Discord is one of the most popular platforms for online communication, widely used by gamers, programmers, and online communities. While Discord doesn’t offer much in terms of built-in text formatting customization, such as changing font or text color, users can still use a workaround involving Markdown syntax and code blocks for more creative messaging. If you’re looking to change the color of your text in Discord messages, here’s a comprehensive and reliable guide to get you started.
Understanding Discord’s Text Formatting System
By default, Discord supports limited Markdown syntax like italics, bold, bold italics, inline code
, and code blocks. However, changing the color of your text requires leveraging code blocks and using specific syntax that applies language highlighting rules to create the illusion of colored text. These features are often considered a “hack” and aren’t officially supported by Discord, so results may vary slightly depending on the platform or future updates.
Using Code Blocks to Change Text Color
Discord doesn’t allow direct text color customization, but you can simulate it using code block syntax with specific programming language names. Here’s how it works:
- Wrap your text in triple backticks (
```
) - Start the block with a supported programming language (like diff, css, json, etc.)
- Use the right characters or formatting within that syntax to get different colors
Here are commonly used examples:
-
Green Text (using diff syntax):
```diff
+ This text is green
```
-
Red Text (also using diff syntax):
```diff
- This text is red
```
-
Orange/Brown Text (using css syntax):
```css
[This text is orange]
```

Only certain colors are possible because the syntax highlighting is dependent on how the Discord client’s code parsing interprets programming language syntax. The following is a simplified list of colors and the languages that can mimic them:
- Green:
+ text
indiff
- Red:
- text
indiff
- Yellow or Orange:
[text]
incss
- Blue (less consistent): text in
ini
syntax
Best Practices When Using Text Color “Hacks”
While these formatting tricks are clever, it’s essential to use them responsibly to maintain readability and accessibility, especially in community or professional servers. Keep the following tips in mind:
- Do not overuse colored text — excessive formatting can become distracting.
- Test visibility — make sure your formatted text is legible in both light and dark mode.
- Use for emphasis — consider using colored text to highlight instructions, warnings, or important notes, rather than regular conversation.

Limitations to Be Aware Of
Because this method relies on syntax highlighting, it comes with some limitations:
- Not officially supported: Future Discord updates may change how formatting behaves.
- Inconsistent rendering: Text color effects may differ slightly between mobile and desktop clients, or may not display at all in embeds.
- Cannot be combined: You generally cannot use Markdown styling (like bold or italics) inside a code block along with coloring.
If you’re looking for persistent or dynamic themed messages and color options beyond these workarounds, consider leveraging Discord bots with embed capabilities or using external tools to generate styled messages.
Advanced Option: Using Bots for Rich Color Embeds
A more powerful and consistent alternative for colored text is using Discord bots to send embed messages. These embeds can have titles, descriptions, fields, and colors specified using hex codes — making them perfect for announcements, logs, or rules. While not a direct “text color” method, this offers far greater control and reliability.
Popular bots that support embeds with color include:
- Dyno Bot
- NadekoBot
- Mee6 (with premium features)
To use embed features, you may need to learn basic JSON formatting or use a visual embed builder provided by the bot’s website. Embeds are ideal for server staff who want their messages to stand out without relying on Markdown tricks.
In Conclusion
While Discord’s native message formatting doesn’t allow direct text color changes, users can cleverly utilize syntax highlighting inside code blocks to mimic various colors. Although limited, this method is effective for drawing attention or differentiating text. For more robust solutions, explore Discord bots with embedding features for more professional and consistent usage. Always stay informed about Discord updates to ensure your formatting remains functional.