| Code | Color | Name (JSON) | Hex | Preview |
|---|---|---|---|---|
&0 / §0 | black | black | #000000 | Minecraft |
&1 / §1 | dark blue | dark_blue | #0000AA | Minecraft |
&2 / §2 | dark green | dark_green | #00AA00 | Minecraft |
&3 / §3 | dark aqua | dark_aqua | #00AAAA | Minecraft |
&4 / §4 | dark red | dark_red | #AA0000 | Minecraft |
&5 / §5 | dark purple | dark_purple | #AA00AA | Minecraft |
&6 / §6 | gold | gold | #FFAA00 | Minecraft |
&7 / §7 | gray | gray | #AAAAAA | Minecraft |
&8 / §8 | dark gray | dark_gray | #555555 | Minecraft |
&9 / §9 | blue | blue | #5555FF | Minecraft |
&a / §a | green | green | #55FF55 | Minecraft |
&b / §b | aqua | aqua | #55FFFF | Minecraft |
&c / §c | red | red | #FF5555 | Minecraft |
&d / §d | light purple | light_purple | #FF55FF | Minecraft |
&e / §e | yellow | yellow | #FFFF55 | Minecraft |
&f / §f | white | white | #FFFFFF | Minecraft |
| Code | Effect | Preview | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
&l / §l | Bold | Minecraft | ||
&o / §o | Italic | Minecraft | ||
&n / §n | Underline | Minecraft | ||
&m / §m | Strikethrough | Minecraft | ||
&k / §k | Obfuscated | Minecraft | ||
&r / §r | Reset | Minecraft | ||
The obfuscated code (§k) scrambles characters continuously — use it sparingly, it renders as flickering symbols. §r resets color and formatting, and note that in Java Edition a color code also clears any formatting codes before it, so write the color first: &6&lGold bold, not &l&6.
A section sign (§) followed by 0-9 or a-f changes the text color from that point on; §l, §o, §n, §m and §k add formatting, and §r resets everything back to default. Many plugins and tools accept an ampersand (&) in place of §.
You usually don't type it live — vanilla Java chat won't accept it from players. It's used in files and configs: paste the § character directly, or write &-codes where the software converts them (Bukkit, Spigot and Paper plugins commonly translate &a-style codes).
Yes — Bedrock uses the same §-codes and adds a few extra colors of its own, such as §g (minecoin gold).