rawtext).
- Plugins: Java servers run plugins. Bedrock mostly uses behavior packs.
- JSON on signs: Java uses JSON. Bedrock still uses § codes directly.
Popular color plugins for servers
On Java Edition servers, many plugins extend what you can do with colored text:
- EssentialsX: supports &color codes in chat, on signs and in commands. Hex format:
&#RRGGBB. - ChatManager / ChatControl: advanced chat formatting with per-color permissions.
- MiniMessage (Adventure API): a modern formatting system with gradients, rainbows and click events. Used by PaperMC.
- PlaceholderAPI: dynamic variables in text (%player_name%, %server_online%).
- TAB: colored player name tags above heads and in the player list, with full hex and gradient support.
- HolographicDisplays / DecentHolograms: colorful 3D holograms.
Tips and best practices
- Don't overuse colors: chat full of multicolored messages is hard to read. Stick to 2-3 colors that match the server's theme.
- Test readability: dark colors (§0, §1, §8) are hard to see on the default dark chat background. Light colors (§f, §e, §b, §a) are the most readable.
- Use §r at the end: reset the formatting so it doesn't carry over to the next pieces of text.
- Use gradients sparingly: they look great but take up a lot of characters. On signs with a text limit, a gradient can get too long.
- Document your server's color codes: if your server has a consistent color scheme, write a guide for admins with the agreed hex codes.
Frequently asked questions
How do I type the § (section sign) in Minecraft?
On Windows, hold Alt and type 0167 on the numeric keypad. On macOS, press Option+6. On Java servers you can use the & character instead of § (for example &a instead of §a) if the server has a plugin that handles chat colors.
Which color codes exist in Minecraft?
Minecraft has 16 color codes, §0 to §f: §0 black, §1 dark blue, §2 dark green, §3 dark aqua, §4 dark red, §5 dark purple, §6 gold, §7 gray, §8 dark gray, §9 blue, §a green, §b aqua, §c red, §d light purple, §e yellow, §f white. Since version 1.16, any hex color is available too.
How do I use hex colors in Minecraft 1.16+?
In section sign codes the format is §x§R§R§G§G§B§B, where each letter is one hex digit. In JSON (tellraw, signs) you give the hex value directly: "color":"#FF5555". On servers with EssentialsX the format is &#FF5555.
How do I make a text gradient in Minecraft?
A gradient needs a separate hex color for every character. Our generator calculates the in-between colors automatically: type your text, pick a start and an end color, and the tool produces ready-to-use § codes or a tellraw command.
How do I color text in a server MOTD?
In server.properties, use the Unicode code \u00A7 instead of §. For example, \u00A7aHello gives green text. Hex colors need a plugin (ServerListPlus, MiniMOTD).
What text formatting is available in Minecraft?
Five styles: §l bold, §o italic, §n underline, §m strikethrough, §k obfuscated (random characters). The §r code resets all formats. Order: color first, then formatting.
How do I use colors in the tellraw command?
Syntax: /tellraw @a {"text":"Hello","color":"green"}, or with hex: "color":"#55FF55". Add "bold":true, "italic":true and so on for formatting. Tellraw also supports click and hover events.
Do colors work in Bedrock Edition?
Yes, the 16 basic colors (§0-§f) and formatting (§k-§o, §r) work in Bedrock. Hex colors aren't supported, only the 16 standard ones. You can type § on a mobile keyboard.