Minecraft Color Codes

This is the complete reference for all Minecraft color and formatting codes. Use these codes in Command Maker aliases to create colorful, well-formatted messages for your players.

How Color Codes Work

Color codes are written as & followed by a character (0-9, a-f). The ampersand (&) is used in configuration files and commands; Minecraft converts it to the section sign (§) internally. All text after a color code appears in that color until another color or reset code is encountered.

Standard Color Codes (§0-§f)

Minecraft provides 16 standard colors. The codes &0 through &9 use numerical characters, while &a through &f use letters (case-insensitive).

Code Minecraft Hex Color Name Preview Description Best Use Case
&0 #000000 Black Pure black, no visible color Borders, separators, dark backgrounds
&1 #0000AA Dark Blue Deep navy blue Water-related messages, formal announcements
&2 #00AA00 Dark Green Forest green Nature themes, success notifications
&3 #00AAAA Dark Aqua Teal / dark cyan Information panels, tips, documentation
&4 #AA0000 Dark Red Maroon / dark crimson Error messages, death messages, warnings
&5 #AA00AA Dark Purple Deep magenta Rare items, magic effects, special ranks
&6 #FFAA00 Gold Warm golden orange Premium content, ranks, currency, highlights
&7 #AAAAAA Gray Medium gray Subtle text, hints, metadata, timestamps
&8 #555555 Dark Gray Charcoal gray Separators, less important information
&9 #5555FF Blue Medium bright blue Links, clickable text, notifications
&a #55FF55 Green Bright grass green Success confirmations, positive feedback
&b #55FFFF Aqua Cyan / light blue Command names, technical information
&c #FF5555 Red Bright red Danger, health, errors, penalties
&d #FF55FF Light Purple Pink / bright magenta Special items, events, rewards
&e #FFFF55 Yellow Bright yellow Warnings, currency, valuable items
&f #FFFFFF White Pure white Default text, standard messages, body text

Hex Values for Resource Packs

The Minecraft hex values listed above are the default colors. If your server uses a resource pack, these colors may be customized. The codes themselves (&0-&f) remain the same, but the visual appearance can change.

Formatting Codes (§l, §o, §n, §m, §k, §r)

Formatting codes change the style of your text rather than the color. They can be combined with any color code.

Code Format Name Visual Effect Usage Notes
&l Bold Thicker, heavier text Use for headings, important words, emphasis. Works on all colors.
&o Italic Slanted text Use for quotes, thoughts, book titles. Subtle effect.
&n Underline Line beneath text Use for links, headings, emphasis. Can combine with bold.
&m Strikethrough Line through text Use for removed items, outdated info, decorative lines.
&k Obfuscated Rapidly changing random characters Use sparingly for mystery, magic effects, or decoration. Hard to read.
&r Reset Returns to default (white, no formatting) Always use &r to reset formatting before switching colors. Prevents carryover.

Critical: Always Reset Before Changing Colors

Formatting codes like &l (bold) persist until you use &r (reset). If you apply bold red text (&c&l) and then change to green (&a) without resetting, the green text will still be bold. Always use &r before changing to a different color when you want to clear formatting:

# Without reset - green text stays bold:
say &c&lError &adetails    # Details appears bold green!

# With reset - green text is normal:
say &c&lError &r&adetails  # Details appears normal green

Color Code Combinations

You can combine formatting codes by stacking them. Order matters: always place the color first, then formatting codes:

# Bold gold text
&6&lThis is bold gold

# Bold italic underlined dark red
&4&l&o&nComplex formatting

# Obfuscated rare item
&5&kMysterious Item

# Clean paragraph (reset, gold, reset, white)
&6&lWelcome! &r&fEnjoy your stay.

Using Color Codes in Command Maker

In Alias Commands

Simply include the codes directly in your alias target:

/cmd add coloredmsg say &b[&3Info&b] &fThis is a &ecolored &fmessage!

In Syntax Parameters

Parameters from syntax patterns can include colors in the alias expansion:

{
  "color_test": {
    "pattern": "/ct <message>",
    "description": "Display a colored message"
  }
}
/alias add colorcmd say &b[&3CMD&b] &f${color_test_message}

In tellraw Components

You can also use color codes inside JSON text fields:

/cmd add fancymsg tellraw @a [
  {"text":"&6&lSERVER: &r&fWelcome &e${player}&f!"}
]

In Function Files (.mcfunction)

Functions support color codes the same way:

# In config/CommandMaker/Functions/announce.mcfunction
say &b========== &6&lANNOUNCEMENT &b==========
say &f&l${player} &r&7just &acompleted &r&7the parkour!
say &b==================================

Color Code Patterns for Common Purposes

Purpose Pattern Result Description
Error &4&lERROR: &r&7message Dark red bold "ERROR:" followed by gray message
Success &2&lSUCCESS: &r&7message Dark green bold "SUCCESS:" followed by gray message
Warning &6&lWARNING: &r&7message Gold bold "WARNING:" followed by gray message
Info &9&lINFO: &r&7message Blue bold "INFO:" followed by gray message
Broadcast &8[&bBroadcast&8] &fmessage Gray brackets with aqua "Broadcast" label
Chat Prefix &8[&6Server&8] &7player: &fmessage Gray brackets with gold "Server" tag
Header Line &8&m==================== Gray strikethrough line for visual separation

Legacy Minecraft Color Differences

In Minecraft 1.16 and earlier, there were only these 16 standard colors. Starting in 1.16+, Mojang introduced support for hexadecimal color codes in JSON text components, allowing over 16 million colors. However, the legacy §-code system is still fully supported and remains the most practical choice for Command Maker aliases.

# Modern Minecraft supports hex colors in tellraw (1.16+)
tellraw @a {"text":"Custom Color!","color":"#FF69B4"}

# You can use hex in Command Maker aliases too
/alias add hex say /tellraw @a {"text":"Hot Pink!","color":"#FF69B4"}

Format Codes Also Work in Signs and Books

Color and formatting codes can be used in signs (use the § character with a formatting code on the sign GUI) and written books. Use & in Command Maker aliases that modify signs, and the game will render the colors correctly.

Quick Reference Card

=== COLORS ===        === FORMATTING ===
&0 Black      &8 Dark Gray   &l Bold
&1 Dark Blue  &9 Blue        &o Italic
&2 Dark Green &a Green       &n Underline
&3 Dark Aqua  &b Aqua        &m Strikethrough
&4 Dark Red   &c Red         &k Obfuscated
&5 Dark Purple &d Light Purple &r Reset
&6 Gold       &e Yellow
&7 Gray       &f White

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