Minecraft Color Codes Overview

Last modified on Jul 27, 2022 in general

By Nathan Young

• Facebook
• Twitter
• Youtube

Overview

While playing on your Minecraft server, you may notice that certain texts are colored or using bold and italicized formatting. You might want to use them yourself to make your server stand out by changing the default appearance of your game chat, item names, or anything else using text. There are 16 colors available in Minecraft with 5 other formatting options. It uses codes to achieve that and your server’s configuration factors into how you can use them. For example, if you use Paper to host your server, then you can use plugins for color codes. The same applies to modded server types such as Forge and Fabric, which normally follows the same codes. In this Apex Hosting resource, we’ll show you all the color and format codes to use in your server.
 

Color Codes

 
There are several different types of formatting codes for your Minecraft server. They are controlled by some factors, such as the file type you’re editing and the plugin’s or mod’s design. There are other formatting options besides colors, but is commonly referred to as magic formats. They consist of bold, underlines, animation, italics, and strikethroughs. These can be fun to play around on your server because of the creativity it allows. A good example of this is using them to create colorful messages by using the code before your text.
 

Chat and Plugins/Mods

Theoretically, any text displayed in-game implements colors and magic codes, but some require different codes than others due to the design of plugins or mods. Most of the time, you’ll be using the & symbol for formatting the chat or other features. In some cases, it’d require the § symbol for codes, such as having an Asian or European plugin/mod. In almost all circumstances, you’ll be allowed to use both of them so it shouldn’t be a major concern.

However, recent mods and plugins allow you to use HEX colors instead of the traditional 16 color codes offered by Minecraft’s default design. An example of a HEX code is #AA0000 for the Dark Red color. You can use HTMLColorCodes to find exactly the color for your server. As for the standard colors, the graphs below show what type of code to use per color and other formats.

Color Formats

Other Formats

Message of the Day (MOTD)

Any Minecraft server has a message of the day, which displays on the side of the server in the listing area from Multiplayer. This is used to give a name to the server, give information relating to the community, or fun little messages. You may want to customize this with cool colors and magic codes, but with plugins or mods you can also use HEX colors. An example of a HEX codes is #00AA00, which is the Dark Green default color from Minecraft. You can use HTMLColorCodes tools to help you find that perfect color for your server. Just remember that all codes have to be applied before your actual displayed text. The graph below shows the default MOTD format codes to use, which can also be used in JSON file types.

Color Formats

Other Formats

Conclusion

You can now start using colors and magic in your Minecraft server through plugins, mods, or the base game’s design. This is mainly used with plugins such as EssentialsX Chat or other chat-related plugins/mods to format usernames, messages, and prefixes accordingly. Remember that all codes have to be applied before your text, which would look something like this: &4This is the color, Dark Red, and the code will be hidden when entering this into chat. That applies to the MOTD and other areas you plan on using colors or magic formatting. Sometimes, your server’s configuration may allow you to use HEX codes to have any colors. Those can truly make your game stand out and appear unique, especially since most servers don’t entirely utilize them. We hoped this resource helped you understand what color codes are and how to use them effectively in your Minecraft server!
 

Useful Links

HTMLColorCodes
How to Install and Use Paper
Forge Server Information
How to Install and Use Fabric
How to change the MOTD