Format IRC

Insert common mIRC formatting control bytes and expose a readable view of the invisible result.

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ToolIRC Formatter
Input
Output
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The frame below runs the same code as this page, in the reader's own browser. Nothing is sent to us, and nothing is sent to you.

Pick a dark background and the text and panels follow it, so the frame stays readable on a dark page.

Preview

How it works

Markdown-like spans become U+0002 bold, U+001D italic, or U+001F underline controls; optional whole-message styling adds those bytes or U+0003 plus two-digit color indices. Matching controls at the end toggle or reset the selected styles.

  • White, no background, and no whole-message emphasis avoid a color wrapper unless markers in the input request one.
  • The 00–15 palette is a de facto mIRC convention, not a guarantee of the IRC protocol itself.

Worked example

Markdown to IRC control codes
Convert Markdown bold and italic to IRC formatting codes
Input
											**Alert:** Server _restarted_ at 03:15 UTC
Output
												Raw (copy this):
Alert: Server restarted at 03:15 UTC

Readable:
[BOLD]Alert:[BOLD] Server [ITALIC]restarted[ITALIC] at 03:15 UTC

When to use this

IRC message drafts add color, bots emit emphasis controls, and debugging views reveal bytes that are normally invisible.

Edge cases

  • A client without the same extension can ignore controls, render other colors, or expose artifacts.
  • Nested and escaped Markdown are not parsed, so complex marker sequences can pair incorrectly.
  • Only the raw line contains actual IRC control bytes; the readable line contains bracketed labels.