Bukkit Color Codes
Quickly reference our list of Bukkit color codes and format codes to style your chat messages, server welcome messages/MOTD and in-game text.
List of Bukkit Color Codes
| Color | Name | Chat code | MOTD code | Hex |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black | 0 | u00A70 | ||
| Dark Blue | 1 | u00A71 | ||
| Dark Green | 2 | u00A72 | ||
| Dark Aqua | 3 | u00A73 | ||
| Dark Red | 4 | u00A74 | ||
| Dark Purple | 5 | u00A75 | ||
| Gold | 6 | u00A76 | ||
| Gray | 7 | u00A77 | ||
| Dark Gray | 8 | u00A78 | ||
| Blue | 9 | u00A79 | ||
| Green | a | u00A7a | ||
| Aqua | b | u00A7b | ||
| Red | c | u00A7c | ||
| Light Purple | d | u00A7d | ||
| Yellow | e | u00A7e | ||
| White | f | u00A7f |
Bukkit Format Codes
Bukkit plugins use the same format codes as vanilla Minecraft. In Java source, reference them through the Bukkit ChatColor enum; in configuration files, paste the §-prefixed codes from the MOTD column style.
| Format | Code | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Obfuscated | §k | Rapidly cycles random characters through each letter position. |
| Bold | §l | Renders following text in a bold weight. |
| Strikethrough | §m | Draws a line through the middle of following text. |
| Underline | §n | Underlines following text. |
| Italic | §o | Italicizes following text. |
| Reset | §r | Clears all active color and format styles. |
Bukkit color syntax
Bukkit-derived servers (Spigot, Paper, and many others) inherit Minecraft's `§` formatting system. Plugin APIs such as `ChatColor` in the Bukkit library wrap these codes so you can write `ChatColor.RED + "message"` in Java.
The color table matches the classic 16-color palette: dark and light variants of red, green, blue, aqua, purple, yellow, plus black, gray, white, and gold.
MOTD and plugin messages
Server list MOTDs embed codes directly in `server.properties` or through plugins like ServerListPlus. Use the MOTD column when copying into files that expect Unicode section signs.
Combine with format codes below for bold or italic welcome messages. Always reset styles with `§r` before switching colors mid-string to avoid bleed-through in chat logs.
Placeholder APIs (PlaceholderAPI, MiniMessage on Paper) offer higher-level formatting; they still compile down to these legacy codes for client compatibility.