Minecraft Chat Color Codes
Preview and copy the codes below, then read on — what happens when you actually try to use them in chat is not what most guides tell you.
Color
Formatting
Live preview
Section-sign code (in-game chat, signs, books)
§aSteveAmpersand code (server plugins, MOTD configs)
&aSteveDo Chat Color Codes Work in Vanilla Minecraft?
No — not by typing them yourself. In vanilla Java Edition, typing the section sign (§) directly into the chat box disconnects you from the server. There's no client-side way to type or paste a working color code into a normal chat message. This surprises a lot of players, because so many guides show a code list without mentioning that typing it in chat doesn't do anything (or actively kicks you).
How to Get Colored Chat in Minecraft
Servers with colored chat are running a plugin — commonly Paper or Spigot with a chat plugin like EssentialsChat — that intercepts messages server-side and translates & codes (like &a) into the actual color before broadcasting the message. Players type the ampersand version directly in chat; the plugin does the conversion. Without a plugin like this installed, a vanilla server has no way to let players color their own chat messages.
Server owners can also broadcast pre-colored messages without any plugin, using /tellraw with a JSON color property — useful for automated announcements, but not something a player types themselves.
Minecraft Chat Color Codes List
Use the tool above to preview any of the 16 colors and 6 formatting codes, and copy either the § form (what the game reads) or the & form (what most chat plugins expect you to type). For the full color and hex value table, see the complete Color Codes reference.
Bedrock Edition Chat Colors
Bedrock Edition is the exception: it supports typing § codes directly into chat, signs, and books natively, no plugin required. That native support doesn't carry over to Java Edition — the two editions handle formatting codes differently by design.
Frequently asked questions
- Why does typing § disconnect me from the server?
- In vanilla Java Edition, the section sign character isn't accepted as normal chat input — the client treats it as invalid and disconnects rather than rendering it as a color code.
- How do server owners add colored chat?
- By installing a chat plugin (commonly on Paper or Spigot, like EssentialsChat) that intercepts messages and converts & color codes into the actual rendered color before broadcasting. It's a server-side plugin feature, not a vanilla setting.
- Can I use color codes in my own chat messages without a plugin?
- No. Without a chat plugin, there's no way for a player to send a colored chat message on Java Edition — vanilla chat is plain text only.
- Do chat color codes work the same on every server?
- No — it depends entirely on whether the server runs a compatible chat plugin and how that plugin is configured. Two servers can behave completely differently even though the underlying color codes are the same.