Which format do I need?

Section signs for signs, books and most commands. Ampersands for a server config file or an older plugin. MiniMessage on Paper and anything using Adventure. JSON for tellraw and title. All four are below, so copy the one your server takes.

Why is my gradient showing as plain text with symbols?

The place you pasted it does not read that format. A config that wants ampersands will print section signs literally, and the other way round.

Do hex colors work everywhere?

They need 1.16 or later. Before that the game had only sixteen colors, and a hex code shows as raw characters.

Why do spaces not change color?

They do, but a space shows nothing, so the fade would jump at every word if it spent a step on one. Only the visible characters move the gradient along.

Can I use more than two colors?

Yes. Add as many as six stops and the fade runs through each in turn.

Does this work on Bedrock?

Not the hex part. Bedrock supports the sixteen named color codes but not per-character hex, so a gradient will not render there.

Minecraft Gradient Generator

Pick your colors, type your text, and copy it in whichever of the four formats your server actually reads.

Your text

Welcome to the server

Colors

Start from

Section signs (signs, books, most commands)

§x§f§9§8§0§1§d§lW§x§e§e§7§c§2§5§le§x§e§3§7§9§2§e§ll§x§d§8§7§5§3§6§lc§x§c§d§7§2§3§e§lo§x§c§1§6§e§4§6§lm§x§b§6§6§b§4§f§le§x§a§b§6§7§5§7§l §x§a§b§6§7§5§7§lt§x§a§0§6§4§5§f§lo§x§9§5§6§0§6§8§l §x§9§5§6§0§6§8§lt§x§8§a§5§d§7§0§lh§x§7§f§5§9§7§8§le§x§7§4§5§6§8§1§l §x§7§4§5§6§8§1§ls§x§6§8§5§2§8§9§le§x§5§d§4§f§9§1§lr§x§5§2§4§b§9§9§lv§x§4§7§4§8§a§2§le§x§3§c§4§4§a§a§lr

Ampersand (server configs and most plugins)

&x&f&9&8&0&1&d&lW&x&e&e&7&c&2&5&le&x&e&3&7&9&2&e&ll&x&d&8&7&5&3&6&lc&x&c&d&7&2&3&e&lo&x&c&1&6&e&4&6&lm&x&b&6&6&b&4&f&le&x&a&b&6&7&5&7&l &x&a&b&6&7&5&7&lt&x&a&0&6&4&5&f&lo&x&9&5&6&0&6&8&l &x&9&5&6&0&6&8&lt&x&8&a&5&d&7&0&lh&x&7&f&5&9&7&8&le&x&7&4&5&6&8&1&l &x&7&4&5&6&8&1&ls&x&6&8&5&2&8&9&le&x&5&d&4&f&9&1&lr&x&5&2&4&b&9&9&lv&x&4&7&4&8&a&2&le&x&3&c&4&4&a&a&lr

MiniMessage (Paper, Velocity, Adventure)

<bold><#f9801d>W<bold><#ee7c25>e<bold><#e3792e>l<bold><#d87536>c<bold><#cd723e>o<bold><#c16e46>m<bold><#b66b4f>e<bold><#ab6757> <bold><#ab6757>t<bold><#a0645f>o<bold><#956068> <bold><#956068>t<bold><#8a5d70>h<bold><#7f5978>e<bold><#745681> <bold><#745681>s<bold><#685289>e<bold><#5d4f91>r<bold><#524b99>v<bold><#4748a2>e<bold><#3c44aa>r

JSON text (/tellraw and /title)

[{"text":"W","color":"#f9801d","bold":true},{"text":"e","color":"#ee7c25","bold":true},{"text":"l","color":"#e3792e","bold":true},{"text":"c","color":"#d87536","bold":true},{"text":"o","color":"#cd723e","bold":true},{"text":"m","color":"#c16e46","bold":true},{"text":"e","color":"#b66b4f","bold":true},{"text":" ","color":"#ab6757","bold":true},{"text":"t","color":"#ab6757","bold":true},{"text":"o","color":"#a0645f","bold":true},{"text":" ","color":"#956068","bold":true},{"text":"t","color":"#956068","bold":true},{"text":"h","color":"#8a5d70","bold":true},{"text":"e","color":"#7f5978","bold":true},{"text":" ","color":"#745681","bold":true},{"text":"s","color":"#745681","bold":true},{"text":"e","color":"#685289","bold":true},{"text":"r","color":"#5d4f91","bold":true},{"text":"v","color":"#524b99","bold":true},{"text":"e","color":"#4748a2","bold":true},{"text":"r","color":"#3c44aa","bold":true}]

How it works

Type your text, then set the colors at the start and end of the fade.
Add more colors if you want the fade to pass through them.
Turn on bold or italic if you need it. Every format below carries the styling.
Copy the block that matches where you are pasting.

Java Edition. Hex colors need 1.16 or later, and Bedrock does not support them.

Questions

Which format do I need?: Section signs for signs, books and most commands. Ampersands for a server config file or an older plugin. MiniMessage on Paper and anything using Adventure. JSON for tellraw and title. All four are below, so copy the one your server takes.
Why is my gradient showing as plain text with symbols?: The place you pasted it does not read that format. A config that wants ampersands will print section signs literally, and the other way round.
Do hex colors work everywhere?: They need 1.16 or later. Before that the game had only sixteen colors, and a hex code shows as raw characters.
Why do spaces not change color?: They do, but a space shows nothing, so the fade would jump at every word if it spent a step on one. Only the visible characters move the gradient along.
Can I use more than two colors?: Yes. Add as many as six stops and the fade runs through each in turn.
Does this work on Bedrock?: Not the hex part. Bedrock supports the sixteen named color codes but not per-character hex, so a gradient will not render there.