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Minecraft’s legacy colors use the section sign followed by one character: §0 through §9 and §a through §f. The same system adds effects such as bold, italic, underline, strikethrough, obfuscation, and reset. The correct syntax depends on the edition and destination: Java Edition server MOTDs require escaped Unicode in server.properties, while Bedrock Edition accepts a literal § in several in-game text fields, including signs and chat.
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This guide lists every legacy code, shows exactly how to format a Java MOTD, explains where Java and Bedrock differ, and fixes the common problem where a color change appears to remove bold or underline.
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A legacy formatting sequence consists of the section sign, §, followed by a single code character. The character selects a foreground color or a text effect. Codes normally apply from the point where they appear until another color, style, or reset code changes the formatting.
There are 16 standard colors. They are fixed palette entries rather than arbitrary RGB values, so a code such as §c means Minecraft’s standard red, not a color you can tune with a hexadecimal value. The hexadecimal values below describe the classic foreground palette.
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The complete Minecraft color-code table
| Code | Color | Hex foreground |
|---|---|---|
§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 |
Formatting and style codes
| Code | Effect | Notes |
|---|---|---|
§k |
Obfuscated | Displays changing, randomized-looking characters. |
§l |
Bold | Makes following text bold. |
§m |
Strikethrough | Java-focused legacy effect. |
§n |
Underline | Java-focused legacy effect. |
§o |
Italic | Makes following text italic. |
§r |
Reset | Returns text to the default color and style. |
Combine codes by placing them next to each other. Put the color first and the style second, for example §a§lGreen bold. To stop an effect and return to ordinary text, append §r, as in §cWarning§r.
Java Edition versus Bedrock Edition
The destination matters as much as the edition. A sequence that works in a Java configuration file may not be accepted when typed into a Java sign or chat box.
| Use case | Java Edition | Bedrock Edition |
|---|---|---|
| Server MOTD | Use escaped Unicode in server.properties. |
Use the formatting syntax supported by the server’s configuration interface. |
| Signs and in-game text input | Vanilla Java does not generally treat a typed section sign as a universal sign/chat color feature; server software or plugins can add their own handling. | Accepts section-sign formatting in signs and chat input. |
| Chat commands | Legacy codes are used in supported command or data contexts such as /tellraw and /title, but text components are preferred. |
Section-sign formatting is accepted in chat input and commands such as /say and /title. |
| Other documented text fields | Supported contexts include pack.mcmeta, splashes.txt, language files, world titles, datapack commands, and server names. |
Supported contexts include world names, books and quills, anvils, and cartography-table renames. |
Java’s legacy formatting codes are deprecated. Text components are the forward-compatible approach wherever the game or server software supports them, and strings based on legacy codes may stop working in a future version.
How to color a Java server MOTD
A Java server’s message of the day is read from the motd entry in server.properties. In this file, write the section sign as the escaped Unicode sequence u00A7, not as a literal §.
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Step 1: Stop the server or open its configuration safely
Use your host’s file manager, control panel, or a local editor to open the server’s server.properties file. Stop the server first when your control panel recommends it; this prevents a running process from overwriting your changes.
Step 2: Edit the motd line
Replace the existing value after motd=. Keep the backslash-u sequence exactly as text. These examples are valid Java MOTD values:
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Do not add quotation marks unless your hosting panel specifically requires them. Preserve the single backslash before u00A7; writing a literal section sign in this file is a common reason the MOTD remains uncolored.
Step 3: Save, restart, and verify
- Save
server.propertiesas plain text. - Start or restart the Java server so it rereads the file.
- Check the server list from a client and confirm both the color and style.
- If the result is blank or malformed, inspect the line for an accidental quote, missing backslash, or unsupported character.
Documentation for server.properties warns that an MOTD longer than 59 characters can cause a server record to report a communication error. Treat that as a documented compatibility caveat rather than a guaranteed hard limit for every current version, but keep the message short when diagnosing a listing problem.
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Using codes on Bedrock signs and in chat
Signs
Bedrock accepts a literal section sign in sign text. Insert § before the color or effect code while editing the sign, then enter the text. For example, §bShop creates aqua “Shop”, and §6§lMarket creates bold gold “Market”. A reset code such as §r is useful when a sign line or later text should return to its default appearance.
Chat and commands
Bedrock also accepts section-sign formatting in chat input and in commands that display text, including /say and /title. A chat message can therefore begin with a color code, followed by the message, and end with §r when subsequent text should not inherit the style.
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Typing the section sign depends on your device and keyboard. Pasting the character is often simplest. Make sure the pasted character is the actual section sign §, not the two ordinary characters § or u00A7; those alternatives are not interchangeable in an in-game Bedrock text field.
Why a color change can remove bold or underline in Java
Java legacy formatting has a style-order rule that surprises many server administrators: a color code appearing after a formatting code disables the earlier formatting. In practice, apply the color first, then apply bold, italic, or underline.
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Use §a§lGreen bold, not §l§aGreen bold. In the first sequence, the green color is selected and bold is applied afterward. If you change color later, repeat the style: §a§lGreen §c§lRed bold.
Underline example
§nX§cY underlines X, then changes to red for Y and leaves Y un-underlined because the color change cleared the underline. To underline the red text, use §nX§c§nY or, more predictably, select the new color first and then apply underline: §nX§c§nY.
Bedrock handles this transition differently: formatting persists after a color code. A style that survives a color change in Bedrock may therefore need to be written again for equivalent Java output.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Common problems and fixes
The MOTD shows the codes instead of colors
- In Java
server.properties, replace a literal§withu00A7. - Confirm that the entry begins with
motd=and contains no smart quotes. - Restart the server after saving; changing the file while the server is running may not update the current listing.
The color works but bold, italic, or underline does not
- Move the color code before the style code.
- After every later color change in Java, add the style code again.
- Check that the effect is supported in the edition and destination you are using; strikethrough and underline are Java-focused entries in the legacy reference.
Only part of the message is colored
That is normally expected. Formatting starts where the code appears. Place the color code immediately before the word or segment that should change, and use §r where the following segment must return to normal formatting.
The server list reports a communication error
Shorten the MOTD and remove unnecessary effects while testing. The server.properties reference specifically flags messages over 59 characters as a possible cause, although the exact behavior can vary by version and client.
Java sign or chat text ignores the section sign
Raw legacy codes are not a universal vanilla Java sign/chat feature. Verify that the server software, plugin, command, or data format you are using explicitly supports them. For Java commands that support structured text, use a text component instead of relying on legacy parsing.
Text components: the safer Java direction
Legacy codes are compact and convenient for simple MOTDs, but Java is moving toward text components. Components represent text, color, and styles as structured data rather than embedding control characters inside a string. Where supported, a command such as /tellraw can use a component like {"text":"Welcome","color":"green","bold":true} instead of a legacy sequence.
Use legacy syntax when a specific configuration field still requires it, such as the escaped value in a Java MOTD. For new datapack commands, titles, or server features that expose component support, choose the component format and follow the syntax required by that version or server implementation.
Quick Recap
Quick reference checklist
- Choose the edition first: Java and Bedrock do not parse every destination the same way.
- Use
§0–§9and§a–§ffor the 16 legacy colors. - Use
§k,§l,§m,§n,§o, and§rfor effects and reset. - For a Java MOTD, write
u00A7inserver.properties, then restart the server. - For Bedrock signs and chat, insert the literal
§. - In Java, apply color before style and repeat the style after each later color change.
- Keep MOTDs concise while troubleshooting the documented 59-character compatibility warning.
- Prefer text components in Java contexts that support them because legacy formatting is deprecated.
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