Minecraft:Formatting codes

File:Minecraft Formatting.gif

A book showing the possible formatting options with the character that performs them

Formatting codes add color and modifications to text in-game.

Text in Minecraft can be formatted with the Template:W (§). Template:IN, the section sign can be used in almost any in-game text input such as book and quills and the Minecraft:chat. Template:IN, section signs may only be used in text outside gameplay, such as Minecraft:resource packs and world titles.

Usage

Text can be formatted using the section sign (§) followed by a character. A § symbol followed by a character in the message tells the client to switch colors while displaying text.

Java Edition

Formatting codes can be used in server.properties, pack.mcmeta, splashes.txt, Minecraft:language files, world titles, commands such as /tellraw and /title in data packs, and server names.

If a color code is used after a formatting code, the formatting code is disabled beyond the color code point. For example, §cX§nY displays as XY, whereas §nX§cY displays as XY. Therefore, when using a color code in tandem with a formatting code, ensure the color code is used first and reuse the formatting code when changing colors. Also, you could put §r§f in an anvil to rename an item as non-italic.

Bedrock Edition

Formatting codes can be used in any text input, but will only be displayed in JSON UI. Additionally, Realm names and player names disallow formatting codes. This practically limits formatting codes to the following uses:

• Book and quill text, name, and author.
• Minecraft:Chat messages, including those sent by commands like Template:Command.
• Minecraft:Signs and Minecraft:hanging signs, without requiring dyes.
• Minecraft:Anvils and cartography tables to rename Minecraft:items. Nameplates from Minecraft:name tags or other means also display formatting.
• Text in Minecraft:resource packs displayed in-game, like language files, Minecraft:splashes, Minecraft:loading tips, and Minecraft:credits.
• Pack names, descriptions, and settings strings.
• Commands that can display text, like Template:Command but also Template:Command.
• Technically world names and server names, but these are rarely displayed in JSON UI.

Formatting codes persist after a color code. Usage in Minecraft:party chat censors the entire message.

Color codes

File:Colors.png

Hex digit to color mapping. Use "§" followed by the corresponding color letter/number; e.g. "§e" gives yellow.

Messages sent from the server to the client can contain color codes, which allow the coloring of text for various purposes.

Code	Name	Foreground color				Background color				Equivalent ANSI escape code	Version
		R	G	B	Hex	R	G	B	Hex
§0	black	0	0	0	Template:Color	0	0	0	Template:Color	\e[0;30m
§1	dark_blue	0	0	170	Template:Color	0	0	42	Template:Color	\e[0;34m
§2	dark_green	0	170	0	Template:Color	0	42	0	Template:Color	\e[0;32m
§3	dark_aqua	0	170	170	Template:Color	0	42	42	Template:Color	\e[0;36m
§4	dark_red	170	0	0	Template:Color	42	0	0	Template:Color	\e[0;31m
§5	dark_purple	170	0	170	Template:Color	42	0	42	Template:Color	\e[0;35m
§6	gold	255	170	0	Template:Color	64	42	0	Template:Color	\e[0;33m
§7	gray	170	170	170	Template:Color	42	42	42	Template:Color	\e[0;37m	Template:Only
		198	198	198	Template:Color	49	49	49	Template:Color		Template:Only
§8	dark_gray	85	85	85	Template:Color	21	21	21	Template:Color	\e[0;90m
§9	blue	85	85	255	Template:ColorTemplate:Until	21	21	63	Template:Color	\e[0;94m
§a	green	85	255	85	Template:Color	21	63	21	Template:Color	\e[0;92m
§b	aqua	85	255	255	Template:Color	21	63	63	Template:Color	\e[0;96m
§c	red	255	85	85	Template:Color	63	21	21	Template:Color	\e[0;91m
§d	light_purple	255	85	255	Template:Color	63	21	63	Template:Color	\e[0;95m
§e	yellow	255	255	85	Template:Color	63	63	21	Template:Color	\e[0;93m
§f	white	255	255	255	Template:Color	63	63	63	Template:Color	\e[0;97m
§g	minecoin_gold	221	214	5	Template:Color	55	53	1	Template:Color	—	Template:Only Unavailable on Playstation.
§h	material_quartz	227	212	209	Template:ColorTemplate:Until	56	53	52	Template:Color	—	Template:Only
§i	material_iron	206	202	202	Template:ColorTemplate:Until	51	50	50	Template:Color	—	Template:Only
§j	material_netherite	68	58	59	Template:ColorTemplate:Until	17	14	14	Template:Color	—	Template:Only
§m	material_redstone	151	22	7	Template:ColorTemplate:Until	37	5	1	Template:Color	—	Template:Only
§n	material_copper	180	104	77	Template:ColorTemplate:Until	45	26	19	Template:Color	—	Template:Only
§p	material_gold	222	177	45	Template:ColorTemplate:Until	55	44	11	Template:Color	—	Template:Only
§q	material_emerald	17	159	54	Template:ColorTemplate:Until	4	40	13	Template:Color	—	Template:Only
§s	material_diamond	44	186	168	Template:ColorTemplate:Until	11	46	42	Template:Color	—	Template:Only
§t	material_lapis	33	73	123	Template:ColorTemplate:Until	8	18	30	Template:Color	—	Template:Only
§u	material_amethyst	154	92	198	Template:ColorTemplate:Until	38	23	49	Template:Color	—	Template:Only
§v	material_resin	235	114	20	Template:ColorTemplate:Until	59	29	5	Template:Color	—	Template:Only
§w	party_blue	140	179	255	Template:Color	35	45	64	Template:Color	—	Template:Only

Formatting codes

Code	Name	Equivalent ANSI escape code	Version
§k	obfuscated	—
§l	bold	\e[1m
§m	strikethrough	\e[9m	Template:Only
§n	underlined	\e[4m	Template:Only
§o	italic	\e[3m
§r	reset	\e[0m

The random characters placed after §k are always the same width as the original characters. For example, any random character cycled through in place of the letter "m" would be a wide character while any random character in place of the letter "i" would be a narrow character.

§r resets the styles of following characters; e.g., §nXXX§rYYY displays as XXXYYY, which can be used to remove the default italics formatting when renaming an item in an Minecraft:anvil.Template:Only

Typing

• To enter "§" on Windows with most US/UK English keyboards type Template:Keys (alt code on cp437) or Template:Keys. For any other keyboard, the Windows ANSI version Template:Keys often works.
• If EnableHexNumpad is enabled in the Windows registry, Template:Keys (using the main keyboard for "A") works for any language due to it being Unicode.
• On a Mac with a US keyboard, type Template:Keys (or Template:Keys for US Extended). For any other keyboard, type Template:Keys.
• On Linux with the compose key activated, type Template:Keys. The symbol can also be typed by using Unicode shortcuts: Template:Keys.Template:Info needed
• For various Android keyboards:
  • Google Keyboard (GBoard): The "§" is in the More Symbols section the symbols. To access it, press the Numbers and Symbols button (?123), then press the More Symbols button (=\<). Note that on previous versions of GBoard, it was behind the Paragraph Symbol "¶" in the same position, but they were since swapped so that now "¶" is behind "§".
  • Samsung Keyboard: The "§" is under the "s" key. To access, hold down on the "s" and then slide over to the "§" mark.
• For iOS:
  • On the iPad the "§" is under the percent sign. To access, tap the number/symbol button and then swipe down on the percent sign.
  • On the iPhone the "§" is under the ampersand "&". To access, tap the number/symbol button then hold down the ampersand key and slide over to the "§" mark.
• For Xbox:
  • On the Xbox One the "§" is under the paragraph mark "¶". To access, use Template:Xbtn, hold down Template:Xbtn while on ¶ until other options pop up. Move the cursor over to the "§" mark and use Template:Xbtn to select.
  • One can also highlight the S key on the standard alphanumeric keyboard, then press and hold Template:Xbtn to reveal several "alternate" characters, including "§". This method also works on the Windows 10 version.
• For Nintendo Switch:
  • In the bottom left corner of the keyboard is a language button. Tapping it or pressing Template:Nsbtn on it will open a list of keyboard languages. Scroll down to the bottom and select the "Symbol" keyboard. The "§" character is located on page 2.

When part of JSON text, the symbol can be written as Template:Code or Template:Code.

Alternatively Template:In, the character can be copied from this page (§) and pasted into virtually any text field by pressing Template:Keys (Windows) or Template:Keys (macOS). If pasting does not work it may be necessary to use the JSON format or another method.

While in chat Template:In, usage of this character disconnects the user, even in 'offline' single player mode, and thus cannot be used directly in commands such as /say.

Sample text

The following text can be pasted into a book and quill Template:In to produce what is shown in the picture; strikethrough and underlined text appears colored instead.

File:Minecraft Formatting.gif

§nMinecraft Formatting§r §00 §11 §22 §33 §44 §55 §66 §77 §88 §99 §aa §bb §cc §dd §ee §ff §rk §kMinecraft §rl §lMinecraft §rm §mMinecraft §rn §nMinecraft §ro §oMinecraft §rr §rMinecraft

Formatting code editor

This tool converts input text into plain text with formatting codes.

Note: The dice icon highlights text, which, in the real game, will appear as obfuscated text. Template:Calculator

Use in custom language packs

Formatting codes can be used to color names and description in language files by using § then any of the numbers/letters displayed above. This is also used in end.txt and credits.txt. An example of this is §dDiamond to make the name of a diamond appear as Diamond.

§r cannot be used to remove italics from custom translation tags within language files. For example, if the translation tag "item.example.test": "§rTest Item" is applied to the Name display data of a custom item ({display:{Name:'{translate:"item.example.test"}'}), it still appears as Test Item rather than simply Test Item. This is not true of any other formatting options.

Use in world names

File:Colorful world name (legacy).png

Colorful name of a world (as it is visible on the world list) after applying color codes (legacy, §-based).

Template:IN, with the help of external tools, such as NBTExplorer, world names can have custom colors and formatting codes. To modify the name, choose the LevelName tag in the world's level.dat. For example, the LevelName tag can be set to §1R§2e§3d§4s§5t§6o§7n§8e §9C§ar§be§ca§dt§ei§fo§1n§2s to make the world name a colorful one.

Additionally, the player can rename the world's folder to contain the codes. Then, in the world selection menu, the specified colors or effects will appear.

The player can also use a resource pack with § character(s) already present in the world name, and in this case, when creating a new world, all the player has to do is to change the color codes after the § characters.

Template:IN, the player is allowed to use a § inside of the world name when creating the world. This allows for using custom colors and formatting codes inside of the world name without having to modify the game. However, because most menu screens displaying world names use Minecraft:Ore UI, it is rarely visible in-game. Exceptions include the Minecraft:Editor and some world selection menus.

Use in server names

File:ColouredServer.png

With the use of a third party tool such as NBTExplorer, server names can have custom colors. To utilize this functionality, select the Template:Cd attribute in the Template:Cd file inside the Template:Cd directory using a third party tool. In the following example, the Template:Cd tag is set to §4§lMinecraft §6§lServer:

History

Java Edition

File:Obfuscated Text Comparison.gif

Appearance of 1234567890abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz~!@#$%^&*()-=_+{}[] as obfuscated text in four different versions.

Trivia

• The first 16 color codes almost exactly match, in order, the 16 colors available using a Color Graphics Adapter (CGA), as released in 1981. Only color 6 differs; the value for color 6 in Minecraft – Template:Color – differs from that made for CGA – Template:Color.
• Obfuscated format (§k) displays as dots in Minecraft:Bedrock Edition if any font except Mojangles is used.