How to Fix Illegal Characters in Chat
The server kicks a player whose chat message or command contains §, a control character or DEL. What counts as illegal, and why emoji and accents are fine.
Quick Fix
Remove the § sign, line breaks, tabs and other control characters from the message or command. The vanilla chat box strips them already, so check any mod, macro or bot that sends text for you.
Error Message
Illegal characters in chatHow to Fix
Delete § and any hidden characters. Pasting the text into a plain text editor first shows line breaks and tabs.
Turn off, update or reconfigure the mod, macro or chat tool that sent the message.
For colored chat, use the formatting your server offers, since § can't be sent through chat.
Keep your keyboard layout. Emoji, accents and non-Latin scripts pass the server's check and don't cause this kick.
Common Causes
- The text contains the section sign §, the character Minecraft uses for its formatting codes.
- The text contains a control character, meaning anything below the space character such as a line break or a tab, or the DEL character.
- A mod, macro, bot or proxy sent the text straight to the server. The vanilla chat box removes these characters when you type or paste, so a normal client doesn't send them from there.
- Commands go through the same check, so a command that contains § gets the same kick.
Diagnostic Steps
- Look for § in the message you sent.
- Remove line breaks, tabs and other hidden characters.
- Send the message again from the vanilla chat box.
- If it keeps happening, turn off chat mods and macros one at a time.
FAQ
Which characters are illegal?
Three kinds: the section sign §, control characters below the space character such as line breaks and tabs, and DEL. Every other character passes this check.
Can I use emoji or accents in chat?
Yes. They pass the check, so they won't get you kicked. Whether they show up correctly depends on the font.
Why can't I paste § into the chat box?
The chat box filters § and control characters out as you type or paste, so they never reach the server from there.
